Happy 22nd birthday, zoewanamaker.com!

29 July 2024 18:39

It’s almost impossible to believe, but 30 July will mark 22 years since I launched this website for Zoë Wanamaker fans! The site started life on Geocities before moving to zoewanamaker.com a few years later.

Zoë by @karodoodle

One of the most enjoyable aspects of running a website about my favourite actor is having the opportunity to get to know and become friends with other fans of Zoë and her fantastic work. For the site’s 22nd anniversary, I want to highlight a particularly special friend, Karoline (aka @karodoodle). She’s extremely kind, bright and creative with a strong social conscience and sense of justice; in other words, she possesses many of the qualities numerous fans around the world admire in Zoë.

Speaking of fans, I’m a huge fan of Karoline’s striking, stylised portraits. So I was over the moon when she agreed to create the above image of Zoë especially for this anniversary. (You can click on it to see a bigger version; there’s also a big version without the text). Karoline has a gift for capturing a person’s likeness with relatively few lines. I’m reminded of the way Zoë excels at capturing a character - by the time she’s spoken just a few lines, you have an unforgettably strong sense of that individual, from Madam Hooch to Ranyevskaya.

If you’d like to see more of Karoline’s amazing art, including this portrait she created for me last year (I told you she’s kind!) and images of her favourite band, Sparks, check out her Instagram profile @karodoodle.

Sending much love and gratitude to Zoë, her PA Vanessa, and my family and friends for their enthusiasm and support. And thank YOU for visiting this website! I’ll do my best to make the next 12 months of zoewanamaker.com as fun and memorable as possible.

And let’s conclude this celebratory post with a recent, delightful press photo of Zoë and her husband, Gawn Grainger :)

Liz xx

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Zoë filming new version of classic TV drama Bergerac

9 July 2024 17:37

This month Zoë begins filming a reimagined version of the hit 1980s detective drama Bergerac. Here she is at a read-through for the new six-part series, alongside Damien Molony. The latter has been cast as recently widowed detective Jim Bergerac, with Zoë playing another key role, Charlie Hungerford. (You can click on the photo to see a larger version.)

The press release from UKTV, the company that’s commissioned the series for its U&DRAMA channel (formerly called Drama) and streaming service, points to the difficult relationship between these two characters. ‘[Bergerac’s] mother-in-law, Charlie (Wanamaker), is concerned Jim isn’t putting his daughter Kim first’ following the tragic death of his wife.

Metro highlights the fact that Zoë, who the newspaper describes as a ‘Harry Potter legend’, is in the cast. There are also enthusiastic articles about the Bergerac reboot from the Radio Times, ITV News and Televisual, to name but a few.

In the John Nettles-led classic BBC series, Charlie (Terence Alexander) was the divorced Bergerac’s former father-in-law and a loveable rogue. It’ll be fascinating to see what effect portraying the character as a woman who (like Bergerac) is grieving in the new version will have. In another change, the updated Bergerac will feature one murder mystery rather than continuing with the one-case-per-episode format familiar to 80s Bergerac viewers.

One aspect of the show that remains the same, however, is the setting: beautiful Jersey. The new Bergerac will be made there and in the UK.

Other cast members include Philip Glenister and Pippa Haywood. The main writer is Toby Whithouse. Bergerac is a UKTV Original series produced by BlackLight TV (part of Banijay UK) and Westward Studios with support from Visit Jersey.

It’ll be screened in the UK in 2025. The press release also hints at international distribution plans.

Thanks to Janet for her help :)

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News round-up: The Big Issue, Inside No. 9, and celebrating Sam Wanamaker

25 June 2024 15:33

The Big Issue interview

Zoë is interviewed in the latest edition of The Big Issue (dated 24 June 2024), the magazine that supports homeless people in the UK.

With major elections on the horizon here and in the US, it’s not surprising that politics is the focus. Although Zoë is described as being ‘exasperated’ with the political landscape, she emphasises that kindness rather than physical/mental divisions is the way forward. ‘Our society should be helping each other [...] We can’t put walls up again.’

The article also highlights Zoë’s support for Causeway, which helps marginalised and vulnerable people. You’ll hear her voice towards the conclusion of this inspiring video for the charity’s Breaking Cyles: Building Lives campaign, which aims to help people who had deeply troubled upbringings free themselves from trauma and criminality.

The magazine is available to buy from your local Big Issue seller in the UK. You can also buy it on various digital magazine websites. (It’s currently sold out in The Big Issue’s online shop.)

Final episode of Inside No. 9

You’ll surely remember Zoë starred in a characteristically witty, weird and wonderful episode of Inside No. 9 in 2018. ‘And the Winner Is’ sees her playing Paula, an actress who’s invited to join the judging panel for a major acting awards ceremony but turns out to be less than familiar with the nominees’ work... (If you haven’t seen it, you’ll be pleased to hear you can watch the episode on the BBC iPlayer or buy it on DVD or Blu-ray.)

The final – and similarly brilliant – episode of the BBC Two series by Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton (who’s previously said Zoë gave his favourite theatre performance of all when she starred in 1994’s Dead Funny), ‘Plodding On’, was broadcast on 12 June this year. Blending fiction and reality, it takes place at a party being held to mark the end of the programme. And Zoë, appearing as herself this time, is among the party guests drawn from the nine series.

