Zoë to be a guest on Fenella and Simon's Alternative Miss World

26 November 2014 16:34

Zoe will be among the guests on Fenella & Simon's Alternative Miss World radio programme. It is due to air this Saturday, 29 November, at 8pm UK time on Break London, an online broadcaster of TV and radio about creativity in the Capital.

The programme's title refers to actress Fenella Fielding and presenter Simon McKay. Fenella Fielding helped to judge last month's Alternative Miss World competition, held at Shakespeare's Globe, alongside Zoe and several others. The programme is bound to contain lots of insider insights into the competition.

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Listen to Zoë 'Off the Record'!

26 November 2014 02:42

You can now listen to Zoe's 'Off the Record' interview, which was organised by The Actors Centre and recorded on 4 November in front of a lively audience at London's Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

It's a wide-ranging, fascinating talk. Enjoy!

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Zoë’s hugely acclaimed Stevie transfers to Hampstead Theatre

21 November 2014 23:59

Whether you saw Zoë as quirky poet Stevie Smith at Chichester's Minerva Theatre earlier this year or have yet to witness her powerhouse performance, you are sure to find this news exciting: Stevie transfers to London’s Hampstead Theatre from March.

The news was first announced late last night by the Daily Mail’s entertainment columnist, Baz Bamigboye, and has been widely reported in the performing arts press today. Articles appear in The Stage, Official London Theatre, Whatsonstage.com and LondonTheatre.co.uk. You can also read the theatre’s own announcement about Zoe’s ‘highly anticipated return’ to its main stage, where she last performed in 1994's Dead Funny.

Zoe won rave reviews when Stevie opened the prestigious Chichester Festival 2014. In the Guardian’s words, ‘Zoë Wanamaker is so perfectly cast in Hugh Whitemore's play about the life and work of the poet Stevie Smith that you don't feel so much that she's acting as simply channelling the mid-20th century poet and novelist’. Now Zoe looks set to take audiences in the Capital by storm too.

Stevie is scheduled to run at Hampstead Theatre from 6 March to 18 April 2015. Priority booking for Friends of the theatre opened today; public booking opens on 28 November. For details and to book tickets, please see the theatre’s website.

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Zoë to give one-off performance of Clara’s Song, written by Gawn Grainger – tickets available

21 November 2014 23:21

Zoë is set to play the nineteenth-century German musician and composer, Clara Schumann, when Clara’s Song premieres at London's Royal Academy of Arts on 30 November. This one-off performance will celebrate the music of Schubert, Schumann and Brahms.

Clara's Song has been devised by tenor Keith Lewis and written by Zoe’s husband, Gawn Grainger. Zoe will provide the spoken word; Keith Lewis will perform several songs; and classical pianist Melvyn Tan will provide musical accompaniment.

For details and to book tickets, see the RA’s website.

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News round-up: Let’s Do Christmas, Alternative Miss World, The River, Christmas concerts and more!

21 November 2014 22:34

The past month or so has generated a whirlwind of news, events and other activities, hence this bumper news round-up!

Zoë will appear in an episode of ITV’s Let's Do Christmas... With Gino & Mel. Presented by chef Gino D'Acampo and Melanie Sykes, the daytime series will offer TV viewers culinary tips for the festive season, while a range of famous faces lend a hand in the kitchen. Let’s Do Christmas... will be broadcast on weekday lunchtimes from 8 December. More details about Zoe’s episode to follow.

Zoë’s fans have plenty of opportunity to enjoy some festive cheer while supporting good causes this Christmastime. I’ve previously mentioned that Zoe is due to be a speaker at The Sick Children’s Trust carol service (4 December; St Marylebone Parish Church). She is now also due to speak at the Asthma UK carol concert (2 December; St Luke’s Church, Chelsea) and the Prostate Cancer UK 'Carols by Candlelight' service (3 December; St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge). Tickets for each of these London events are currently available.

Zoë’s other charity work includes presenting and narrating an awareness film about Leuka, the Leukaemia research charity, and its work. As Leuka explains, this moving film ‘shares the compelling stories of two patients and their loved ones’. It looks at new treatments as well as highlighting the importance of more research.

Last Sunday, Zoë was a special guest at The River’s opening night on Broadway. Other special guests included Anna Wintour, Ivanka Trump and Donna Karan. The drama, by Jez Butterworth, focuses on a new couple’s moonlight visit to a fishing cabin. It is directed by Ian Rickson, and stars Hugh Jackman, Cush Jumbo and Laura Donnelly. For details and photos, see BroadwayWorld, Playbill and TheaterMania.

Earlier this month, Zoë was interviewed by fellow actor Paul Clayton as part of The Actors Centre’s ‘Off the Record’ series of talks, which are designed to help and inspire the next generation of performers. The event, hosted by the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London, was a sell-out success. Zoe and Paul were photographed behind-the-scenes shortly before it began. More details to follow.

A couple of days before that, Zoe attended the British Guild of Travel Writers awards dinner, held at The Savoy in London. Shakespeare’s Globe’s Sam Wanamaker Playhouse was highly commended in the Best UK Tourism Project category. You can see a photo of Zoe accepting this honour, courtesy of the BGTW’s Twitter profile.

Going back further, to mid-October, Zoë helped to judge The Alternative Miss World 2014 competition, the brainchild of English artist and sculptor Andrew Logan. This spectacular, neon-themed show, which celebrated transformation and self-expression instead of conventional beauty, took place at a packed Shakespeare’s Globe. Among Zoe’s fellow judges were Fenella Fielding, Daniel Lismore, Zandra Rhodes, Suggs and more. Zoe is pictured alongside Daniel Lismore and Suggs on Twitter. The winner was Miss Zero + (real name Sasha Frolova), who wore a show-stopping latex outfit. For insider insights and photos, see The Globe’s blog, David McAlmont’s article for Beige Magazine and Nicola Middleton’s article for This is Cabaret.

Last but not least is the news that Zoe has lent her voice to food brand Bisto’s Together Project advert.

Bisto says the initiative is intended to go a step further than bringing people together round the dinner table – it aims ‘to bring even more people together, whatever the barriers’. If you’d like to be in with the chance of Bisto helping to bring you together with someone, you can submit your story through the project’s website.

Thanks to Janet for her help.

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