News round-up: Mr Selfridge series three, The Older Woman, LJCC exhibition and more

14 January 2015 02:19

This week a number of TV listings magazines in the UK have offered us a glimpse of Mr Selfridge series three by printing a great new cast photo (see the TV Times clipping below as an example), heralding Zoë's arrival in the costume drama as Russian princess Marie Wiasemsky. The magazines promise more details about the series in their next issue, indicating that Mr Selfridge is set to return to our screens during the last week of January. The wait is nearly over!

Click on the image to see the full version.

In the meantime there is another chance to hear The Older Woman, which starts today on BBC Radio 4 Extra. This comedy series, from 1993, features Zoe as a feisty English teacher, Jane. Jane becomes the object of irrepressible local journalist Roy's affections but struggles to take his advances seriously – not least because he is one of her former pupils! Episode one will be broadcast on 14 January at 7am, and then repeated at 5:30pm and again on 15 January at 5:30am.

Also beginning this week is 'Guest Speakers at Ivy House', an exhibition of photos taken by Dr Adrian Dell for the London Jewish Cultural Centre. Zoë, who in 2012 gave a sold-out talk at Ivy House, the LJCC's home, is among the well-known individuals pictured. The Times series of local newspapers has published a preview of some of the photos, including a lovely portrait of her. The exhibition runs from 12 January to 27 March in the Ivy House Café.

Zoë was also photographed, alongside her husband, Gawn Grainger, attending 12 January's press night performance of Women on the Edge of a Nervous Breakdown. This new musical at London's Playhouse Theatre stars Tamsin Greig. To see photos from the event, head to Getty Images, the Daily Mail and Daily Echo.

perma-linktweet this

News round-up: Sam Wanamaker Playhouse’s first anniversary, The Stage Awards and new interview

10 January 2015 22:08

The Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, built in the style of an indoor Jacobean theatre and named in honour of Zoë's father, celebrated its first anniversary yesterday. To celebrate the occasion, the Playhouse's sister theatre, Shakespeare's Globe, published a series of blog articles about the Playhouse's development and success.

The articles include a concise biography of Sam Wanamaker, who not only worked tirelessly to build The Globe on London's South Bank but also made plans for it to be joined by another venue, the indoor theatre; as the article emphasises, Zoë's father was truly a 'visionary man'. Another article presents a series of videos, providing insight into the building of the Playhouse, while the impressive list of awards, nominations and plaudits highlights just how much this 'exquisite little jewel box' (in the words of the Independent) has achieved in the twelve months since its first season began.

The Playhouse's nomination for The Stage's Theatre Building of the Year 2015 award is particularly timely, the news of it having been announced just days before the anniversary. The Globe has also received a nomination in The Stage Awards – in the International category. The Globe truly has gone global in recent times, with its mission to perform Hamlet in every country in the world.

What's more, as its Twitter profile points out, The Globe has successfully raised £7.5 million, match-funded by an anonymous donor, in order to create the Playhouse, which was officially opened by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh at a special event attended by Zoë. So far, more than 92,000 people have visited this candlelit theatre.

Meanwhile, The Manor Academy has published an exclusive interview with Zoë in its school newspaper, The Manor Gazette. Zoe recalls particularly enjoying Art, English and History when she was at school, and she has excellent advice for anyone currently studying: 'Get as much out of it as you can and don’t ever stop learning.'

perma-linktweet this

Zoë is the cover star for Woman and Home magazine's latest issue!

3 January 2015 00:21

Zoë appears on the cover of the current issue of Woman & Home magazine (February 2015), which also features a lovely interview with her. The cover photo and those accompanying Zoë's interview are by acclaimed photographer Trevor Leighton (who also photographed Zoë for her 2008 W&H cover and interview); you can see a preview of a couple of the new images on the magazine's website.

Zoe discusses a wide range of topics including marriage, family, fitness, her career – and of course Mr Selfridge, the ITV drama in which she will soon be seen playing a Russian princess. The series was filmed last summer and, the magazine comments, 'marks another step in Zoë's transition from spiky character actress into national treasure'.

On the subject of working, I'm sure that many people will be able to relate to what Zoe has to say about the importance of believing in yourself: 'When you're working, you're confident. You have to keep that self-belief going all the time, even through rejection.'

Woman & Home is available now in print and as a digital edition.

perma-linktweet this

Zoë joins dozens of other public figures calling for UK politicians to legalise assisted dying

1 January 2015 18:44

Zoë is among dozens of public figures who have signed a letter to the Daily Telegraph, calling on the next UK government to change the law on assisted dying in 2015. News of the letter, which has also been signed by Sir Patrick Stewart, Hugh Grant and Jo Brand, made the front page of the Telegraph on 29 December, as well as being reported elsewhere (e.g. by the Daily Mail and Daily Express).

In the letter the signatories – who include actors, writers, doctors, politicians and clerics – emphasise that 'The overwhelming majority of the public supports law change on assisted dying, and no one believes that someone should face a prison sentence of 14 years for compassionately assisting a loved one to die.'

'We are closer than ever to allowing dying people to have safeguarded choice in how they approach their deaths. Whoever forms the next Government must allow time for Parliament to reach consensus on a safeguarded law,' they add.

Zoe is a patron of Dignity in Dying, the national campaign and membership organisation that is campaigning to legalise assisted dying. Its chief executive, Sarah Wootton, has commented that 'We are fast approaching tipping point on the issue of assisted dying. It is now a question of how, not if, we change the law.'

perma-linktweet this

Zoë's Stevie among Lyn Gardner's theatrical highlights of 2014

26 December 2014 16:45

Lyn Gardner, a theatre critic at the Guardian, has chosen Zoë's performance as quirky poet Stevie Smith as one of her theatrical highlights of the year. 'I enjoyed Zoë Wanamaker, so perfectly cast in Stevie at Chichester', Gardner writes. She also praises Zoe's co-star in the production, commenting that she 'equally adored Lynda Baron's performance as the ''lion'' aunt' who looks after Stevie for many years.

The comments echo the glowing review of Stevie that Gardner published when the play opened at the Minerva Theatre in May. She emphasised that 'Zoë Wanamaker is so perfectly cast in Hugh Whitemore's play about the life and work of the poet Stevie Smith that you don't feel so much that she's acting as simply channelling the mid-20th century poet and novelist. She transforms an evening that could be reticent, maybe even a little coy, into something more ferocious and dangerous,' with 'superb' support from Baron.

As recently reported on this website, Stevie will make a highly anticipated transfer to London's Hampstead Theatre in March 2015. Tickets are available; some dates are already almost sold out.

perma-linktweet this