Tag Archives: West End

Drawing: Denise Gough in People, Places and Things

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Denise Gough

The favourite to win this week’s Olivier Award for Best Actress is Denise Gough for her exceptional performance as a recovering addict in Duncan Macmillian’s PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS. She has already won the Critics’ Circle Award. A year ago, the Irish actress was out of work and contemplating quitting acting. She applied for a cleaning job and auditioned for the play at the National Theatre, winning the lead role. It opened on the National’s Dorfman stage last September to rave reviews and a sell-out season, transferring to the West End’s Wyndham’s Theatre this month for a twelve week run.

“The extraordinary Denise Gough electrifies as a raging, terrified addict” wrote Susannah Clapp in her Guardian review.

Denise signed my sketch at the Wyndham’s stage door prior to Saturday’s matinee. Oh and apparently she didn’t get the cleaning job, which was just as well really.

Drawing: Claire Cartwright and Jocasta King in The Mousetrap

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Claire Cartwright The Mousetrap

Agatha Christie’s famed  West End murder mystery and the world’s longest running play, THE MOUSETRAP  has eight characters including Mollie Ralston and Miss Casewell. As one of the 2015 cast, Claire Cartwright played Molly, who along with her husband Giles runs the guesthouse, Monkswell Manor. Jocasta King joined this year’s cast as the strange, aloof Miss Casewell with the horrific childhood experiences. Jocasta also played Mollie and Miss Casewell during the 2015 UK tour before settling into St Martin’s Theatre, the productions permanent home.

Jocasta signed her sketch last week at the stagedoor and Claire returned her drawing after I left it with her London agent.

Jocasta King The Mousetrap

Drawing: Siobhan Dillon in Grease

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Siobhan Dillon

I saw Siobhan Dillion play Sandy when she returned to GREASE at the Piccadilly Theatre in 2010 after initially joining the production three years earlier, making her West End debut as Patty Simcox. She also performed both Sandy and Marty roles as understudy until she left in 2008. In between she moved across town to the Savoy, playing Vivienne Kensington in LEGALLY BLONDE.

Siobhan signed my ‘Sandy sketch’ while she was part of the MISS SAIGON cast, which completed its revival run the Prince Edward Theatre last month. She will next be seen on the London stage as Betty Schaefer in SUNSET BOULEVARD, opposite Glenn Close at the Coliseum in April.

Drawing: The End of Longing

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The End of Longing

Matthew Perry’s debut play as a writer, the bittersweet dark comedy, THE END OF LONGING premiered at London’s The Playhouse Theatre last month. Directed by Lindsay Posner, Matthew plays Jack, an alcoholic who falls for the sassy $2,500-an-hour hooker Stephanie (Jennifer Mudge). Together with the neurotic Stevie (Cristina Cole) and thick-but-kindly Joseph (Lloyd Owen) the quartet of lost souls, all approaching their forties, spent a raunchy night in a downtown LA bar searching for meaning.

I managed to get Matthew to sign my sketch last Saturday evening, but it was amongst a huge throng of fans, so I couldn’t get the other three cast members. It was a lot easier last night when only a handful of people were at the stage door as they arrived for the Friday night’s performance.

Drawing: Emma Williams, Rhiannon Chesterman and Katrina Kleve in Mrs Henderson Presents

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Mrs Henderson Presents

Terry Johnson’s musical stage adaption of the 2005 film MRS HENDERSON PRESENTS that featured Dame Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins, premiered at the Theatre Royal Bath last August and has transferred to London’s Noel Coward Theatre.

Olivier winner Tracie Bennett plays the eccentric 70 year-old widow Laura Henderson, who buys turns the London’s famous Windmill cinema into a live theatre, staging continuous variety revues at the beginning of the First World War. When her competition threatens to put her out of business, Mrs Henderson introduced female nudity, which was unprecedented in the UK at the time and based it on the Moulin Rouge in Paris. The Lord Chamberlain reluctantly agreed to the nudity under the condition that the performers remain immobile, thus becoming living works of art, similar to nude statues.

Olivier-nominated Emma Williams, along with Rhiannon Chesterman and Katrina Kleve are the show’s poster girls, perfect sketching subjects. I left this drawing at the theatre for them to sign which they kindly did.

