Happy Halloween to Zoë's fans!

31 October 2018 20:16

Wishing all of Zoë's fans a spooktacular Halloween with the aid of Agatha Christie's frighteningly good sleuthing duo, crime writer Ariadne Oliver and private detective Hercule Poirot!

The pair are pictured in 2010's seasonal Poirot episode, 'Halloween Party'.

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Zoë reads The Student’s Tale, part of 28 Tales for 28 Days

17 September 2018 22:40

Zoë’s contribution to 28 Tales for 28 Days, a series of videos produced to call for a 28-day time limit on UK immigration detention, is now available to watch on the 28 Tales website and YouTube.

In Zoë’s video, she reads ‘The Student’s Tale’, as told to Helen Macdonald (author of the award-winning memoir H is for Hawk). It’s been released on day seven of the 28 Tales for 28 Days project, which is led by Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group, Refugee Tales and Comma Press.

28 Tales, which was recently reported on by The Bookseller, offers insights into the experiences of people indefinitely detained in the UK, which is the only European country without an immigration detention time limit.

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Look At You Now exhibition, Children and the Arts event and The Humans’ opening night

8 September 2018 02:35

Zoë featured in National Theatre exhibition

Look out for Zoë and her husband, Gawn Grainger, recreating their childhood snapshots in a new video from London’s National Theatre.

The video accompanies a free exhibition, Look At You Now, which features photos of actors and other theatre-makers connected to the NT. ‘The exhibition celebrates where people start and what they go on to achieve,’ in the theatre’s words.

All of the contemporary portraits were taken by young people under the guidance of professional photographers, in the spirit of nurturing tomorrow’s creative talents.

Look At You Now runs seven days a week at the NT until 13 October.

Zoë’s views on the role of the arts in education

Nurturing creativity among young people was also the theme of a charity event Zoë attended on 5 September. She joined around 200 other leading figures from the arts at London’s Royal Albert Hall for the high-profile gathering, which was organised by Prince Charles’ Children & the Arts charity and aimed to promote – and protect – the arts in UK schools.

Zoë, who is a Children & the Arts ambassador, spoke to the Press Association about the importance of artistic expression for pupils and her concerns that arts subjects are being sidelined in the current education system. She believes that ‘a rounded education is needed for the next generation to ''think outside the box''’.

Today’s exam culture can lead to artistic expression being neglected in schools, and that’s detrimental to pupils’ personal development, she suggested. ‘You have got to run, you’ve got to play, you’ve got to have fun and then the brain will engage,’ Zoë emphasised.

Attending The Humans’ UK press night

The day after the Children & the Arts event, Zoë was pictured in an eye-catching outfit at the UK opening night of Stephen Karam’s family drama, The Humans.

The play has already won multiple Tony awards on Broadway and is now being staged at Hampstead Theatre, where Zoë was most recently seen in the London transfer of Stevie (2015).

With thanks to Janet for her help

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What’s next for Zoë, plus news of Britannia, Love Hurts, 28 Tales for 28 Days and more

30 August 2018 01:08

Exciting projects in the pipeline

As if 2018 hasn’t been exciting enough already for fans, thanks to Zoë’s major roles in The Birthday Party, Britannia and Girlfriends, several new projects are on the horizon.

First and foremost, Zoë has been cast in a major TV show – I should be able to speak more openly about it after an official announcement has been made by the broadcaster or production company. In addition, her schedule this autumn and winter is sprinkled with several significant charity projects (again, more details when everything is confirmed).

Britannia broadcast around the world

Sky’s epic historical drama, starring Zoë as vengeful Queen Antedia, can justifiably be called a global phenomenon. As TV Wise points out, ‘Sky Vision has now sold Britannia into more than 209 international territories.’

The highly anticipated second series will be broadcast next year.

Tessa and Frank’s story continues in the US...

A reminder that the second season of Zoë’s classic comedy-drama Love Hurts, which also stars Adam Faith, has just been released in the US by Acorn TV.

To whet your appetite, here’s a trailer from 1993, when the season was originally shown. Tessa may be determined to steer clear of ‘problem plumber’ Frank, but fate seems equally determined to keep drawing her back into his path...

Love Hurts being broadcast in the US has even caught the attention of The New York Times. Its recent summary of the show includes an amusing nod to 90s fashion. ‘If you like human-scale dramas, sweet love stories and pleated pants, try this,’ the newspaper suggests!

The third – and final – series will be available to stream on Acorn TV from 24 September onwards.

Catch up with My Family and the Galapagos

There’s still time (just!) for UK fans to catch up with Channel 4’s wonderful wildlife series, for which Zoë provides the voiceover. My Family and the Galapagos follows marine biologist Monty Halls, his wife Tamsyn and their two children as they explore this incredible group of islands and the challenges posed by environmental issues.

‘It’s all winningly narrated by Zoë Wanamaker, with a catch in her heart,’ emphasised the Observer in its review.

The newspaper’s praise for Zoe is echoed by Tamsyn Halls herself.

Another chance to see Ode to Joy

Zoë also lends her vocal talents to a brief but fascinating film, Ode to Joy (2014), about the life and career of talented, Watford-born animator Joy Batchelor.

If you missed its broadcast at Watford Film Festival earlier this month, you’ll be pleased to hear that you can watch the film in its entirety online.

28 Tales is coming soon

28 Tales for 28 Days, the series of videos produced to call for a 28-day time limit on UK immigration detention, will be launched on YouTube on 11 September.

As recently reported here, Zoë will be seen reading one of the tales to highlight detainees’ experiences. 28 Tales is the brainchild of charity Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group, which runs a walking project called Refugee Tales. Also on board is Comma Press, the publisher of the stories told on the walks and in 28 Tales.

This direct appeal from Zoe, filmed at the same time as 28 Tales, sheds more light on the project’s aims.

Supporting the Roar for Jess campaign

Zoë has joined numerous well-known figures in getting involved with the Roar for Jess campaign, which has been created to support a ten-year-old girl who’s been bravely battling neuroblastoma for much of her life.

Bid for Zoë’s artwork

Could you spot a drawing by Zoë among hundreds of others? She’s submitted a postcard-sized artwork to Heart Research UK’s charity fundraising auction, the Anonymous heART Project.

All of the artworks will be sold on eBay from 2-11 November. Good luck if you try to track down Zoe’s and bid on it!

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Watch Zoë appeal for an end to indefinite immigration detention in the UK

31 July 2018 16:40

When Zoë took part in the 28 Tales for 28 Days charity project recently, she also filmed this direct appeal for an end to indefinite detention periods at UK immigration centres. She's among a number of prominent actors and writers who've joined forces with the charity Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group, its outreach project Refugee Tales and the tales' publisher Comma Press to call for immigration detention to be limited to 28 days.

The crowdfunding campaign to cover 28 Tales' filming, editing and distribution costs, as well as enable more former detainees to join Refugee Tales' walking community, is now entering its final days. If you wish to make a donation, you can do so until 2 August.

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