Elegy: after-party photos, Radio 4 discussion and first reviews of Zoë's 'electric' performance

28 April 2016 12:19

Following yesterday's opening night performance of Elegy, Zoë was photographed at the after-party with her co-stars Barbara Flynn and Nina Sosanya, the play's writer Nick Payne, director Josie Rourke – and her trademark drink, the Wanamaker Martini!

'The wonderful thing about [Elegy] is it poses the question constantly – do we have control over ourselves and at what cost and why?' Zoë emphasised when speaking to the Evening Standard about the play's interest in medical advances and the mind's mysteries.

The first reviews of Elegy have now been published. The highlights below suggest that critics have been struck by the power of this play, in which Zoë's Lorna loses all memory of the love of her life, Carrie, as a result of neurosurgery to cure a degenerative disease.

'Zoë Wanamaker is superb as Lorna, in the way she captures the rage and frustration that are inevitable byproducts of her condition, but also the wit and mischief that made Carrie love her in the first place' (Michael Billington, Guardian)

'Zoë Wanamaker excels as the protagonist, both in the confusing period when Lorna knows that she is losing her mind and when dealing with the inevitable but truly terrifying outcome of the medical procedure' (Philip Fisher, British Theatre Guide)

'Wanamaker is especially good, with her sardonic, flamboyant rage against the dying of the light', in 'a beautiful production of a provocative play' (Andrzej Lukowski, Time Out)

Elegy is a 'brief, brilliant, alarming piece' of theatre, 'with Wanamaker – as ever a packet of electric energy – terrifying in bursts of anguished aggression' (Libby Purves, theatreCat)

'Elegy is a beautiful, terrifying, devastating and provocative triumph of the mind', in which Zoë and Barbara Flynn are 'incredible' as a troubled couple (Charlotte Marshall, Official London Theaatre)

'We are invited into a bond that's warm, playful and endlessly human, radiantly brought to life by Wanamaker and Flynn' (Lucy Brooks, Culture Whisper)

This 'intricate three-hander' offers 'a moving, tender' portrayal of the impact that illness and treatment have on the relationship between Lorna and her wife Carrie (Natasha Tripney, The Stage)

Elegy is 'most beautifully acted'; Lorna is 'convincingly confused, movingly resolute' (Sarah Crompton, Whatsonstage.com)

Clips from Elegy (including neurosurgeon Miriam baffling Lorna with thoughts on whether love exists or not) can be heard during the 26 April edition of BBC Radio 4's Front Row, in addition to a thought-provoking interview with Payne and Rourke.

In Rourke's words, Elegy is 'a new play that functions like a tragedy', suffused with tragic inevitability. Lorna and Carrie must decide whether or not to proceed with a major operation that is Lorna's only hope of survival, and so 'in a way the choice is no choice; it's really about consequence' and 'what the cost of love is'.

Elegy runs until 18 June at London's Donmar Warehouse. £10 tickets for front row seats are being released on Monday mornings, with a very, very small number of other tickets also available.

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Production photos released ahead of Elegy's official opening tonight

27 April 2016 19:54

Having been in previews since 21 April, Elegy opens at London's Donmar Warehouse tonight – and to mark the occasion the theatre has released powerful images of Zoë and her co-stars in the show.

Zoë is pictured as Lorna alongside Carrie (played by Barbara Flynn) and Miriam (Nina Sosanya). The production's bold set includes a giant tree trunk, split in two, which symbolises the traumatic experiences explored during the play.

Performances of Elegy are scheduled until 18 June. The Donmar is releasing £10 tickets for front row seats on Monday mornings, with a very, very small number of other tickets also available.

Let's wish Zoë and the rest of Elegy's cast and crew all the very best for tonight's performance!

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Elegy: world premiere this evening!

21 April 2016 17:53

In just over an hour-and-a-half, Zoë will appear in the world premiere of Elegy at London's Donmar Warehouse. Previews of the play, which explores the workings of the human mind and the power of our emotions, will then continue until its official opening, on 27 April.

Elegy is among The Stage's latest theatre picks, while news of the play's imminent first performance has also been reported in the US's theatrical press, namely by Playbill.com and BroadwayWorld.com.

Elegy's writer, Nick Payne, has given an insightful interview about what audiences can expect, published by the Evening Standard today. The interview reveals that the play poses an unsettling question: what if you urgently needed brain surgery but a side-effect of the operation was that you'd lose your memories of the love of your life?

The Evening Standard notes that Elegy has 'a sense of impending, inevitable tragedy'. The play begins at the end of the story, and so, as Payne points out, 'It's not about what's going to happen next. When you know what happens next, the question is ''Why?'''

Zoë, who Payne enthusiastically describes as 'amazing' and 'brilliant', plays Lorna in the production, alongside Barbara Flynn (Carrie) and Nina Sosanya (Miriam); the director is Josie Rourke. Interestingly, Elegy marks the second time that Zoë has been part of an all-female cast of three at the Donmar, in a play written by a man and directed by a woman. The first time was in 2001, for Boston Marriage, which was written by David Mamet and directed by Phyllida Lloyd.

Performances of Elegy are scheduled to take place until 18 June. The Donmar is releasing £10 tickets for front row seats on Monday mornings, with a very, very small number of other tickets also available. Tickets have been selling quickly, and so I'd recommend booking sooner rather than later, if you haven't already done so.

Let's wish Zoë and the rest of the cast and crew all the very best with Elegy! It sounds like a thought-provoking, intense production that's likely to pull at our heartstrings, as well as encouraging us to consider ideas about love, identity, memory and what it means to be human.

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Zoë and other leading actors voice concern about GCSE drama

18 April 2016 17:18

In a letter to The Sunday Times, published on 17 April, Zoë and a number of other leading actors have voiced their concern about the potential impact of new GCSE drama courses that don't require students to attend live performances.

The letter argues that recordings of plays are not adequate substitutes for experiencing 'magical' live theatrical events. It emphasises that the new GCSE courses may lead to 'pupils missing out on invaluable social, cultural and artistic experiences'.

Among the other signatories are Zoë's My Family co-star, Robert Lindsay, and teachers' association National Drama.

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Photos: first look at Zoë rehearsing for Elegy's world premiere!

18 April 2016 16:41

Excitingly, the world premiere of Elegy is now just days away – and to whet our appetites for the play, the Donmar Warehouse has released some fantastic rehearsal photos of cast and crew in action.

Zoë is pictured alongside her co-stars, Barbara Flynn and Nina Sosanya, in a series of intriguing images. Some of the photos suggest that Elegy, which explores the power of the human brain and the effects of augmenting life, may well be a tearjerker.

If you haven't booked tickets yet, you still have a chance to do so, though I'd recommend acting quickly. The Donmar is continuing to release £10 tickets for front row seats on Monday mornings, with a very, very small number of other tickets also still available.

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