Month: December 2023

TOP Damian Lewis Moments 2023: Noël Coward’s London Calling! – A Centenary Celebration

London Calling! was the first musical revue thanks to which Noël Coward broke through as a song and sketch writer as well as a performer. The revue premiered at Duke of York’s Theatre in London on September 4, 1922. And Robert Hazle, a cabaret actor and musical director as well as the Cultural Development Officer at the Noël Coward Foundation has put on stage a centenary celebration of London Calling! at the very theatre it premiered hundred years ago on October 5, 2023. I was very lucky to be in the room during this hour-long, free, and sold out lunchtime performance and I am ready to tell you all about it! Continue reading “TOP Damian Lewis Moments 2023: Noël Coward’s London Calling! – A Centenary Celebration”

TOP Damian Lewis Moments 2023: The Return of King Henry VIII

“Henry VIII is a monster, but he’s our monster. No other nation has a king who had six wives and cut the heads off two. We’re perversely proud of Henry.” – Hilary Mantel

I left the following wish on the Fan Fun 8th anniversary post last January:

“BBC confirmed that they would adapt The Mirror and The Light, the final volume in Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall trilogy, for TV as early as in May 2019. The Guardian reported that the BBC adaptation will see director Peter Kosminsky and screenwriter Peter Straughan resuming their partnership from 2015. Mark Rylance has announced in March 2022 that he was to reprise his role as Thomas Cromwell and that he hoped for a 2023 date to start the production. And we are hoping to hear that Damian will resume his role as Henry VIII. Hilary Mantel’s untimely death in 2022 left me heartbroken since she is my favorite author and it sucks to know that I will not be able to look forward to her new book. But I returned to The Mirror and The Light and read it in her memory. It is the perfect ending  to Mantel’s fantastic trilogy.”

And, finally, in an interview with Natalie Boare of ITV News ahead of his Brighton gig late September, Damian shared the news that he would start filming The Mirror and The Light soon! See the interview in its entirety here and repeat after me: LONG LIVE THE KING!   Continue reading “TOP Damian Lewis Moments 2023: The Return of King Henry VIII”

TOP Damian Lewis Moments 2023: He Came, Saw and Conquered Union Chapel!

Well, ladies and gentlemen, London conquest is complete! Having conquered the South (Omeara), the West (The Tabernacle) and the East (Hoxton Hall), Damian Lewis and his fabulous band headed to Union Chapel for their biggest gig to date on Jully 11. They gave us an evening of musical feast at a magical venue! So please come join me at Union Chapel and live or re-live (if you were lucky  enough to be there) every single detail from that glorious evening.

Shall we?

Continue reading “TOP Damian Lewis Moments 2023: He Came, Saw and Conquered Union Chapel!”

TOP Damian Lewis Moments 2023: Chat + Gig + Album Signing at Rough Trade East

Damian Lewis and his fabulous band had a special little gig at Rough Trade East in London followed  by Damian signing the copies of ‘Mission Creep’ vinyls and CDs gig attendees received with their ticket purchase. One good surprise of the evening was the pre-gig chat between Damian and his friend, collaborator and producer Giacomo Smith about the musical journey they have had in the last three years. Continue reading “TOP Damian Lewis Moments 2023: Chat + Gig + Album Signing at Rough Trade East”