Whatsonstage.com has joined the celebration of the centenary of Terence Rattigan’s centenary by hosting two Outings to Rattigan plays in as many weeks. Last night *March 28th) saw 250 theatregoers make their way to the Theatre Royal Haymarket for Flare Path, Trevor Nunn’s first production as artistic director at the Haymarket. Starring James Purefoy (returning to the West End for the first time in ten years), Sienna Miller (back from a 2009 stint on Broadway in After Miss Julia) and the unstoppable Sheridan Smith (winner of Whatsonstage.com and Olivier Awards for her role in Legally Blonde) and following rave reviews we were all really looking forward to this war-time drama.

It is 1942. At the Falcon Hotel, on the Lincolnshire coast, Teddy a young RAF bomber pilot celebrates a reunion with his actress wife Patricia. They are thrown into upheaval when Peter, Patricia’s ex-lover and Hollywood heartthrob arrives and an urgent bombing mission over Germany is ordered. Who will make the sacrifice during the long night, as Patricia finds herself at the centre of an emotional conflict as unpredictable as the war in the skies.

An emotive tale of love and loyalty Flare Path had many audience members sniffing and the strength of the performances throughout ensures that you can’t help but get caught up in the drama of it all. Sheridan Smith as cheerful Doris captures the comedy and sympathy of her role with skill while the intensity between Purefoy (Hollywoord heartthrob indeed) and Miller (actress Patricia) is almost palpable. All the other members of the cast create an entirely believeable and touchingly British sense of the desperate cheerfulness of war-time.

We were then lucky enough to be joined by the triumvriate – Purefoy, Smith and Miller – for a post-show Q&A which was by turns amusing and thought-provoking. We talked about everything from the research they undertook for their roles, the affect the costumes have on the piece and the power of Rattigan’s Work. Purefoy made some interesting comments on this play in relation to British identity while Miller spoke of her pleasure at working with as an acclaimed director as Trevor Nunn while Smith was quite open about her experience of moving from Playboy Bunny costumes to knee-length florals and seamed stockings.

LISTEN TO THE Q&A HERE, or to subscribe and download from iTunes, click here.

A video of the new Twenty8Twelve Spring/Summer 2011 lookbook has now been posted at Twenty8Twelve.com:

“Really elegant and classy – the perfect winter wardrobe,” says Sienna Miller about the autumn/winter 2011-12 collection from Twenty8Twelve. Watch Sienna and her sister Savannah as they pick out their favourite pieces from the new range, and talk through the challenges of staying true to their design aesthetic.

At least 40 men, women and children in eastern Congo have been raped in the past two weeks, the United Nations said Friday, in the same area of the country where a series of mass sex assaults have taken place over the past several months.

Two separate groups of civilians had been returning from shopping trips to a local market on two different occasions.

“Rape continues to be a plague, a pandemic which risks spreading across the D.R.C.,” a U.N. spokesman told the New York Times.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the most war-torn parts of the world. More than 5.5 million people have been killed in fighting since 1998, mainly over control of vast mineral resources. Rape has been used systematically as a weapon of enforcement by both the official army and rebel groups.

It’s estimated that someone is raped every eight minutes in the country.

Earlier this week, in an unprecedented development, a senior army officer was sentenced to no more than 20 years in prison for ordering his troops to beat and rape scores of residents in the town of Fizi in a New Year’s Day attack.

It was the first time an army officer has been held accountable in Congo for using mass rape as a weapon against the population.

In the video above, “8 Minutes in the Congo,” actress Sienna Miller reveals the horrors of mass rape in the country.

- takepart.com

I just came across this great video from the set of Yellow, from MUSEProductions, who I believe are the production company for the film.

Also, in the new BBC Breakfast interview (post below this one), Sienna mentions that her character in the film has Tourettes, so that will be interesting to see! She also said she thinks the film will come out this year.

Sienna appeared on BBC Breakfast this morning, to talk about her upcoming stage production Flare Path.

You can watch the full show at the BBC website, and I think it will play for everyone (BBC’s videos are sometimes country-restricted). Sienna appears at about 27 minutes in. I’ll be trying to get Sienna’s segment downloaded so I can upload it here for everyone. I’ll also be adding caps asap.

Sienna Miller was our final guest on the show talking about her latest role in the Terence Rattigan’s play Flare Path. Sienna Miller was joined by her director, the brilliant Trevor Nunn. Flare Path is the first of a series of productions Trevor will present as Artistic Director of the Theatre Royal Haymarket Company to celebrate Terence Rattigan’s Centenary Year.

EDIT: 220+ sceereencaps have now been added to the Gallery! Thanks to my friend Becca for her help grabbing the video.

• BBC Breakfast – February 22nd 2010 x223

Only a really quick shot of Sienna in this, and it looks to be the same shots we saw in the Glamour behind-the-scenes video.

The TK Maxx website also has a feature on the Comic Relief campaign, with some nice shots of Sienna, although again, the same pictures we’ve seen in Glamour magazine.

Sienna Miller, Emilia Fox, Helena Christensen, David Walliams, and John Cleese dressed as a ‘caveman’, are among the celebrities lending their support to Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day 2011, in a unique fusion of fashion, eco-chic and iconic humour.

They have been photographed wearing an exclusive collection of ‘Red Nose’ T-shirts, designed by the high-priestess of punk, Dame Vivienne Westwood , and worn with everything from red stetsons and gold hot-pants to a ‘Fred Flintstone’ faux fur cape.

The T-shirts, which will be available exclusively at TK Maxx stores, feature striking black and white prints of Rowan Atkinson as ‘Edmund’ and Miranda Richardson as ‘Queenie’ from the “Blackadder” television series; William Shakespeare; Hogarth’s “The Laughing Audience”; a punk; and an aristocratic Louis XV1 grande dame – all of course, customised with red noses.

The photographic campaign also features Nicola Roberts of Girls Aloud, Ellie Goulding, the comedian James Corden, and top male model, David Gandy.

The T-shirts have been wholly manufactured in Africa from Fairtrade cotton. Available in both children’s and adults’ sizes, they will be on sale online and in TK Maxx stores nationwide, from today (Feb 3rd), priced between £5.99 to £14.99, with all net proceeds going to Comic Relief.

This year, Red Nose Day takes place on Friday, March 18th.

Comic Relief staged the first Red Nose Day in 1988 and raised £15 million for people in desperate need. Since then, the twelve annual events have raised more than £500 million to support people and communities in the United Kingdom and Africa.

Sienna Miller has switched the lights on the London Eye from blue to red to mark World Aids Day.

The actress wrapped up for the cold weather to raise awareness for the (RED) campaign, which raises funds for medication to fight the disease.

The London landmark was just one of more than 80 international venues to be illuminated in red, including the Sydney Opera House and the Empire State Building.

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