I photographed David Attenborough when he turned 90 back in 2016 as part of a little push for his new show about the discovery of the world’s largest-known dinosaur. My dear friend and @guardian picture editor at the time @ranjitdhaliwal had the bright idea to photograph David holding a toy dinosaur. So I pinched a bag of soft dinosaurs from a local child to take to the shoot. 10 minutes in and David was on good form and seemed to be enjoying himself, so I pulled out a dinosaur and handed it to him. He looked at the dinosaur, then he looked at me, then back to the dinosaur. Nervous about which way this was going to go, I quickly handed him another dinosaur, and then another one, and another one… Happy 100th birthday David (and thanks for the great idea Ranj)!
“Sometimes I read Macbeth’s letter to her while I’m lying on my mat and I think about her life. She’s on her own a lot; what does she do with herself in that castle, when he’s off at war? She doesn’t have any mates, no one to share this letter with, which is why she needs to tell the audience.
“A lot of people talk about Lady Macbeth’s journey. It’s hard because she starts with lots to do, lots of agency, then suddenly she disappears, and then she goes mad. I think she’s lonely. If she had a friend, when she’d read that letter to them, they would have said, “Witches?! What you talking about?! What d’you mean he’s gonna be king? Don’t be ridiculous!”
Behind the scenes with @indiravarma as she prepares for her role as Lady Macbeth in Macbeth for our Theatrical Transformations photo-essay in @gdnsaturday last weekend.
@guardian@rawprtheatre@olivierawards #societyoflondontheatre #dockx #macbeth #shakespeare #ladymacbeth #stage #play #theatre #london #bts #dressingroom #photography
Guardian Weekend magazine front page last week, for our Theatrical Transformations photo-essay by me and #miriamgillinson. Thanks to @sarahjessicaparker and #matthewbroderick for letting me observe their pre-performance preps and rituals, and to @rawprtheatre@savoytheatreldn@plazasuiteuk for all help and support
@gdnsaturday #societyoflondontheatre #theatre #backstage #bts #dressingroom #makeup #costume #stage #play #actor #savoy #sarahjessicaparker #sjp #plazasuitetheshow @guardian #photo #photography
‘I tend to go into a real focused place. At the beginning of the run I can be locked in my script quite a lot. There’s something to do with how your body deals with nerves, and what’s the most productive way to use them in that time you’ve got, knowing that you’re going on stage in front of all these people. And I think because it’s her wedding day and she’s so nervous, I can use my own nerves, which is handy. You’re not having to hide. You use it.’
Behind the scenes with Sinéad Matthews as she prepares for her role as Sylvia in Til the Stars Come Down, at the Dorfman Theatre, National Theatre, for our @gdnsaturday photo essay on Theatrical Transformations
#london #theatre #dorfman #nationaltheatre #societyoflondontheatre #olivier #olivierawards #acting #play #stage #actor #actress @nadiematthews #tilthestarscomedown @nationaltheatre
‘…his physical preparations for playing Othello are strikingly intense. Long after the fight call (a pre-show safety check) and vocal warm-up is over, Nwosu is left prowling about – alone – on the Sam Wanamaker stage. Unlike the rest of the cast, Nwosu doesn’t utter a single word of Shakespeare. Instead, he trills his lips and sings a few arpeggios, massages his face and gazes piercingly around the stalls. It’s as if he’s emptying his mind. Possibly summoning up the audience. It’s a quietly simmering, captivating and near spiritual experience.’ Words by Miriam Gillinson
Behind the scenes and backstage with Ken Nwosu as he prepares for his performance as Othello in Othello, at the Sam Wannamaker Playhouse, for our Theatrical Transformations photo-essay, published in @gdnsaturday last weekend.
#othello #samwannamakerplayhouse #theglobe #globetheatre #theatre #stage #play #shakespeare #stage #oliviers #olivierawards #miriamgillinson @guardian@the_globe
‘As the half is called (30 minutes until curtain up) dry ice trickles through from the main stage, creating an eerie haze backstage. Jangly music jitters. The atmosphere is beginning to turn, yet, amid all of this, Harris remains utterly himself…Finally, he tears himself away, creeps up to the wings, rocks back and forth on his heels and, when the green cue light flares up, angrily stalks on to the stage.’ Words by Miriam Gillinson
@jaredharris , photographed whilst getting ready in his shared dressing room, behind the scenes and backstage as he prepares for his role as Max in Homecoming, for our Theatrical Transformations photo-essay published @gdnsaturday on Saturday 9th March, 2024
#jaredharris #homecoming #theatre #stage #play #actor #acting #character #london #oliviers #olivierawards #miriamgillinson @guardian #photo #photography
‘Joseph Fiennes’s dressing room, where he’s preparing to play the famously unassuming England men’s football manager Gareth Southgate, is distinctly unshowy. While other dressing rooms are filled with fancy champagne, gifts and just a dash of glamour, Fiennes’s is pared back. Tidy. Practically begging everyone not to make a fuss.’ Words by Miriam Gillinson
Joseph Fiennes photographed in his dressing room and in the wings as he prepared to play Gareth Southgate in Dear England at the Prince Edward Theatre in London’s West End, for our @gdnsaturday Theatrical Transformations photo-essay, published on Saturday 9th March 2024.
#theatre #westend #dressingroom #dearengland #photo #photography #play #stage #lights #props #wings #makeup #garethsouthgate #solt #societyoflondontheatre #olivierawards #oliviers
Some in and outtakes from J’Ouvert celebration early yesterday morn at Notting Hill Carnival
#nottinghillcarnival #carnival #jouvert #cool #paint #oil #powder #police #speaker #soundsystem #music #soca #photography #photo #flash #colour
👏👏👏🎉🎉🎉 to co-Director @loztopham and star of the show Steve Fuller as our film The Winterkeeper has it’s world premiere screening at TriBeCa Film Festival today in NYC!
@tribeca@guardian@yellowstonenps
Thrilled that our short documentary film The Winterkeeper has been selected and is in competition at #tribeca2023! Huge gratitude to star of the show Steven Fuller for welcoming me into his home and life in Yellowstone National Park this winter. Congrats too and thanks co-Director @loztopham
#winterkeeper #documentary #short #shortfilm @tribeca #yellowstone #winter #snow @guardian
