Just days left to donate to Zoë’s Radio 4 TREE AID appeal and vote in the NTAs

17 January 2019 07:33

BBC Radio 4 TREE AID appeal

If you missed Zoë’s fundraising appeal for humanitarian and environmental charity TREE AID last weekend, you’ll be pleased to hear that BBC Radio 4 is repeating it today, 17 January, at 3:27pm (UK time). In addition, it’s available on Radio 4’s website.

During the appeal, Zoë speaks movingly about the ‘enormous struggle’ communities in the African drylands face daily and how TREE AID, which she’s supported for over 20 years, is helping people in need to earn a living from looking after trees and selling their produce.

Last year, TREE AID released a video, narrated by Zoë, with more details about its work.

There are just a few days left to donate to the fundraising appeal, which ends on 17 January. Below, TREE AID has helpfully summarised the various ways you can give.

If you miss the chance to donate to the appeal but would still like to support the charity, you can do so at any time by donating via TREE AID’s website.

When Zoë takes part in TREE AID campaigns, I’m always reminded of her reporting about Comic Relief’s work in Africa in 1992, as well as Tessa’s charitable work there for SEED during the first series of the BBC’s hugely popular 90s TV drama, Love Hurts. Both projects are pictured in this extract from a magazine feature.

Girlfriends' Best New Drama nomination

Talking of hugely popular TV shows, have you cast your votes in the UK’s National Television Awards? As you may already know, ITV’s Girlfriends, starring Zoe as struggling Gail, is nominated for the New Drama award.

There’s not long left to support your favourites – voting closes on 22 January, with the NTA's winners being revealed during a spectacular ceremony on ITV later that day, from 7:30-10 pm.

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News round-up: Girlfriends’ award nomination; TREE AID appeal; Jewish Voices event; Story of Christmas photos

12 January 2019 01:57

Welcome to the first news round-up of 2019 for Zoë Wanamaker fans!

Girlfriends nominated for a National Television Award – voting now open!

Wonderful news this week: Girlfriends, starring Zoë, Miranda Richardson and Phyllis Logan as friends rocked by tragedy, has been nominated for Best New Drama in the UK’s 2019 National Television Awards. You can vote for your favourite shows and actors until 22 January.

Created by renowned scriptwriter Kay Mellor, Girlfriends received a great deal of high-profile media coverage (including a feature on News at Ten!) when it premiered on ITV 1 just over 12 months ago. It broke new ground in TV drama by putting mature women at the heart of the story.

The fast-paced, six-part series has been chosen as one of the NTA's five Best New Drama nominees following an initial public vote. Now it’s time for viewers to select their overall winner. It’s interesting to note that the other dramas in the category aired much more recently than Girlfriends, suggesting that the series has made a lasting impression on its audience.

Rollem Productions, which made Girlfriends for ITV, is clearly delighted.

The NTA winners will be revealed on 22 January during a live ceremony on ITV 1.

BBC Radio 4 charity appeal for TREE AID

On 13 January, Zoë will present a fundraising appeal on BBC Radio 4 for TREE AID, which helps disadvantaged communities in Africa’s drylands to cultivate trees and generate an income from them. As she explains in this video, Zoë has been a patron of the charity for over 20 years and admires the way its work ‘empowers people to lift themselves out of poverty’.

The appeal will highlight the experience of Petra, a widowed mother from Burkina Faso, who joined a TREE AID project and now earns enough money to feed her children.

You can hear Zoë’s appeal at 7:54 am and 9:25 pm (UK time) on 13 January or catch up online. The appeal will run for 7 days after being broadcast to enable donations to be collected (click ‘Show more’ on Radio 4’s webpage about the programme to see the various ways to make a donation). Alternatively, you can donate via TREE AID’s website at any time.

Celebrating the power of words at Jewish Book Week

On 10 March, Zoë will take part in Jewish Voices, the grand finale of Jewish Book Week 2019 in partnership with the charity World Jewish Relief.

Described as ‘a celebration of the power of words’, Jewish Voices will be held at Kings Place in London, where Zoë gave enchanting readings of Stevie Smith’s poetry in 2016. She’ll be joined by fellow actors Henry Goodman and Janet Suzman, director Nicholas Hytner, newsreader Emily Maitlis, food critic Jay Rayner and many other well-known public figures. They’ll read poems, letters and speeches connected to Jewish history.

Demand for tickets to this international literary festival’s event is high. The first batch sold out soon after being released to the public, but extra tickets will be available on 14 January. You can also book tickets to attend a live relay of Jewish Voices in another part of Kings Place.

The Story of Christmas Appeal photos

Photos have recently been published showing Zoë taking part in The Story of Christmas Appeal in London on 12 December (see pages two and four of the event’s gallery). That day was particularly busy for her – she went to the prestigious carol service straight after giving a reading at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health’s own Christmas celebration.

The Story of Christmas is the property and construction industries’ annual festive charity event and is held at St George’s Hanover Square Church in Mayfair. The 2018 event has raised a staggering £630,000 to help both the homeless population and disadvantaged children in the London area.

Other special guests included actor Dame Eileen Atkins and journalist Ian Hislop, the charity's president.

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Zoë gives ‘wonderful’ readings at charity Christmas concerts

15 December 2018 04:50

Here’s Zoë pictured earlier this week as a special guest at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health’s Christmas celebration in London.

She read an extract from Dickens’ festive classic, A Christmas Carol, at the event, which was held at the Priory Church of the Order of St John. As you can see, the RCPCH praised Zoe’s reading as ‘wonderful’.

You may remember her touching performance as Scrooge’s lost love, Belle, in the BBC's well-loved 1977 adaptation of the novella.

