Queen Antedia is back! Britannia series 3 release date confirmed

28 June 2021 11:18

‘Sound the alarm. Gather your tribe. Get ready for battle.’

With those compelling words and a suitably frenetic teaser video, production company Vertigo Films heralds the release of the third series of Britannia. The weird and wonderful historical epic, starring Zoë, David Morrissey, Sophie Okonedo, Eleanor Worthington-Cox, Mackenzie Crook, Annabel Scholey and many more, makes an eagerly-awaited return to Sky and NOW TV on 24 August. Fans will be able to stream all eight new episodes from that date or watch weekly on Sky Atlantic.

Culturess.com is looking forward to watching ‘the always wonderful Zoë Wanamaker’ in series three, and so am I! Having been deposed, imprisoned then caged and sold at auction (!), Queen Antedia hasn’t been having a very jolly time since the Romans invaded ancient Britain in series one; but perhaps that’ll change in August and she’ll get to be fierce and fabulous again...

Surely it’s time for the former leader of the Regni tribe to claw her way back to power?! She certainly looks up for a fight in this close-up from a newly-published Britannia series three promo photo.

Loving how Antedia’s look has evolved – I’d describe her current style as ‘punk military’, and it really suits her!

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Constellations: Everything we know so far...

20 June 2021 23:06

Wow, we only have a few days left to wait until the first performance of the Donmar Warehouse's suitably starry revival of Constellations with Zoë and Peter Capaldi. They'll be on stage at the Vaudeville Theatre in London's West End from 23 June to 24 July. You can check performance dates and book tickets via Nimax Theatres now.

Written by Nick Payne and directed by Michael Longhurst, Constellations promises to be a dazzling - and intense - production. The play, which looks at a romantic relationship through a cosmological lens, is a two-hander and runs for about 70 minutes without an interval.

A play set in the multiverse...

Zoë and Peter Capaldi play quantum physicist Marianne and beekeeper Roland. With them, audiences will journey through a 'multiverse'; in essence, experiencing different versions of the characters' relationship in different universes. (The physics behind the concept of the multiverse would no doubt make my brain hurt, but the central idea - multiple versions of a relationship - is straightforward enough. It reminds me of 2013's Passion Play, in which theatregoers saw two versions of the same character, one played by Zoë and the other by Samantha Bond.)

Here's how the Donmar introduces Constellations' plot:

'One drink. And if you never want to see me again you never have to see me again.'

A quantum physicist and a beekeeper meet at a barbeque. They hit it off, or perhaps they don’t. They go home together, or maybe they go their separate ways. In the multiverse, with every possible future ahead of them, a love of honey could make all the difference.

The Financial Times offers insights into the subtle way in which the multiverse will be brought to life. 'Pivotal moments are played and replayed with varying results as the play jumps between potential outcomes, with the actors nipping between dimensions simply by shifting stance or changing intonation,' it explains.

Stunning publicity and rehearsal photos

These beautiful photos by Charlie Gray have been released to whet our appetite for the show itself. They feature Zoë and Peter Capaldi alongside the pairs of actors taking part in the other versions of Constellations (Sheila Atim and Ivanno Jeremiah; Omari Douglas and Russell Tovey; Anna Maxwell Martin and Chris O'Dowd). Click on the images for larger versions.

I love how you can see Zoe and Peter Capaldi have a bond, a rapport, that's sure to play out well on stage.

Also check out the excellent rehearsal photos by Marc Brenner. There's a good selection on the Donmar's website, BroadwayWorld's UK site, WhatsOnStage and Theatre Cafe, as well as the photographer's Instagram profile. Artist Valentina has created a fantastic drawing inspired by one of the photos.

Insights from Zoë and Peter Capaldi

What's it like to act in a multiverse play? 'I find it exciting, in a way. Because you can't take anything for granted, it seems. I mean, this is why it's so relevant,' Zoë told The Sunday Times in a recent article about Constellations and the science behind the story.

She also shares her thoughts on the play, alongside Peter Capaldi, in this short video from the Donmar.

If you're a member of the Donmar, check your emails. You should've received a newsletter including the link to an exclusive video about Constellations (I don't think I'm permitted to share it here), featuring Zoe, Peter Capaldi and others involved with the production.

This morning, Zoë appeared on the bright and cheerful ITV1 show Martin & Roman's Weekend Best, while Peter Capaldi was a guest on BBC1's rather more serious Andrew Marr Show.

Roll on Wednesday!

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Celebrating Zoë’s birthday!

13 May 2021 04:15

I’m sure you’ll want to join me today, 13 May, in wishing Zoë a magical birthday and many happy returns! She’s talented, kind, compassionate and wise with an unmistakable laugh. The world needs more people like her; now more so than ever.

The next 12 months look set to be particularly exciting for Zoë and her fans alike. She’s currently preparing to star alongside Peter Capaldi in Constellations, which opens in London’s West End next month, and will also soon be seen in Britannia series three on Sky Atlantic.

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Shadow and Bone: new clip featuring Zoë, online premiere event and first reviews

22 April 2021 14:17

In anticipation of tomorrow's release of the Netflix Shadow and Bone fantasy series, we're being treated to another compelling look at formidable Baghra's training sessions with Alina. Head over to Twitter, where spoken and written word app Scribd has shared the exclusive video, featuring Zoe and Jessie Mei Li.

For even more Shadow and Bone content, you can watch the Sneak Peak Premiere Event on YouTube. It starts at midnight tonight (UK time) and will be broadcast simultaneously in other countries too. The event will feature cast members, behind-the-scenes moments, exclusive clips and a 10-minute preview of episode one.

The epic show has already garnered a number of encouraging reviews. For example, Variety emphasises that Shadow and Bone 'creates a smart, immersive world', and Den of Geek says it 'brings the magic'.

The Hollywood Reporter's review, while less enamoured with the series overall, remarks that Jessie Mei Li enjoys 'great scenes with Zoë Wanamaker as her strict tutor, and having an actress of Wanamaker's stature even in a minor role offers a big boost of credibility to the entire series'.

Roll on 23 April!

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BBC Radio 2 interview: Zoë and Peter Capaldi to discuss Constellations on 23 April

21 April 2021 19:01

Set your alarm clocks for Friday morning, folks!

Zoë and her Constellations co-star, Peter Capaldi, will be special guests on the 23 April edition of BBC Radio 2’s Zoe Ball Breakfast Show. They’ll chat about preparing for this summer’s West End revival of Nick Payne’s cosmology-inspired, smash-hit play (for which tickets are on sale from Nimax Theatres).

So that’s Zoë-with-dots-over-the-‘e’ being interviewed by Zoe-without-dots-over-the-‘e’ at some point between 6:30 and 9:30 am (the exact time isn’t specified in the programme information, so we’ll just have to play it by ear).

Incidentally, the Netflix Shadow and Bone fantasy series Zoë filmed just over 12 months ago will be released on Friday. Perhaps that’ll be discussed too.

If you miss the interview or want to listen again, it’ll be available on the BBC website shortly after it airs.

Thanks to @Tempus_Fugit0, via Twitter, for the link to the programme information.

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