All On Her Own is 'amazing to see in the hands of Zoë Wanamaker,' emphasises Kenneth Branagh

1 November 2015 22:50

In an interview conducted by The Stage newspaper, Kenneth Branagh talks enthusiastically about the double bill of Terence Rattigan plays in which Zoë is starring at the Garrick Theatre, London, as part of the first season of productions by Branagh's theatre company.

Branagh emphasises that 'Harlequinade is a very funny but poignant play about actors and acting, while All On Her Own is both thrilling and a thriller, and amazing to see in the hands of Zoe Wanamaker.'

The double bill is currently in previews, with the press night scheduled for 7 November. Tickets are available, and the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company recently tweeted that extra seats have been released for November performances. What's more, the productions are part of the first mobile lottery for West End plays, with TodayTix offering theatregoers the chance to win front row seats.

The texts of All On Her Own and Harlequinade will be published as a single edition on 5 November by Nick Hern Books. Zoë and her fellow cast members are pictured on the cover. Interestingly, the publisher's website notes that the book will contain 'exclusive additional content'.

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Listen to Zoë discussing All On Her Own/Harlequinade on BBC Radio 2

31 October 2015 13:54

If you missed Zoë's interview on Graham Norton's Radio 2 show this lunchtime, you can listen to it on the BBC iPlayer. The very enjoyable interview, during the last half hour of the show, offers insight into All On Her Own and Harlequinade, the double bill of plays by Terence Rattigan in which Zoë is starring at London's Garrick Theatre.

As she explained, All On Her Own was originally written for TV and has never been seen in the West End – until now. Harlequinade is another rarely-seen gem, focused on the antics of a repertory company staging Romeo and Juliet and The Winter's Tale (a production of which is in repertory with the Rattigan double bill).

'I went all over the country doing rep,' Zoë remarked about her early stage career. She acted in Oxford, Cambridge, Leeds and elsewhere.

Team spirit is, of course, essential to theatre companies. Zoë chose Joe Cocker's song, 'With a Little Help from My Friends', to sum up the supportive atmosphere at the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company, which is producing All On Her Own and Harlequinade.

Tickets for this double bill, which is currently in previews, are available. You have until 13 January to catch the show.

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Zoë to be interviewed by Graham Norton on BBC Radio 2

30 October 2015 19:30

Zoë will be a special guest on Graham Norton's BBC Radio 2 show tomorrow, 31 October. She'll be talking about her current stage roles in the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company's All On Her Own/Harlequinade at London's Garrick Theatre.

The radio show is on-air from 10am to 1pm (the specific time of Zoë's interview hasn't been announced). The interview promises to be lively and fun, as those of you who heard Zoë's first interview on Graham Norton's show, back in 2011, will know.

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Harlequinade 'is a love affair with the theatre of the past,' Zoë emphasises in new interview

30 October 2015 00:55

London newspaper the Evening Standard has interviewed Zoë about starring in the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company's productions of All On Her Own and Harlequinade at the West End's Garrick Theatre, praising her as 'a peerless tragedian and comedian'.

Discussing the intriguing, tension-filled monologue All On Her Own, Zoë emphasises that she'd 'never seen anything like it' before. The second part of the Terence Rattigan double bill, Harlequinade, also captured her attention. The comedy about a touring theatre company, she explains, 'is a love affair with the theatre of the past'.

Zoë shares fond memories of the period during which her father, Sam Wanamaker, performed in Stratford with the Royal Shakespeare Company. She recalls him rowing to work and describes herself as 'totally blown away' by the wonderful atmosphere backstage.

Zoë's enthusiasm for theatre clearly remains very strong. She remarks that the reconstruction of Shakespeare's Globe, which her father built on London's South Bank, is a 'magical space'.

Tickets are available for All On Her Own and Harlequinade, which are currently in previews and receiving hugely positive comments from theatregoers on Twitter (I'm endeavouring to retweet them). Performances are scheduled until 13 January.

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Zoë returns to the stage tonight!

24 October 2015 17:58

The wait is almost over! Tonight Zoë will return to the stage for the first time since May, in order to star in All On Her Own and Harlequinade at London's Garrick Theatre.

Performances of the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company's double bill of Terence Rattigan plays – which encompasses both drama and comedy – are scheduled until 13 January. Tickets are available.

Let's wish Zoë and her fellow cast and crew members much success!

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