Last week, Zoë took part in another seasonal charity event in the city, the Adfam carol concert at St Bride’s Church. Her chosen reading there, John Betjeman’s atmospheric poem, ‘Christmas’, was also warmly received.

Other well-known guests included actor Gina McKee and presenter Sue Cook.

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News round-up: Christmas charity fundraising, World AIDS Day and Girlfriends flashback

3 December 2018 20:51

Adfam carol concert

Details have now been publically announced about one of the festive charity events I alluded to recently.

Zoë will be a guest reader at the Adfam carol concert on 5 December at St Bride’s Church in London. The event will raise money to support the charity’s work with families affected by drugs and alcohol.

Tickets are available from Eventbrite until 4 December.

ShelterBox Syria Christmas Appeal

Zoë invites you to join her in supporting the Syria Christmas Appeal organised by ShelterBox, a charity devoted to helping people affected by disaster and conflict.

By donating to the appeal you can help ShelterBox provide families in desperate need with shelter and vital supplies.

World AIDS Day performance of The Inheritance

Look closely and you’ll spot Zoë and her husband, Gawn Grainger, in this photo taken to mark the moving World AIDS Day performance of The Inheritance on 1 December. They were special guests at the event.

A key aim of this special performance was to increase awareness of sexual health charity the Terrence Higgins Trust and its campaign to reach ‘zero HIV’ (i.e. the point at which HIV-related stigma is a thing of the past and there are no more HIV transmissions) by 2030.

The Inheritance, an award-winning, two-part play by Matthew Lopez, is being staged at the Noël Coward Theatre in London’s West End. Inspired by EM Forster’s novel Howards End, it explores what it’s like to be a young gay man in New York a generation after the peak of the AIDS crisis.

Flashback to Girlfriends’ glamorous photoshoot

Remember the glamorous Radio Times photoshoot Zoë and her co-stars, Miranda Richardson and Phyllis Logan, took part in to publicise their ITV drama Girlfriends? Hard to believe that was about a year ago now – time flies!

This behind-the-scenes picture (previously unseen, I believe) was taken that day by Girlfriends’ publicist, Kat Blair.

Here’s a reminder of the magazine feature.

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News round-up: Christmas celebration, West End opening nights, Forgotten Soldier documentary and more

23 November 2018 22:33

RCPCH Christmas celebration

Zoë will be a special guest at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health’s Christmas celebration on 12 December. She’ll give a reading described as the ‘centrepiece’ of the event at London’s Priory Church of the Order of St John.

Tickets are available now. Everyone is welcome.

Zoë is also due to attend two or three other festive charity events. I’ll aim to bring you more details if and when her involvement is publicly announced by the charities.

Two West End opening nights

It’s no secret that Zoë and her husband, Gawn Grainger, love theatre – they’ve recently been photographed at two press nights in London’s theatrical heartland.

First they attended the opening of Don Quixote, the RSC's stage adaptation of Cervantes’ entertaining classic, at The Garrick on 8 November.

Gawn talks about the play, alongside other special guests, in this press night video.

Next came the opening of Tennessee Williams’ compelling Summer and Smoke at the Duke of York’s on the 20th.

Forgotten Soldier documentary

Zoë and Henry Goodman are the narrators of an important new documentary, Forgotten Solider. It uncovers unsung hero Sally Noach’s efforts to save hundreds of Jews during the Second World War. You can hear Zoë’s narration in the documentary’s trailer.

Forgotten Solider was broadcast at Noordelijk Film Festival in Friesland, Netherlands, on 11 November and the UK Jewish Film Festival in London on the 19th. You can keep track of future screenings on the documentary’s website.

‘The Hero’ raising money for servicemen and women

Zoë is among a starry roll call of performers paying tribute to servicemen and women in the video for charity single ‘The Hero – A West End & Friends Tribute’. The song, written by prominent composers and lyricists Daniel and Laura Curtis, is raising money for Help for Heroes.

‘The Hero’ is available to buy from all digital music stores. You can also donate to the fundraising campaign’s JustGiving page.

Sir Peter Hall Director Award presentation

On 18 November, Zoë and other special guests attended the presentation of the Royal Theatrical Support Trust’s Sir Peter Hall Director Award to Nancy Medina. The ceremony took place in the Swan restaurant at London’s Shakespeare’s Globe.

The Stage has a photo of Zoë with Medina and Ian McKellen at the event. Scroll to the bottom of the newspaper’s latest ‘In Pictures’ feature to find it.

Whatsonstage.com Awards nominations open

You can nominate your favourite recent UK theatre productions, as well as actors and behind-the-scenes crew, in the Whatsonstage.com Awards until 30 November.

Might The Birthday Party, Zoë’s most recent stage hit, be among your choices?!

Extended trailer for short film Captcha

An extended trailer has been released for Captcha, the 2014, steampunk-inspired short film featuring Zoë’s vocal talents.

You can watch the full film via Film4.

Captcha is distinctive and memorable – it’s good to realise that it’s still being talked about several years after its initial release.

The call to change Northern Ireland’s abortion law

Zoë is among a large number of female public figures who’ve joined human rights charity Amnesty International’s call for the UK Prime Minister, Theresa May, to support the decriminalisation of abortion in Northern Ireland.

In anticipation of the issue being raised in Parliament today, Zoë and the other women involved in the campaign have signed an open letter to the PM. ‘Women in the UK shouldn’t have their rights denied simply because of the region they live in,’ emphasises the letter. ‘An affront to women in Northern Ireland hurts us all,’ it adds.

More than 50,000 members of the public have signed a petition, also organised by Amnesty International, with the same aim.

Heart Research UK’s artwork auctions

And finally, did you spot Zoë’s delightful artwork in the Heart Research UK’s Anonymous heART Project auctions recently?

Here it is...

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