‘It’s time to lose control’: Britannia series two trailer

14 April 2019 22:56

Ready for your first glimpse of Zoë’s Queen Antedia in Britannia series two? This trailer has just been released by Sky Atlantic – and it’s a corker!

‘It’s time to lose control’ – that’s the second series’ tagline, suggesting we can expect even more chaos and excitement second time around from Jez Butterworth’s epic drama about the Romans invading ancient Britain.

Losing control, in another sense, is exactly what happened to Antedia in the first series. We last saw her imprisoned and alone, and she doesn’t appear to be faring much better now. (As Digital Spy puts it, 'Antedia is still chilling in the dungeon'!) Will she claw her way back to power in series two? Or has she lost too much to have any hope of recovery?

The trailer confirms the Radio Times’ suggestion that Britannia is set to return to our screens this autumn. So there’s still quite some time to go before we can learn Antedia’s fate during the course of ten thrilling episodes. But as the saying goes, good things come to those who wait.

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Zoë chosen again as the voice of the Olivier Awards, to the delight of theatre fans

8 April 2019 20:45

On 7 April, the Olivier Awards took place at London’s Royal Albert Hall, celebrating UK theatrical achievements from the past twelve months. For the fourth consecutive year, Zoë was chosen to provide the voiceover for the prestigious ceremony, and her return delighted theatre lovers.

If you’d like to hear Zoë’s velvety voiceover for yourself, you can watch highlights from the Olivier Awards on the ITV Hub (in the UK) for a limited time. Another option is to listen to Magic Radio’s Oliviers coverage (the ceremony itself begins about 1 hour and 5 minutes into the programme).

While Zoë didn’t appear at this year’s ceremony, here’s a reminder of her show-stopping dress from the 2017 Olivier Awards.

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Zoë backs She Grows appeal, ‘an amazing opportunity to help women’ in Africa

8 April 2019 19:41

If you heard Zoë’s Radio 4 fundraising appeal for TREE AID in January, you’ll know how passionate she is about the charity’s work to help disadvantaged communities in Africa’s drylands.

Now Zoë, a patron of TREE AID, is encouraging people to support the charity’s latest fundraising initiative: the She Grows appeal, which she calls ‘an amazing opportunity to help women’ affected by poverty. Its aim is to provide women in Mali, West Africa, with the training and tools they need to turn tree products into both nourishing food and goods to sell. In other words, She Grows will help women to ‘grow’ their way out of poverty.

The best bit is that if you donate to She Grows by 30 June 2019, your gift will be matched by the UK government, enabling TREE AID to make an even greater positive impact with its work.

You can make a donation online, by calling 0117 909 6363 or sending a cheque to Freepost TREE AID.

If you’d like to find out more about the charity, this video, narrated by Zoë, will help.

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‘Wonderful’ Zoë becomes honorary patron of Bridport Arts Centre, plus other news

30 March 2019 20:39

Zoë is now an honorary patron of Bridport Arts Centre in Dorset, where she recently opened the latest exhibition by Philip Sutton RA (as pictured below). The artist is also an honorary patron of the arts centre.

‘It was delightful to see Philip’s paintings in one room,’ Zoë remarks in Bridport’s announcement about her appointment. ‘His energy comes blazing through and it was great to visit Bridport Arts Centre. It is to be encouraged and celebrated.’

Bridport’s director, Curtis Fulcher, praises Zoe as ‘a pedigree actress and a wonderful person’. He highlights the ‘heartfelt speech’ she made when opening the exhibition, during which she spoke about her father Sam Wanamaker’s friendship with Sutton.

Philip Sutton: My Shakespeare will be on display at Bridport until 4 May.

Supporting those affected by Cyclone Idai

In the wake of Cyclone Idai, Zoë is urging everyone to donate to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s fundraising campaign.

The DEC, which consists of a group of UK aid charities, points out that 2.5 million people are in urgent need of help across Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe.

A similar campaign Zoe is also backing is being led by disaster relief charity Shelterbox.

The Globe celebrates World Theatre Day

The team at Shakespeare’s Globe shared a stunning photo of the theatre in all its glory to celebrate World Theatre Day on 27 March.

Insights into the Jewish Voices event

For a detailed account of Jewish Book Week’s recent Jewish Voices event, in which Zoë took part, head over to the charity World Jewish Relief’s news pages.

Terence McKenna's portrait of Zoë

You can see the striking portrait of Zoë by Terence McKenna, which was exhibited in 2018 at London’s Royal Opera Arcade Gallery, in The Lady magazine, as well as find out how the artist likes to work.

I’ve just discovered a photo published last year in a regional newspaper of McKenna putting the finishing touches to the painting. In the accompanying interview, the artist remarks that he and his wife, Mandy, ‘have many friends in the [acting] business. I tell them I’m putting together an exhibition and what do they think? Actors are warm, generous people and they value the arts.’

Betrayal's opening night

Earlier this month, Zoë was pictured as a special guest at the opening night of Betrayal, the classic Harold Pinter play being staged at the West End theatre named after the playwright. When I saw the photo, it struck me that she was on stage in another great Pinter play, The Birthday Party, at the same theatre exactly a year ago. Time flies!

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Biography and lecture to celebrate Sam Wanamaker’s centenary in June

20 March 2019 02:21

This June will mark 100 years since the birth of Zoë’s father, Sam Wanamaker, the actor, director and founder of Shakespeare’s Globe. To celebrate the centenary, the first full-length, illustrated biography, Sam Wanamaker: A Global Performer, will be published by Oberon Books.

The biographer is Dr Diana Devlin, a friend of Sam Wanamaker who worked alongside him for many years on the project to rebuild The Globe on London's vibrant South Bank. So we can be sure that the book will offer many valuable insights into its subject’s life and career.

A synopsis makes clear what readers can expect:

Actor. Director. Activist.

Sam Wanamaker is best known as the man who spent the last twenty five years of his life reconstructing Shakespeare's Globe near its original site just south of the Thames in London. Tragically, he died four years before its Gala Opening in 1997.

Born in the USA, he began his acting career in travelling shows before moving on to Broadway. A vocal left wing activist, Wanamaker moved to the UK, fearful of being blacklisted during the McCarthy witch hunts of the early 1950s. Having crossed the Atlantic, he carved a successful and varied career as both actor and director, but continued to be outspoken on a variety of topics, including racial discrimination in the theatre.

With his staunch sense of purpose, he made as many enemies as friends: charismatic and persuasive, he was also stubborn and domineering. But it was these very qualities that made his lasting legacy, Shakespeare's Globe, a reality, despite many battles.

The hardback edition is available to pre-order now from Foyles bookshop and elsewhere.

On 13 June, the eve of the centenary, Dr Devlin will explore Zoë’s dad’s achievements during the Sam Wanamaker Fellowship Lecture. The event will take place in the beautiful surroundings of the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse from 7:45 pm. Tickets are on sale now.

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