Drawings: Tuppence Middleton

Posted on October 28, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Actress Tuppence Middleton has a peculiar rare medical condition that allows her eyes to change colour of their own accord. They range from yellow to hazel, or green. She also collects stuffed animals.

Her mother was nicknamed ‘Tuppence’ as a small girl by her grandmother, so ‘Tuppence’ was christened with the moniker.

“It’s come in handy,” she said, “I haven’t met another Tuppence so far, so people remember it.” She made an impact recently in Danny Boyle‘s Trance, as the girl locked inside James McAvoy‘s past. Her first London theatre engagement was a rare revival of Graham Greene’s The Living Room at the Jermyn Street Theatre in early 2013, where she signed my sketches.

Drawing: David Hyde Pierce in Curtains on Broadway

Posted on October 16, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

David Hyde Pierce is known for playing the psychiatrist Dr Niles Crane on the hit NBC sitcom Frasier, winning four Emmys for the role.

In August and September 2006, he starred as Lieutenant Frank Cioffi in Curtains, staged at the Ahmanson Theatre in LA. It transferred to Broadway in March 2007 with David winning a Tony for his performance as a leading actor in a musical.

In 2010 he appeared on the West End stage in a revival of David Hirson’s play La Bête directed by Matthew Warchus, before it also moved to New York. David signed my sketch at the Harold Pinter Theatre’s stage door in London.

Drawings: Tom Conti and Natalie Walter in Smash; and Nina Conti in Talk To The Hand

Posted on October 15, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

I have had the great pleasure of seeing both Tom and his daughter Nina on stage at various times and venues in London. More known for his contemporary rather than classical theatre, Tom is one of the West End’s most enduring and popular actors over the past four decades.

He received the Tony and Olivier Awards for this role as a paralysed sculptor in the right-to-die play Whose Life Is It Anyway? in 1979.

In films tom won the National Board of Review Award Twice for Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence and Reuben, Reuben. In the latter he also received an Oscar and Golden Globe nomination.

Nina is a wonderful comedian, actress and ventriloquist who regularly headlines at London comedy venues, including the comedy store. In 2002 she won the BBC New Comedy Award. Her first full length solo show Complete and Utter Conti debuted at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2007 and went on to win the Barry Award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival the following year. Her primary on stage sidekick is a depressed monkey called Monk and she has recently added ‘Granny’, a puppet she inherited from her mentor Ken Campbell on his death.

Both Tom and Nina signed their drawings at the Menier Chocolate Factory after their respective shows in 2011.

Drawing: Lenny Henry, Conrad Nelson and Jessica Harris in Othello at Trafalgar Studios

Posted on October 13, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Comedian Lenny Henry made his Shakespearean debut as Othello – one of the most challenging roles in dramatic literature. After opening at the West Yorkshire Playhouse it transferred to the Trafalgar Studios in London in November 2009. Lenny received widespread critical acclaim in the title role with The Daily Telegraph saying ‘This is one of the most astonishing debuts in Shakespeare…” Conrad Nelson was equally impressive, as the vile and reptilian antagonist, Iago and Jessica Harris played the Moor’s wife Desdemona.

All three signed my sketch after I saw a matinee performance in December 2009.

My other Lenny Henry sketch is here.

Drawing: Robert Lindsay as Richard III

Posted on October 10, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

I had the pleasure of witnessing one of the best stage renditions when I saw Robert Lindsay performing the title role in Richard III at the Savoy Theatre in 1999. I drew this sketch, but it wasn’t until Robert was appearing in Onassis at the Novello eleven years later that I actually got it signed… and a cryptic quip from the Shakespearean heavyweight.

Drawing: Mark Rylance and Juliet Rylance

Posted on October 9, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Juliet Rylance and her father, Mark, graced the London stage boards at the same time in different theatres during 2010. Mark featured in David Hirson’s comedy La Bête at the Comedy Theatre, and Juliet was in The Bridge Project’s Shakespearean double bill, As You Like It / The Tempest over at the Old Vic.

Mark signed my sketch first on the 10th August 2010, and Juliet a week later.

My other Mark Rylance drawings can be found here, here and here.

Drawing: Ron Cephas Jones and Stephen Dillane in The Tempest

Posted on October 7, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

2010 was the second year of Sam Mendes’ transatlantic Bridge Project featuring globally touring hybrid Anglo-American cast at the Old Vic Theatre. The Shakespearean comedy As You Like It ran in repertory with The Tempest. At first sight they may not appear obvious bedfellows, but both deal with exile, sibling hostility and a touching father-daughter relationship.

BAFTA and Tony winner Stephen Dillane, currently seen in the British hit TV series Game of Thrones portrayed Prospero, The Tempest’s main character and overthrown Duke of Milan turned sourcerer. American actor Ron Cephas Jones played the enigmatic half-human, half-beast Caliban – Prospero’s slave.

Time Out described his performance, “with his vulpine aspect, ascetic frame and rich, musical baritone, earns that hackneyed critical plaudit, “riveting.”

Both Stephen and Ron signed my drawings in August 2010 at the stage door.

Drawing: Robert Lindsay in Onassis

Posted on October 5, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Winner of a BAFTA, a Tony and three Olivier Awards, Robert Lindsay took on the title role in Onassis at the Novello Theatre, London in 2010. He signed this drawing at the stage door and kept the original.

Drawing: Ben Barnes in Birdsong

Posted on October 4, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Sebastien Faulk’s 1993 war novel Birdsong was adapted for the stage with its World Premiere at the Comedy Theatre in London from September 2010 to January 2011. Directed by Trevor Nunn, it starred Ben Barnes as Stephen Wraysford, a soldier in France during the First World War.

Drawing: Mark Rylance as Johnny ‘Rooster’ Byron

Posted on October 3, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Mark Rylance won both the Olivier and the Tony Awards for his performance as Johnny ‘Rooster’ Byron – the opinionated eccentric in Jez Butterworth’s Jerusalem. “Rylance raises his game even higher and shows he is one of the greats,” said The Sunday Times. Time Out stated, “Believe the hype. Rylance’s astonishing final scene is as close to real magic as you’ll find.”

Mark signed this aqua-crayon and black conté sketch at the Apollo Theatre, London in February 2011. For my black and white alternate see here.