Iestyn Edwards
Encyclopedia
Iestyn Edwards is a stage and TV writer/performer, published poet and journalist, best known for character Madame Galina, the Prima Ballerina, who most recently has entertained troops in Iraq
and Afghanistan
.
, London, where he was awarded the Hammerstein Chantership, a medal donated by the widow of Oscar Hammerstein II
. Also trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
, where he first played Madame Galina during Rag Week. Seasons followed with British Youth Opera
as well as recitals at Southwark Cathedral, Loseley Hall and the Chelsea Arts Club. He held a singing tutorship at the Guildford School of Acting
until he performed as Madame Galina at a private party at the Thorpeness Country Club and was spotted by club booker Emily Latham, who arranged for him to audition for Club Kabaret in the West End
. Within a week he was onstage in front of Madonna
, Jude Law
and Kate Moss
. Chance sightings of Madame Galina shows by various producers led to Edwards being showcased by Chrysalis TV, winning Busker Of The Year, and to The Big Breakfast
covering his first Edinburgh Festival
in 2001. He has been touring theatres ever since in Anything For A Tenor, Madame Galina Ballet Star Galactica/The New Forces' Sweetheart and Along Came Bill.
Featured by Ruby Wax
in her BBC Three
series Ruby Does The Business, profiled by Artsworld
and in Channel 4
's All Sorts, his main TV credit is Madame Galina's Whirlwind Guide To Ballet, also Channel 4, a tie in with the four-part Rough Guide To Choreography, made by Sceptre Productions for Channel 4 and featuring George Piper Dances. His entry in the Rough Guide To Choreography book describes Madame Galina thus: "This oversized mock-Russian ballerina fabricates lovingly tart send-ups of classical technique, diva-style celebrity and all the attendant pretensions".
On Trafalgar Day
2005, he was asked by Admiral Sir Alan West, First Sea Lord
, to sing in the Great Cabin of the HMS Victory
in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen
. This brought him to the attention of Combined Services Entertainment
, who took him out to Iraq
and Afghanistan
to entertain troops as Madame Galina in 2006. These tours were featured in The Times and the Mail On Sunday; and Woman's Hour, Radio 4, featured Madame Galina in a programme tracing the history of the Forces sweetheart
.
Edwards' autobiographical play Along Came Bill won a retrospective award at the Bath Festival in 2003.
Libby Purves
writing in The Times in 2006 described Edwards's work as a synthesis of art and larkiness, Cirque du Soleil
talent scout Waltidor saw Galina as a modern take on the white face circus clown, and author Robert Mawson believes that Edwards suffers from the classic Cinderella
Complex and is working this out in his writing and performing.
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
Biography
Trained at Southwark CathedralSouthwark Cathedral
Southwark Cathedral or The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Saviour and St Mary Overie, Southwark, London, lies on the south bank of the River Thames close to London Bridge....
, London, where he was awarded the Hammerstein Chantership, a medal donated by the widow of Oscar Hammerstein II
Oscar Hammerstein II
Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II was an American librettist, theatrical producer, and theatre director of musicals for almost forty years. Hammerstein won eight Tony Awards and was twice awarded an Academy Award for "Best Original Song". Many of his songs are standard repertoire for...
. Also trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama is an independent music and dramatic arts school which was founded in 1880 in London, England. Students can pursue courses in Music, Opera, Drama and Technical Theatre Arts.-History:...
, where he first played Madame Galina during Rag Week. Seasons followed with British Youth Opera
British Youth Opera
Since it was founded in 1987, British Youth Opera has enabled over a thousand singers, instrumentalists, conductors, directors and production staff to gain experience through its annual September performances and workshop and masterclass series....
as well as recitals at Southwark Cathedral, Loseley Hall and the Chelsea Arts Club. He held a singing tutorship at the Guildford School of Acting
Guildford School of Acting
Guildford School of Acting is a drama school located in Guildford, Surrey, England. It is an affiliate of the University of Surrey and is an accredited member of the National Council for Drama Training and The Conference of Drama Schools.-Overview:...
until he performed as Madame Galina at a private party at the Thorpeness Country Club and was spotted by club booker Emily Latham, who arranged for him to audition for Club Kabaret in the West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
. Within a week he was onstage in front of Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, Jude Law
Jude Law
David Jude Heyworth Law , known professionally as Jude Law, is an English actor, film producer and director.He began acting with the National Youth Music Theatre in 1987, and had his first television role in 1989...
and Kate Moss
Kate Moss
Kate Moss is an English model. Moss is known for her waifish figure and popularising the heroin chic look in the 1990s. She is also known for her controversial private life, high profile relationships, party lifestyle, and drug use. Moss changed the look of modelling and started a global debate on...
