Categories Gallery Helen Personal and Family Life

Celebration of Helen McCrory’s Life

Remembering Helen

by Gingersnap | damian-lewis.com | May 20, 2022

According to a tweet by theatre critic Dom Cavendish, Damian hosted a memorial service at St. Paul’s Church, Covent Garden (aka The Actors’ Church) in London on Friday, May 20, 2022, to celebrate Helen McCrory’s life and her formidable personality. There was laughter, tears and a standing ovation in Helen’s honor. Attendees included Helena Bonham Carter, Allie Esiri, Ralph Fiennes, Benedict Cumberbatch, Eddie Redmayne, Natascha McElhone, Bob Geldoff, Rory Kinnear, Mark Strong, Joe Cole, Finn Cole, Matthew Macfadyen and Keeley Hawesdeath. Mark Strong led the tributes as the actor who had worked with Helen more than almost any other actor, appearing in seven different films, shows and plays together. Damian and Helen’s daughter Manon, 15, delivered a touching reading and son Gulliver, 14, played the guitar for guests at the ceremony.

You can see part of the event programme from Mr. Cavendish’s tweet below.  Bob Dylan’s To Be Alone with You was featured and a film titled In Her Own Words played. One cannot help remember that Helen chose To Be Alone with You as one of her favorite tunes during a recent segment of Desert Island Discs and she added that she had a blank check from Damian to run away with Bob Dylan. A close friend who attended the memorial service said, “It was just the most beautiful memorial. It was very touching. Speechless.”

View images of memorial service attendees in our Gallery here.

Continue reading Celebration of Helen McCrory’s Life

Categories Charity Gallery Old Friends Philanthropy Theatre

Sondheim’s ‘Old Friends’ Afterparty

Cast Afterparty

by Gingersnap | damian-lewis.com | May 3, 2022

L to R: Allie Esiri, Damian Lewis, Sue Latimer, Helena Bonham Carter

Media outlets are claiming it was a hit and fans feel honored to have witnessed it, so why not continue the celebrations of Sondheim’s Old Friends gala with an afterparty! After their performances, stars of the stage gathered at The Prince of Wales Theatre in Leicester Square, London, on May 3, 2022 for a little adult-cocktailing to salute the memorable event in aid of the Stephen Sondheim Foundation. View more photos of the afterparty in our Gallery here.

Categories Appearances Events Poetry Print Media Readings

Damian Lewis Joins the Hay Festival 2022 Line-Up

Damian Will Read Poetry at Hay Festival 2022

by Damianista | damian-lewis.com | April 5, 2022

UPDATE May 28, 2022 – Damian is no longer part of the line-up due to conflict in scheduling.

The Hay Festival is coming back as an in-person event for the first time in three years! This is the 35th spring edition of the festival in Hay-on-Wye. They have announced their 2022 spring line-up with more than 500 in-person events and there will be a feast of  talks, music, comedy, lectures, poetry and more from Thursday, May 26 to Sunday, June 5.

Continue reading Damian Lewis Joins the Hay Festival 2022 Line-Up

Categories Appearances Audio Events Helen Personal and Family Life Poetry Readings

Damian Lewis and Helen McCrory’s Love Poetry Performance Rediscovered

Cheltenham Literature Festival Revisited

by Andrew Holgate | The Sunday Times | October 9, 2021

There have been some great Cheltenham Literature Festival moments over the years – Hilary Clinton in 2017, looking back on her presidential defeat the year before; a 92-year-old David Attenborough charming the audience in 2018. But surely one of the most electric hours in the festival’s history came in 2014, with the appearance on stage of the married couple Damian Lewis and Helen McCrory.

Here consists of a recording that was thought to have been lost, an electric performance at the 2014 Times and Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival – one of the most memorable in the festival’s history – by Damian and Helen of love poems from the poetry collection The Love Book edited by Allie Esiri.

Earlier this summer, Damian rediscovered a recording of the event, which he offers here now to listeners as a tribute to his wife. To hear the recording in full, click here.

Continue reading Damian Lewis and Helen McCrory’s Love Poetry Performance Rediscovered

Categories Poetry Readings The Love Book

The Love Book Poetry App is Free – March 22, 2020

Turning to Poetry in Times of Need

by Gingersnap | damian-lewis.com | March 22, 2020

Allie Esiri announced on Instagram that her poetry app, The Love Book, would be free indefinitely. She wrote,

“In case helpful, we have made The Love Book poetry app free, indefinitely. Many people turn to poetry in times of need and here there are many poems with over seventy read aloud by leading actors Tom Hiddleston, Helena Bonham Carter, Damian Lewis, Helen McCrory, Emma Watson, and Gina Bellman. You can read, listen, even record your own one and share it. Send a recording to your granny; help with homeschool. Plenty of poems about love to send to a friend, lover, mother.”

Download the interactive literary app from the Apple Store for iOS and Android devices.

Categories Charity Events Helen Philanthropy Poetry Readings Video

Damian and Helen Poetry Reading at Voices of London – Nov 26, 2019

A Night of Poems and Poets

by Gingersnap | damian-lewis.com | November 26, 2019

Source: Twitter @AllieEsiri

An evening of poetry inspired by the great city of London was read by Damian, Helen, Mona Arishi, Theresa Lola, Yomi Sode and OnSide young poets in support of the Lord Mayor’s Appeal for Samaritans helpline, OnSide Youth Zones, and Place2Be, investing in youth and children’s mental health. The event was held at the Mansion House on Tuesday, November 26, 2019 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

View the rest of the photos from the event in our Gallery here

VIDEOS:

Continue reading Damian and Helen Poetry Reading at Voices of London – Nov 26, 2019

Categories Appearances Events Helen Poetry Readings

Voices of London – Oct 8, 2019

A Night of Poems and Poets Inspired by the Great City of London

by Gingersnap | damian-lewis.com | October 8, 2019

The Lord Mayor’s Appeal will be hosting their first ever poetry night called Voices of London on Tuesday, November 26, 2019  from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Join the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress for a night of inspirational poetry in the magnificent setting of the Mansion House in London.

The event is curated by Allie Esiri, Helen McCrory, and Kate Birch with a line-up of other celebrated (and secret) actors and vibrant contemporary poets performing work inspired by the great city of London, all in the effort to raise money to help support their charity partners OnSide Youth Zones, Place2Be, Samaritans, and Sir Hubert von Herkomer Arts Foundation.

And one of those secret actors is Damian! Both Helen  and Damian are patrons/ambassadors of the Sir HvH Arts Foundation.

Seems like Damian will be in town from filming Billions in New York City only two days prior to this event – specifically, on November 24 since he will be co-hosting the Evening Standard Theatre Awards in London with Helen.

To book tickets and for more information about Voices of London, please visit Lord Mayor’s Appeal.org here. For questions about the event, please email events@thelordmayorsappeal.org or call 020 7332 1582. Standard tickets are £100 and under 26-year-old tickets are £50. Tickets include a champagne and canapé reception, poetry readings and fundraising raffle. Dress code: smart casual.