News round-up: Rosmersholm’s red carpet, Killing Eve praise and Cambridge Union update

2 May 2019 21:09

On Rosmersholm’s red carpet

Here’s Zoë and her husband, Gawn Grainger, on the red carpet today at Rosmersholm’s opening night in London’s West End. Ibsen’s masterpiece, newly adapted by Duncan Macmillan, is being staged at the Duke of York’s Theatre and stars Tom Burke, Hayley Atwell and Giles Terera.

Rosmersholm’s director is Ian Rickson, who you may remember worked with Zoë on the hugely successful 2018 West End revival of Pinter’s The Birthday Party.

More praise for Zoë in Killing Eve

Entertainment website Culturess has responded enthusiastically to the introduction of quirky Helen Jacobson, ‘played by the always amazing Zoe Wanamaker’, in Killing Eve episode four, ‘Desperate Times’.

The article highlights the female-centric drama’s refreshing gender dynamics, remarking that ‘Helen has a male receptionist... and anger problems’, the latter being a trait often associated with male bosses on screen.

British newspaper The Telegraph is also keeping an eye on the BBC America show, remarking that ‘Desperate Times’ was ‘enlivened by a cameo from Zoë Wanamaker’.

Zoe has made a big impression on Decider, a TV and film resource: it calls her performance 'fantastic [and] immediately three-dimensional’.

Update on Zoë’s Cambridge talk

Zoe’s talk at the prestigious Cambridge Union, originally scheduled for 1 May, has been postponed.

I’ll let you know when I hear more.

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Praise for Zoë’s ‘delightfully furious’ performance in Killing Eve’s latest episode

30 April 2019 21:31

‘Desperate Times’, the fourth episode in the second series of BBC America’s darkly comic thriller Killing Eve, premiered in the US on 28 April. Zoë’s performance as a quirky – and irate – senior British intelligence official, Helen Jacobson, has made a big impression on TV reviewers and viewers alike.

Press coverage of ‘Desperate Times’ is full of praise for Zoe and the programme as a whole (if you haven’t watched it yet, please note that the articles linked to below include spoilers).

A mini-Harry Potter cast reunion delighted Entertainment Weekly: ‘when Carolyn Martens [played by Fiona Shaw] enters an office at the start of this week’s episode, the supervisor she’s meeting is played by none other than Zoë Wanamaker, Hogwarts’ greatest flying instructor. Aunt Petunia, meet Madam Hooch!’ The article goes on to highlight Helen’s ‘unhinged rage’ and choice language.

Zoe’s screen time with Shaw also provided a Gormenghast reunion (they played the eccentric Clarice Groan and Irma Prunesquallor, respectively, in the TV epic).

TV Insider enjoyed Zoe’s ‘delightfully furious’ performance. 'In an episode of contrasts,’ the article emphasised, ‘Helen’s unconfined rage made for an excellent complement to Carolyn’s permanently unfazed demeanor.’

The encounter between Carolyn and her boss has also captured the attention of Killing Eve’s loyal audience.

Zoe’s appearance in 'Desperate Times' may have been brief, but it's certainly memorable.

UK fans (like me!) will be able to watch the show some time after the full second series has aired in the US. Broadcast and iPlayer boxset dates for the UK haven’t yet been announced by the BBC.

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Zoë to speak at Oxford and Cambridge Unions in May

30 April 2019 00:24

Zoë’s Oxbridge fans will be delighted to hear that she’s been invited to speak at both the Cambridge Union and Oxford Union, the prestigious university debating societies, in May.

Her talk in Cambridge is scheduled for Wednesday 1 May at 7 pm. A profile of Zoë appears in the Union’s Easter Term Card, and the event has attracted the attention of The Cambridge Student (TCS) newspaper.

TCS published a brilliant interview with Zoë when she last spoke at the Cambridge Union, in 2012. Discussing her hopes for the future, Zoe remarked, ‘I’d still like to be working, and I’d still like to have fun.’ With so many exciting roles in recent years, from playing poet Stevie Smith on stage to a senior intelligence official in TV’s transatlantic hit Killing Eve, she certainly seems to be achieving her ambition.

On Wednesday 29 May at 5 pm, it’ll be the turn of Oxford Union members to hear Zoë discuss her life and career. She’s no stranger to this Union either, having spoken there on a few previous occasions, most recently in 2017. Helpfully, the whole of the 2017 Q&A is available to watch via Oxford Union’s YouTube channel.

I'm sure that all fans attending the Oxbridge talks will enjoy them. I’m also sure you’ll have some excellent questions ready for Zoë!

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First-look photos: Zoë in Killing Eve episode four

25 April 2019 21:30

BBC America has released photos from Killing Eve episode four, ‘Desperate Times’. They include a solo portrait of Zoë (how fab are those stripey socks!) plus one in which she appears alongside Fiona Shaw.

‘Desperate Times’ premieres in the US on Sunday 28 April, at 8 pm Eastern time/7 pm Central time. Killing Eve is also available to download or stream (check out BBC America's 'where to watch' guide for details.)

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Zoë to appear in Killing Eve, BBC America’s smash-hit drama

22 April 2019 18:06

BBC America’s Killing Eve recently returned for a second series of murder, tension and high-fashion. And as the broadcaster's brand new trailer for episode four, ‘Desperate Times’, reveals, Zoë is set to appear in one of the biggest TV dramas in the world.

You probably don’t need me to tell you that Killing Eve features insightful intelligence agent Eve Polastri and notorious assassin Villanelle. They’re engaged in a dangerous cat-and-mouse game, each increasingly obsessed with the other.

As far as I’m aware, no details about Zoe’s role have so far been made public (and she isn’t named, as yet, in the IMDb’s cast list for the show). The glimpse we see in the trailer suggests she could be playing a senior British intelligence official... What do you think? In any case, it’ll be fascinating to see how Zoë's character fits into the compelling world, dramatic and darkly comic by turns, of runaway success Killing Eve.

‘Desperate Times’ premieres in the US next Sunday, 28 April, at 8 pm Eastern time/7 pm Central time. The show is also available to download or stream (see BBC America's 'where to watch' guide.)

Zoe’s fans in the UK (like me!) have longer to wait, as a release date for series two here hasn’t yet been announced by the BBC. All we know at the moment is that it won't be shown until after the last episode airs in the US on 26 May. So no spoilers, please! ;-)

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