. Chance sightings of Madame Galina shows by various producers led to Edwards being showcased by Chrysalis TV, winning Busker Of The Year, and to The Big Breakfast
The Big Breakfast
The Big Breakfast was a British light entertainment television show shown on Channel 4 and S4C each weekday morning from 28 September 1992 until 29 March 2002 during which period 2,482 shows were produced. The Big Breakfast was produced by Planet 24, the production company co-owned by former...
covering his first Edinburgh Festival
Edinburgh Festival
The Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for many arts and cultural festivals that take place in Edinburgh, Scotland each summer, mostly in August...
in 2001. He has been touring theatres ever since in Anything For A Tenor, Madame Galina Ballet Star Galactica/The New Forces' Sweetheart and Along Came Bill.
Featured by Ruby Wax
Ruby Wax
Ruby Wax is a BAFTA nominated American comedian who made a career in the United Kingdom as part of the alternative comedy scene in the 1980s.-Early life:...
in her BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
series Ruby Does The Business, profiled by Artsworld
Artsworld
Sky Arts and Sky Arts HD is the brand name for a group of art-oriented television channels offering 18 hours a day of programmes dedicated to highbrow arts, including theatrical performances, movies, documentaries and music...
and in Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's All Sorts, his main TV credit is Madame Galina's Whirlwind Guide To Ballet, also Channel 4, a tie in with the four-part Rough Guide To Choreography, made by Sceptre Productions for Channel 4 and featuring George Piper Dances. His entry in the Rough Guide To Choreography book describes Madame Galina thus: "This oversized mock-Russian ballerina fabricates lovingly tart send-ups of classical technique, diva-style celebrity and all the attendant pretensions".
On Trafalgar Day
Trafalgar Day
Trafalgar Day is the celebration of the victory won by the Royal Navy, commanded by Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson over the combined French and Spanish fleets at the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805. The formation of the Navy League in 1894 gave added impetus to the movement to recognise...
2005, he was asked by Admiral Sir Alan West, First Sea Lord
First Sea Lord
The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service; it was formerly known as First Naval Lord. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff, and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS...
, to sing in the Great Cabin of the HMS Victory
HMS Victory
HMS Victory is a 104-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, laid down in 1759 and launched in 1765. She is most famous as Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805....
in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
. This brought him to the attention of Combined Services Entertainment
Combined Services Entertainment
The Combined Services Entertainment is the live entertainment arm of the Services Sound and Vision Corporation , a registered British charity. It is the official provider of live entertainment to the British Armed Forces. CSE routinely sends tours of entertainment to Afghanistan, Cyprus, Oman, the...
, who took him out to Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
to entertain troops as Madame Galina in 2006. These tours were featured in The Times and the Mail On Sunday; and Woman's Hour, Radio 4, featured Madame Galina in a programme tracing the history of the Forces sweetheart
Forces Sweetheart
Forces Sweetheart is a title given to some entertainment women mainly in the Royal Air Force, although it was also later used in the United States.-First World War:The role had its origins in World War I...
.
Edwards' autobiographical play Along Came Bill won a retrospective award at the Bath Festival in 2003.
Libby Purves
Libby Purves
Libby Purves OBE is a British radio presenter, journalist and author. A diplomat's daughter, she was educated at convent schools in Israel, Bangkok, South Africa and France, and then Beechwood Sacred Heart School in Tunbridge Wells.Purves won a scholarship to St Anne's College, Oxford, where she...
writing in The Times in 2006 described Edwards's work as a synthesis of art and larkiness, Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
talent scout Waltidor saw Galina as a modern take on the white face circus clown, and author Robert Mawson believes that Edwards suffers from the classic Cinderella
Cinderella
"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
Complex and is working this out in his writing and performing.
External links
- Simpson, Jane (2006) "Cynthia Harvey Masterclass", Ballet Magazine, September 2002
- "Ballet drag act entertains troops", BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, 17 January 2006 - Simpson, Jane (2006) "Madame Galina aka Iestyn Edwards", Ballet Magazine, May 2006