Zoë stars in The Cleaner tonight

21 April 2023 17:18

The highly-anticipated episode of black comedy The Cleaner in which Zoë guest stars will be broadcast on BBC One tonight, 21 April, at 9:30pm.

Greg Davies, who plays crime scene cleaner Wicky emphasises on Twitter how much fun the cast had.

'The Statue' sees Wicky called to sort out a bizarre statue (yes, that's it in the background in the photo above!). But Zoe's character, Lucille, has other ideas - and she's as stubborn as Wicky is tall!

If you miss 'The Statue', remember you can stream the programme on the BBC iPlayer instead.

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Don't miss your chance to see Pictures from Home!

21 April 2023 16:44

Time is running out to catch Pictures from Home on Broadway! The last performance takes place on 30 April.

Zoë and her co-stars, Nathan Lane and Danny Burstein, have received standing ovation after standing ovation at Studio 54. The stunning, touching play is based on a 1992 photo memoir by Larry Sultan, an American photographer who photographed his parents over many years, turning their domestic life into art. Zoë plays Sultan's mother, Jean.

There are some great clips from the production in these new videos. It's also wonderful to see theatregoers' reactions.

You can book tickets for Pictures from Home via the show's website.

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Streaming now: Shadow and Bone plus The Cleaner

25 March 2023 22:17

Whether it’s epic drama or black comedy that appeals most, there’s a new TV show featuring Zoë that you’re bound to enjoy!

Shadow and Bone season two

Released worldwide on 16 March, Netflix’s stunning second season of Shadow and Bone sees Zoë’s enigmatic Baghra imprisoned and The Darkling (who’s played with great relish by Ben Barnes) out of control.

In the eight-episode season, Baghra is pushed to her limits and forced to revisit her troubled past. Zoë is receiving tremendous praise from viewers for her compelling performance.

The Cleaner season two, episode five

The second season of witty comedy The Cleaner debuted in the UK on BBC One last night. All of the episodes are now available to watch on the BBC iPlayer.

In episode five, ‘The Statue’, crime-scene cleaner Wicky (Greg Davies) meets Zoe’s haughty Lucille. She refuses to let him clean a rather bizarre eyesore – and unfortunately for Wicky, she’s as determined as he is tall...

'Greg is too tall for his own good, our fight with mops was a highlight. The crew were delightful, we had fun, it was a pleasure,' Zoë told the BBC Media Centre.

Good to know the programme was as enjoyable to make as it is to watch!

Thank you again, Janet, for your help.

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Zoë's fascinating Conversations on Broadway interview

25 March 2023 21:26

Every Zoë Wanamaker fan has reason to be very grateful indeed to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. This US organisation, which champions the performing arts, recently organised a fascinating, in-depth interview with Zoë and her Pictures from Home co-stars, Nathan Lane and Danny Burstein, as part of its Conversations on Broadway series. It has now shared that interview, which took place on 10 March in front of a highly appreciative audience, on YouTube for us all to enjoy.

Running for almost an hour and a half, and hosted by presenter and Broadway expert Richard Ridge, the interview is an absolute delight. It encompasses everything from the actors’ Broadway debuts to the close bond they’ve developed while working on their emotive, humorous play (which is booking until the end of April). The interview has serious moments, but there are also plenty of funny stories. I love Zoë’s laugh!

The SAG-AFTRA Foundation has shared the interview as part of a fundraising drive. If you enjoy watching it and have a few dollars to spare, you may wish to make a donation via YouTube and help the organisation to continue supporting performers and children’s literacy.

The play’s stars are close friends

The interview clearly shows just how much Zoë, Nathan Lane and Danny Burstein enjoy each other’s company. In fact, that’s the subject of a lovely new video from the Pictures from Home publicity team.

‘They’re both brilliant artists,’ emphasises Burstein in the video. He describes Zoë and Nathan Lane as very good friends of his.

