Broadcast time confirmed for Death of a Salesman on BBC Radio 3

4 October 2015 19:22

The time at which Death of a Salesman, starring Zoë as Linda Loman, will air on BBC Radio 3 has now been confirmed: 9pm on 11 October.

This radio production of Arthur Miller's classic play also stars Zoë's Agatha Christie's Poirot co-star, David Suchet. It's directed by Howard Davies and runs for two hours and fifteen minutes.

Don't forget that in anticipation of Death of a Salesman's broadcast, Zoe will be interviewed alongside David Suchet on Radio 3's Free Thinking, which is due to air on 7 October at 10pm.

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News round-up: insights into Harlequinade, Death of a Salesman comes to radio, Zoë's gift to new Sylvia cast and more!

1 October 2015 18:31

Zoë attended the opening night of Mr Foote's Other Leg at Hampstead Theatre, London, early last week. Ian Kelly's play stars Zoë's Much Ado About Nothing (2007) and Battle Royal (1999) co-star, Simon Russell Beale. It takes a humorous look at the life of satirist Samuel Foote, who's described by the theatre as 'the Oscar Wilde of the 18th century'. Zoe was photographed enjoying the event, alongside fellow guests Jeremy Irons and Lesley Manville, for Hampstead Theatre, Whatsonstage.com and Wooller.com.

Zoë will soon return to the stage herself, in the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company's productions of All On Her Own and Harlequinade, set to run at London's Garrick Theatre from 24 October – 13 January. The Financial Times' fascinating interview with Zoe's co-star and director, Kenneth Branagh, provides insights into the plays. As Branagh suggests, they both explore the nature of passion.

Passion for Shakespeare inspired Muse of Fire (2013), the ground-breaking documentary that includes interviews with Zoë and many other well-known actors. The 83-minute, feature-length version will be released on DVD on 6 October, as a Region 0, two-disc set.

BBC News reports that Radio 3's production of Arthur Miller's masterpiece, Death of a Salesman, which Zoë recorded earlier this year, will be broadcast on 11 October (time TBC). Part of a series of programmes celebrating the playwright's centenary, it reunites Zoë with David Suchet and director Howard Davies, who most recently worked together on another Miller classic, All My Sons (2010). The trio are pictured on the BBC's announcement about the forthcoming season of Radio 3 programmes. The Guardian has a small photo of Zoe and Suchet also taken at the Death of a Salesman recording.

In anticipation of Death of a Salesman, Zoe and David Suchet will join fellow actor Antony Sher on Radio 3's Free Thinking discussion programme, on 7 October at 10pm. They'll talk about their experiences of acting in Miller's plays.

Zoë's Cheltenham Literature Festival performance as poet Stevie Smith is also taking place soon – on 11 October, the same date as Death of a Salesman's broadcast, to be precise. Tickets are still available on the Festival's website.

The cast of Potters Bar Theatre Company's production of Sylvia, A.R. Gurney's comedy about a stray dog who threatens to derail a marriage, have had a lovely surprise from Zoë. As the theatre company tweeted this week, Zoe has gifted the original 'collar' necklace she wore during the 1996 West End production to the cast. It'll have pride of place in their show, due to be performed from 27-31 October at Hertfordshire's Tilbury Hall Theatre.

When Zoe was preparing to play Sylvia, she visited Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, as you can see in this lovely photo, which has recently been put online by Getty Images.

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Zoë pictured at the Royal Academy of Arts' Ai Weiwei exhibition

19 September 2015 17:27

Zoë was among the special guests at the Ai Weiwei exhibition gala preview, held at London's Royal Academy of Arts on Thursday. She was photographed there, looking very chic, for Getty Images.

The exhibition, which runs until 13 December, celebrates Ai Weiwei's tremendous influence on contemporary art and culture. His artworks are described by the RA as 'brave, provocative and visionary'.

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Zoë reveals how the arts can inspire people with dyslexia in Creative, Successful, Dyslexic

8 September 2015 18:17

Zoë discusses her experience of dyslexia in Creative, Successful, Dyslexic: 23 High Achievers Share Their Stories, a new book by Margaret Rooke. In the book Zoë and the other contributors 'reveal how dyslexia enabled them to see things differently, develop resourcefulness and use their unique creativity in exceptional ways'.

In a sensitive, insightful interview Zoë remarks that she felt relieved when she was diagnosed as dyslexic, just over ten years ago. She has always struggled to retain information. However, attending art school and drama school was a turning point. She found the creative disciplines far more engaging than a traditional academic environment, not least because her imagination is 'very visual'.

Zoë's experience suggests that dyslexia can in fact help people to unlock their creativity. 'There are many people in the arts who are dyslexic and who have many different forms of dyslexia. It's extraordinary how many people have surmounted it without really knowing it. A focus on the arts develops a vital muscle in the brain.'

If you'd like to read Zoe's full interview, as well as those of the other contributors (who include Prime Suspect's creator Lynda La Plante and Zoë's Five Children and It co-star Eddie Izzard), you'll be pleased to know that Creative, Successful, Dyslexic is available to buy online and in bookshops. The book is published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers, and a portion of the profits will be donated to UK charity Dyslexia Action, of which Zoë is an ambassador.

I'd highly recommend Creative, Successful, Dyslexic to anyone who has dyslexia, knows someone who does or would just like to reach a clearer understanding of what dyslexia means to a range of people.

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Photos: first images of Zoë and her Harlequinade castmates

7 September 2015 23:45

The Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company has today released several striking publicity photos of Zoë and her fellow cast members in the forthcoming production of Harlequinade. As previously reported on this website, Zoe will perform the comedy as part of a Terence Rattigan double-bill with the disturbing All On Her Own.

The collection of black-and-white photos, taken by talented photographer Johan Persson, is the first set of images to be released of the Harlequinade cast since they began rehearsing in late August. In the photos Zoë and her fellow actors are seen in a suitably theatrical setting: in front of a brightly lit dressing room mirror.

Harlequinade and All On Her Own will run from 24 October to 13 January, forming part of the theatre company's much-anticipated inaugural season of productions at the Garrick Theatre in London's West End. Tickets for this double-bill are available now.

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