Watch Zoë's Oxford Union interview for fascinating insights into her work and the acting profession

23 February 2017 17:01

You can now watch Zoë's interview at the Oxford Union, recorded in January, thanks to the famous debating society's YouTube channel. The lively, wide-ranging discussion is full of fascinating insights into Zoë's career on stage and screen, as well as her charity work.

Here are three of my favourite moments:

- 'It's mad. It's absolutely mad!' is how Zoe enthusiastically describes Britannia, the forthcoming Sky/Amazon TV drama set in 43 AD, in which she plays a Celtic queen.

- 'You have to be everything [as an actor],' Zoë's father, Sam Wanamaker, advised her. Acting alone isn't enough – you need to be able to dance, sing, play sport and more!

- Zoë calls Zorba!, the Broadway musical she starred in during May 2015, 'the most exciting thing I've ever done'. She only had a few weeks to learn four songs – and even less time to rehearse the show and learn the choreography. Incredible!

Thank you, Karoline, for bringing the video to my attention.

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Your chance to attend an exclusive event with Zoë at The Club at The Ivy

23 February 2017 14:56

On 13 March, Zoë will be interviewed during an exclusive event at prestigious London venue The Club at The Ivy in order to raise funds for an arts charity close to her heart, Mousetrap Theatre Projects.

Zoë, who is a patron of Mousetrap, will discuss her amazing career with The Ivy's Director, Fernando Peire. The interview will be followed by a short Q&A with questions from the audience.

As the charity explains, everyone who attends An Evening with Zoë Wanamaker at The Ivy will be supporting its 'mission to engage, educate and inspire young people through theatre, particularly those who are disadvantaged economically, socially or have special needs'. Mousetrap gives thousands of young people the opportunity to enjoy London's vibrant theatre scene each year, in addition to running related educational projects.

There are a handful of tickets left for this special, private event, and Mousetrap wondered if any of Zoe's fans visiting this website would like to come along. If so, you can buy tickets and find more details online, via the Golden Giving website.

Thank you, Emily, for the event information.

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Photos: Zoë at Travesties press night

17 February 2017 01:11

Zoë was one of the special guests invited to the West End opening night of Tom Stoppard's inventive comedy, Travesties, on 15 February. She'd wrapped up warmly against the cold with a cosy scarf, as you can see from BroadwayWorld's red carpet photos.

Travesties, which stars Tom Hollander and Freddie Fox, is running at the Apollo Theatre (the venue for Zoë's All My Sons in 2010). Other special guests included Stoppard, Samuel West and Trevor Nunn.

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BFI screens The Eagle Has Landed, one of Zoë's earliest TV appearances

15 February 2017 01:05

On 13 February, an audience at London's BFI Southbank was treated to the first public screening of The Eagle Has Landed since the programme's original broadcast in 1973. In this innovative satire, which brings the wonders of space exploration down to earth with a bang, a very young Zoë made her fourth TV appearance. She played dippy hippy Alice, a victim of a sinister plan by two astronauts who take over her home after presenting a variety show on the moon.

The Eagle Has Landed is undeniably – and deliberately – bizarre. It's also sharp, witty and compelling, thanks to brilliant performances and David Edgar's savagely funny script (his first for TV). Zoë's Alice, with tousled hair, lilac eyeshadow and a boho frock, can't tear herself away from the spectacle of The Apollo 18 Moon Show on her family's black-and-white TV. 'This is really very heavy,' she says in her hippy drawl, voice flat and eyes, almost unblinking, fixed on the screen.

Their wits dulled by the inane variety show, the young woman and her family seem powerless to resist as they themselves become the next part of the evening's entertainment. Now Alice is gazing through her big round glasses at two unexpected visitors – the astronauts – who are intent on carrying out the horrifying final act of their mission in her home. Sadly, she's not clear-sighted enough to grasp the implications of the astronauts' plan before it's too late.

The Eagle Has Landed presents a vision of space travel, by turns humorous and nightmarish, in which politicians, the military and powerful corporations collude against an unsuspecting public. It's darkly comic and hugely thought-provoking as a result.

Before the screening, the script editor, Jonathan Powell, spoke briefly to the audience about his memories of making the programme. It was commissioned for ITV's Late Night Theatre platform, which focused on 'new voices, unheard-of themes'. The Eagle Has Landed fitted the bill perfectly and was 'good fun' to film.

The screening is part of the BFI's second Forgotten Dramas season, which has been curated by a team of academics from Royal Holloway, University of London, who are working on a project called the History of Forgotten Television Drama in the UK. The project's blog, Forgotten Television Drama, discusses The Eagle Has Landed.

If you'd like to know more about what happens, you might find my summary of the programme helpful. I tried to cram in as much detail as possible in light of the fact that many fans won't have had the chance to see this neglected programme. Its sets and special effects may look dated, but The Eagle Has Landed remains a powerful show and an important piece of work in the early stage of Zoë's career.

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Meet Zoë this July at the London Film and Comic Con!

10 February 2017 19:51

Exciting news for any fans who may be in London this summer: it's been revealed today that Zoë will be among the special guests at Showmasters' London Film & Comic Con at Olympia. Zoë will be appearing at the huge convention on its second day, 29 July.

If you'd like the opportunity to meet her at the event, head to the LFCC website and forum, where you can find details about entry tickets, photoshoots and autograph requests.

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