This episode is also on the BBC iPlayer.

Shakespeare’s Globe celebrates Sam Wanamaker

The beautiful Shakespeare’s Globe in London marked what would’ve been its founder Sam Wanamaker’s 105th birthday on 14 June. Here’s the theatre’s touching tribute, as well as lovely words from one of his many fans, on X/Twitter.

A fantastic interview with Zoë’s dad from a 1984 documentary came to my attention a couple of days later – on Father’s Day, in fact.

In the video, which was shared by the BBC Archive, he talks so passionately about The Globe project and bringing his vision to life. Even though building work hadn’t yet begun when the documentary was made, Sam Wanamaker emphasises that ‘I’ve seen the theatre here for 15-odd years; no, absolutely see it.’

How fortunate we are that Zoë’s dad’s vision did indeed become reality and we now have both Shakespeare’s Globe and the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse to enjoy.

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Wishing Zoë a wonderful birthday! ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

13 May 2024 12:03

It’s 13 May, and I’m sure Zoë Wanamaker fans all over the world will want to join me in wishing our very favourite actress an incredibly happy, magical birthday!

To celebrate, here’s a striking portrait of Zoë as Adriana in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s bold 1983 revival of The Comedy of Errors, which took place in what the RSC calls a ‘zany circus world’. I love the artist Amelia Hastings’ beautiful line work and flourishes. In fact, I think she’s captured not only Zoë’s likeness but also her energy and exuberance, don’t you?

(Click on/tap the picture to see a larger version.)

And there’s a lovely gesture from BBC Radio 4 Extra. The radio station is celebrating Zoë’s birthday by bringing one of her most fondly remembered radio series, The Older Woman (1993), back to the airwaves. In this witty, six-part comedy-drama, Zoë plays a tough, fortysomething teacher who catches the eye of her thirtysomething former student, who’s played by Martin Clunes. Toyah Wilcox also features.

Thanks to a scheduling quirk, the show won’t actually be on today – you can listen to episode one on Friday (17 May) instead! It’ll air at 7am, 12 noon and 6pm then 2am the following morning (all UK times) and be available on BBC Sounds. So wherever you are in the world, there’s bound to be a convenient time to catch it. The other episodes of The Older Woman will follow on subsequent Fridays.

With thanks to Zoë and Vanessa for info about the portrait

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News round-up: Constellations, Criminal Record and Central’s support for young actors

4 May 2024 10:36

Constellations on National Theatre at Home

The wait is over! Stunning play Constellations, starring Zoë and Peter Capaldi, is now available to watch worldwide on National Theatre at Home. Recorded during its acclaimed 2021 West End run, Constellations is an intimate two-hander about a couple whose relationship, by turns heart-warming and heart-breaking, is charted across multiple parallel universes. In other words, you see different versions of their story.

The plot may sound complicated, but don’t worry. The simplicity of the staging, in addition to the beauty and authenticity of the performances, will keep your feet on the ground, as you can tell from the superb clips from Constellations released by National Theatre at Home.

Reviewing the production in 2021 (in an article containing spoilers), the Evening Standard memorably summed it up as ‘a short, sharp, smart hit of first-class drama that humanises the randomness of the universe’. More recently, the show has caught the Guardian’s attention: it appears on the newspaper’s list of the best theatre to stream this month.

Criminal Record on Apple TV+

If you’d also like to see Zoë and Peter Capaldi take on entirely different roles, you won’t want to miss Criminal Record season one on Apple TV+. All eight episodes of this fresh, powerful crime drama are available to watch worldwide now.

In Criminal Record, Zoë plays Maureen Lenker, the fragile mother of sharp, up-and-coming East London police detective June (Cush Jumbo). Although proud of her daughter, Maureen’s relationship with the police is strained – she’s haunted by her late husband’s experience of institutional racism many years before June joined the force.

When an anonymous phone call casts doubt on a long-standing murder conviction, June’s investigation leads her to a formidable veteran detective, Daniel Hegarty (Capaldi) – and risks putting her family in danger.

Criminal Record’s plot is complex and rich. ‘The scenes with [June’s] mother (Zoe Wanamaker) and partner (Stephen Campbell Moore) hint at so much more to be told, so everything crossed for a new series,’ remarks The Herald. Thankfully, a second season could well be on the horizon, according to the Radio Times and other news sources.

Supporting ‘the next generation of theatre makers’ at Central

London’s Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, where Zoë trained, has announced it will no longer charge audition fees for undergraduate and diploma acting courses. The aim is to make Central’s training more accessible to students from all backgrounds.

As Central’s Vice-President, Zoë has spoken enthusiastically about the news, emphasising that greater diversity will enrich the arts as a whole:

‘I’m honoured to support Central’s initiative to eliminate audition fees and to help remove some of the financial barriers that aspiring artists face in accessing training. This will no doubt help to pave the way for a more accessible, diverse, and inclusive industry. In these difficult times we must all unite to support and empower the next generation of theatre makers and artists.’

As the Guardian points out, ‘Central is the most prestigious drama school to drop audition fees’ to date. The school will also introduce travel grants and continue to offer bursaries.

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