Zoë's husband, Gawn Grainger, joins the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company for The Entertainer

11 August 2016 16:45

Last autumn, Zoë starred in the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company's double bill of Terence Rattigan plays, All On Her Own and Harlequinade, which marked the beginning of the Plays at the Garrick season in London's West End. Now Zoë's husband, Gawn Grainger, has joined the company for its final production of the season, John Osborne's The Entertainer.

Gawn is preparing to play Billy Rice, a retired music hall star, in the drama and has written a series of poetic tweets about his progress, including 'Billy smiled at me, bowed, then tap danced away.' You can see rehearsal photos of Zoë's husband and his co-stars (who include Kenneth Branagh, Greta Scacchi, Sophie McShera and others) on the theatre company's Facebook page.

In an interview with The Stage, Gawn emphasises that he 'couldn't resist' the opportunity to play Billy. He also names Zoë's late father, Sam Wanamaker, as one of his greatest influences.

The show begins previews on 20 August and runs until 12 November. Tickets are available from the theatre company's website. If you were fortunate enough to see All On Her Own and Harlequinade, you'll know that they were both brilliantly acted shows with high production values. The Entertainer will surely be a theatrical gem too.

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Zoë to star in Britannia, a major historical drama coming to Sky 1 and Amazon Prime Video in 2017

3 August 2016 18:36

Zoë's next project has now been revealed – and it's big!

She'll star in Britannia, a major historical drama series co-produced by Sky and Amazon US. The ten-part series, led by highly respected writer Jez Butterworth, focuses on the Roman Imperial Army's invasion of Celtic Britain in 43AD. The Romans aim 'to crush the Celtic heart of Britannia – a mysterious land ruled by wild warrior women and powerful druids who can channel the powerful forces of the underworld,' explains the series' official press release.

Zoë's character, Antedia, is a key figure in the Celtic resistance movement. Britannia will also feature David Morrissey, Kelly Reilly and Stanley Weber. Filming for this exciting series is taking place on location in Prague and Wales. Britannia is due to be shown on Sky 1 (in the UK and Ireland) and Amazon Prime Video (in the US) next year.

The news has made waves in the press on both sides of the Atlantic, with articles appearing today in major publications such as The Hollywood Reporter, Playbill, Radio Times and Variety.

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Celebrating Zoë's website's 14th anniversary with a look back at memorable moments

30 July 2016 00:28

Today, 30 July 2016, Zoë's official website is fourteen years old! Funnily enough, that means it's now the same age I was when I first became a fan of Zoë, back in 1999. How time flies!

In order to celebrate the fourteenth anniversary, I've written all about the website's history, including memorable moments and milestones, as well as why being a fan is such a joy. The article is big, detailed and more personal than anything I've written for the site before. Whether you read the whole thing or dip in and out of it, I hope you enjoy it.

Thank you to everyone who visits the website – I hope you find it helpful and engaging. I certainly have as much fun managing the site now as I did fourteen years ago.

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Zoë describes the 'joy' of performing Much Ado About Nothing in Glyndebourne interview

29 July 2016 17:50

Zoë offers insight into playing Much Ado About Nothing's Beatrice in a Glyndebourne Festival podcast that compares Shakespeare's play with the opera it inspired, Béatrice et Bénédict, by Berlioz. The latter is being performed at the East Sussex festival until late August.

In the podcast, presenter Katie Derham points out that 'Beatrice's independent spirit appeals to Zoë', who starred alongside Simon Russell Beale in the National Theatre's acclaimed 2007 production (the video below includes clips of their performances).

'She wants a sophisticated relationship rather than a ''pretty'' one,' remarks Zoë, suggesting that Beatrice needs to be able to demonstrate her intellect and wit in her personal life.

Beatrice's witty war of words with her old sparring partner, Benedick, enables actors – and audience members – to revel in what Zoë calls 'the enjoyment of two opposites or seeming opposites'.

She adds that everyone she's spoken to about performing Much Ado About Nothing has said the play, which ends happily for its two central characters, gave them 'a feeling of joy'.

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Zoë celebrates Stevie Smith's 'extraordinary individuality' in Poet in the City's podcast and interview

29 July 2016 15:56

You may remember that Zoë gave poetry readings at Poet in the City and Faber & Faber's Stevie Smith celebration, held on 15 February at King's Place, London. Excitingly, several clips from her readings are included in Poet in the City's latest podcast, 'Poetry and Comedy'.

Whether you'd like to relive moments from the event or didn't get the opportunity to attend it, the podcast is well worth hearing. In addition to Zoë's beautiful readings of Smith's poems (including 'Do Take Muriel Out', 'The Galloping Cat' (a real crowd-pleaser!), an extract from 'Souvenir de Monsieur Poop' and 'Not Waving but Drowning'), there's thought-provoking discussion from academics and writers about how Smith broke the rules and the power of humorous verse.

For more inspiring discussion, you can also listen to a short interview Zoë gave to Poet in the City on the day of the event, in which she celebrates Smith's 'extraordinary individuality'. Zoë emphasises that 'her sense of irony, which I enjoy very much, and black humour, which I love,' are two qualities that stand out in Smith's writing, 'and that's what drew me to her'.

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