Celebrating the website's 13th anniversary!

30 July 2015 01:40

Time flies when you're having fun – today is the thirteenth anniversary of this website, the official site for Zoë Wanamaker and her fans. It's reached its teenage years!

I am grateful to everyone who visits the website or helps me to keep up-to-date with the latest interviews, articles, news about projects, etc. My aim for the site's thirteenth year is to greatly expand the content about Zoë's film, stage and TV work.

The next twelve months look set to be very exciting for Zoë's fans, with Zoë set to star in All On Her Own and Harlequinade, the double bill of Terence Rattigan plays that the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company will stage at London's Garrick Theatre later this year.

Whether you're a huge fan of Zoë or a casual admirer, and whether you discovered her work years ago or last week, thank you for supporting this website.

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Video: watch an extended version of Zoë's Muse of Fire interview

28 July 2015 19:56

The Globe Player, from Shakespeare's Globe, now features an extended version of the interview with Zoë that was seen a couple of years ago in the Muse of Fire documentary. Zoe is among a host of well-known actors who were invited to talk about their approach to Shakespeare's work and what it means to them.

During the fascinating interview, which runs to almost fifty minutes, Zoë and the documentary-makers, fellow actors Dan Poole and Giles Terera, discuss how Shakespeare's work can be made as accessible as possible to actors and audiences alike. In order to perform one of Shakespeare's plays well, Zoë emphasises, 'you have to relish it'. Thorough research about the play and your character is important, as is making sure you understand 'the psychology of the character'.

Zoë concludes: 'If you find the character, then you can speak the language' – and successfully convey the meaning of what Shakespeare wrote to the audience.

For this and more insights about reading, rehearsing, performing and watching Shakespeare's work, see Zoë's interview in the Globe Player's free content section.

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Video: watch the unveiling of the Sam Wanamaker bust at Shakespeare's Globe in 1996

22 July 2015 17:17

In this archive news footage from 14 June 1996, uploaded to YouTube yesterday by news agency The Associated Press, Prince Philip unveils a bronze bust of Sam Wanamaker at Shakespeare's Globe, in honour of the theatre's founder. The unveiling is part of the Founder's Day celebrations, on what would have been Zoë's father's birthday.

The video includes comments from Zoë, who says of her father and The Globe: 'It's emotional because he's not here to see it and it took him so long. And you witness how wonderful it is when you go inside'.

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Zoë and her husband pictured at The Car Man gala performance

21 July 2015 17:37

On Sunday Zoë and her husband, Gawn Grainger, attended the gala performance of the revival of renowned choreographer Matthew Bourne's dance-thriller, The Car Man, at Sadler's Wells in London.

They were photographed on the red carpet and enjoying the after-party for WhatsOnStage.com, ContactMusic.com, and Zimbio.

Other special guests included Zoe's Passion Play co-star Samantha Bond, as well as Mark Rylance and David Walliams.

Matthew Bourne's The Car Man runs at Sadler's Wells until 9 August.

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Kenneth Branagh hails Zoë as a 'brilliant' actress as she joins his theatre company for All On Her Own and Harlequinade double bill

12 July 2015 23:50

Zoë's next theatre project has been announced – she is set to star in not one but two plays, All On Her Own and Harlequinade, as part of the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company's Plays at the Garrick season. The double bill of Terence Rattigan plays will run from 24 October – 13 January at the Garrick Theatre in London's West End.

In the first ever West End production of All On Her Own, a powerful dramatic monologue, Zoë will star as Rosemary, a widow who is troubled by the circumstances of her husband's death. As the theatre company's press release says intriguingly, Rosemary is 'a woman with a secret, alone at midnight in London'. It adds that she has 'a burden to share that is at times both heart-breaking and sinister'.

After All On Her Own, the mood will be lightened by the comedy Harlequinade, another rarely seen play. It follows the backstage antics of a theatre company that is attempting to stage The Winter's Tale and Romeo and Juliet. In Harlequinade Zoë will appear as Dame Maud, who is a haughty actress with a fondness for a tipple.

Kenneth Branagh, who will also appear in Harlequinade, as well as co-directing with Rob Ashford, is clearly delighted that Zoe has joined his theatre company. 'Zoë Wanamaker is a brilliant comedienne and a great tragic actress too,' he says enthusiastically in the press release.

Branagh adds that Zoe, in the role of Rosemary, will 'show us the dramatic side of a playwright also known as ''the English Chekhov'''. 'The rarely seen All On Her Own provides a fabulous woman's role, and makes for an intriguingly balanced double bill,' he concludes.

The news of Zoë joining the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company has been met with great media interest, with articles being published by the Daily Mail, The Stage, Official London Theatre, WhatsOnStage.com, BroadwayWorld.com, Playbill and Culture Whisper, among others.

You can book tickets for performances of the All On Her Own/Harlequinade double bill via the theatre company's website.

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