Drawing: Hand to God

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Hand to God

Described as Sesame Street meets The Exorcist, the irreverent puppet comedy HAND OF GOD took Broadway by storm last year, earning five Tony Nominations, including Best New Play. Robert Askin’s irreligious, satanic hand puppet hit has now transferred to the West End and possessed the Vaudeville Theatre. The London website sums up the plot. One dead father. One messed up family. One girl who wants help. One school bully who always gets his own way. One out of control hand puppet. Recently widowed Margery (Janie Dee) with a penchant for rough sex is encouraged by the randy minister Pastor Greg (Neil Pearson) to run a Christian puppetry workshop-The Christketeers – to spread the gospel in Cypress,Texas. It’s members of which include her son Jason (Harry Melling), the strange girl next door, Jessica (Jemima Rooper) who Jason has a crush on and neighbourhood troublemaker Timmy (Kevin Mains). Enter Tyrone, Jason’s devil-doll that acquires a separate identity turning into a foul-mouthed, unruly sock puppet who believes he’s Satan and takes possession of Jason’s left hand.

“You want the Devil? I’ll give you The Devil”, as his polycotton head spins 360 degrees.

As you could imagine, an interesting collection of characters to meet at the stage door to get my sketch signed. The hand of God had a bit to do with it. This is the second drawing I did. The first succumbed to the elements. A week back,as I was sheltering under some historical edifice and sorting sketches for the impending stalk, a gust of wind transported a few of them into the only muddy puddle within London’s Square Mile. HAND TO GOD was one of them. This replacement was subjected to a few sprinkles on Saturday, as I waited at the Vaudeville. Thankfully the cast were much nicer than the weather and nothing like their stage personae. Harry even left Tyrone in the dressing room and signed with his non-possessed hand. God knows what Tyrone would do with a sharpie!

Drawing: Matthew Perry in ‘The End of Longing’

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matthew-perry

Matthew Perry’s debut play as a writer, THE END OF LONGING starts its run at London’s Playhouse Theatre early next month. It marks Matthew’s first return to the West End since 2003 when he appeared in the acclaimed SEXUAL PERVERSITY IN CHICAGO, directed by Lindsay Posner, who returns to helm this production.

While that’s very good news for London theatre-goers, it’s not so good for fans of FRIENDS, ending speculation of getting all six cast members of the hit series together in person for next month’s reunion in the planned NBC tribute to veteran director James Burrows.

Matthew is joined on stage by Lloyd Owen, Christina Cole and Jennifer Mudge in this ‘hilarious dark comedy’ about four people searching for meaning as they enter their forties during one crazy night in an LA bar.

I managed to catch up with Matthew as he popped out for a ciggy break from rehearsals this week ahead of the 2 February opening and my siggy break to get this sketch signed.

Drawing: Tracy Ann Oberman

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Tracey Ann Oberman

I meet Tracy Ann Oberman one Saturday afternoon earlier this year when the sun sometimes shone, (well it wasn’t raining) and the air temperature was very pleasant, as was Tracy-Ann. She was on her way to the matinee of McQUEEN at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, where she was performing the role of Isabella Blow, who discovered the late visionary designer Alexander MCQueen, played by Stephen Wight.

I had drawn two sketches of the award-winning actress, playwright and writer – one was depicting her and Stephen in their respective roles, which Stephen had signed a few minutes earlier and the other was this portrait montage. The weather is important here because the Theatre Royal Haymarket’s uncovered stage door opens out onto a plush little cul-de-sac that can often create its own menacing climate, not condusive  to autograph collecting. On this very pleasant day, however the weather was behaving and everything was fine with the world.

Tracy-Ann liked and signed both drawings, but I think this was her favourite. Then she slipped into the theatre to play the fascinating but ultimately tragic character who appears as a ghost. Such a kind spirit.

Drawing: The Weir cast

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The Weir Full Cast

The 2013 London revival of Conor McPherson’s Olivier-Award winning THE WEIR transferred from the intimate Donmar Warehouse to the Wyndham’s Theatre in Charing Cross for a sell-out season in early 2014. I did a sketch of Brian Cox, Ardal O’Hanlon and Dervla Kirwan, and they signed for me at the Donmar, which I’ve previously posted. After the transfer I drew this full cast drawing adding Risteard Cooper and Peter McDonald and got it graphed by all five at the stage door.

Drawing: Tom Chambers and Summer Strallen in Top Hat

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Summer Strallen Top Hat

TOP HAT danced its way through 2012 at London’s Aldwych Theatre, winning 3 Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical. Based on one of the greatest dance musicals of all time, the 1935 classic with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in Hollywood’s golden age of glamour and glorious tap-dancing! Wearing the tap-dancing shoes for this London revival were Tom Chambers and Summer Strallen, who both did a little sharpie shuffle at the stage door and signed my drawing for me.