Their friendship must make working on Pictures from Home rather wonderful. Here are some newly released photos of the trio behind the scenes.

Thank you, Janet, for your help during a busy week!

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Pictures from Home, Shadow and Bone, and The Cleaner give us so much to enjoy!

15 March 2023 16:37

Zoë is wowing audiences on Broadway, will soon be seen by millions on Netflix, and is one of Ben Barnes' favourite people.

As you can tell from the headline, this is an incredibly exciting time for Zoë Wanamaker fans around the world. In fact, it's brought me out of a lengthy website-related hibernation.

I don't like to talk about myself on here much; the site is about Zoë's wonderful work, not boring old me. But it's worth mentioning that the reason I took a step back is because I was experiencing quite a lot of pain (in mind and body) for various non-website-related reasons, plus there were some site-related technical problems. The fact I can’t travel to the US to watch Zoë give an amazing performance on Broadway is also painful.

But there's so much happening at the moment, and I'm full of enthusiasm and keen to bring you the latest news about it all. So let's dive in...

Pictures from Home dazzles on Broadway

In this lovely little video, Zoë offers insights into her role in Pictures from Home, the beautiful Broadway production delighting audiences at Studio 54 theatre in New York. I also love the videos below celebrating some of her previous career highlights.

Written by Sharr White and directed by Bartlett Sher, Pictures from Home is based on the 1992 photo memoir of the same name by Larry Sultan, an American photographer. During the 1980s and early 90s, Sultan photographed and interviewed his parents for the book. The New York Times points out that he did so 'in the belief, as he readily admitted, that by learning more about them, and especially his father, he would resolve unanswered questions about himself'.

At the time of writing, the Pictures from Home trailer has already been viewed a staggering 67,000 times on YouTube.

Zoë plays Sultan's mum, Jean; Nathan Lane plays his father, Irving; Danny Burstein takes on the role of Larry. So you have a three-hander; an intimate memory play set in the parents' California living room. It encompasses humour and drama and runs for 105 minutes straight without an interval.

Here's a (rather compelling) taster...

The show's glittering opening night took place on 9 February and looks like it was thoroughly enjoyable.

If you keep an eye on Pictures from Home's Instagram stories, you’ll see the cast regularly receiving standing ovations. The show clearly packs an emotional punch. In the words of one audience member, Lisa Goldenberg Corn, writing on Instagram: 'I had so many thoughts while watching this play last night I am going to have to post about it. Was reaching right inside me.' Reviewers are calling Zoë's performance 'superb' and 'heartfelt'.

Broadway World has some excellent Pictures from Home production photos, as well as photos of none other than Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi meeting the cast. The cast were photographed for the New York Times recently, and the artist John Knaus drew fantastic portraits of them in character.

Pictures from Home is booking until 30 April 2023, and the fab new video below has been produced to encourage theatregoers not to miss their chance to see this brilliant show. You can buy tickets via the show's website.

Huge thanks to Zoë for her help.

Shadow and Bone makes an epic return!

From 16 March on Netflix, you'll be able to journey back to the Grishaverse for season two of epic fantasy drama Shadow and Bone.

In the trailer, Zoë's Baghra gives her former pupil, Alina (played by Jessie Mei Li), crucial advice about how to defeat The Darkling (Ben Barnes). Everything is at stake.

And if you need a season one re-cap, Netflix has got you covered.

Barnes recently took part in a Shadow and Bone Q&A on Reddit. Asked about working with Zoë, he said very endearingly that he 'love[s] her to the moon'.

Guest role in The Cleaner season two

We also have a start date – and trailer! – for the second season of witty black comedy The Cleaner. Catch it on 24 March (9:30 pm, BBC One).

As reported last autumn, Zoë is part of a brilliant line-up of guest stars who each appear in one episode alongside crime scene cleaner Wicky (played by Greg Davies).

It's not clear yet how far into the run Zoë's episode will be, so we'll just have to pay attention to The Cleaner's TV schedule.

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