BREAKING NEWS!
Big-screen premiere of
LOVE SONG
The Triumph and Tragedy of Tchaikovsky
an IAN WOODWARD film
The Espinosa Chute Centre Theatre
Berkhamsted
16 February 2014
Photos © STEFANIE WOODWARD
Cast and crew, family and friends, converged on the historic town of Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire for the big-screen premiere of Love Song, the film which reveals for the first time the heart-breaking true story behind the creation of Tchaikovsky’s fantasy overture Romeo and Juliet which spawned the world’s most famous love theme.
Based on exclusive ground-breaking research by Tchaikovsky aficionado and award-winning filmmaker Ian Woodward, the biopic drama is a cinematic first that could seriously rock the classical-music Establishment.
At the pre-screening party, Tchaikovsky’s estranged wife Antonina and Tsar Alexander III mingled with the composer’s opera superstar fiancée, his music-student lover and his wealthy patroness. All is revealed below.

Above: Actress JENNIFER OLIVER (who plays the Young Society Lady and a Young Lover) with 3rd Assistant Director ALEXIS TYMON and Production Runner and On-location Bonus-Feature Interviewer LOTTIE BUTCHER

Above: Actor LEE FARRELL (Tchaikovsky’s pupil and muse Eduard Zak) with his mother Selena and grandmother Rose

Above: Theatre bar before the premiere screening

Above: Director IAN WOODWARD with actress VICKY ALBUM
(Tchaikovsky’s Belgian opera superstar fiancée Désirée Artôt)

Above: Actress AIMEE CRAFT (Tchaikovsky’s bride and ill-fated wife Antonina Milyukova) and actor JOE SHEFER (the Priest who marries them), with actress VERONICA SEVEGRAND (Tchaikovsky’s wealthy patroness Nadezhda von Meck) on the far right

Above: The filmmaker’s wife ZENKA WOODWARD with Production Runner MAAHIN AKHLAQUE

Above: CORINNA CHUTE, Director of the Espinosa Dance
Project company and Artistic Director of The Espinosa Chute
Centre, with ballerina TOMOMI SATO, former principal dancer
of the Scottish Ballet

Above: Cast, crew, family and friends – endless gossip

Above: Cast, crew, family and friends – and more endless gossip

Above: Love Song Costume Designer ANDREA GAMBELL with director IAN WOODWARD and his wife ZENKA

Above: Actor JOE SHEFER (the Priest who marries Tchaikovsky
…and brings him news of grief)

Above: Director IAN WOODWARD with Production Runner LEE FRASER-CULLEN and Lee’s girlfriend POPPY MOORE

Above: Production Runner and On-location Bonus-Feature Interviewer
LOTTIE BUTCHER

Above: The Espinosa Chute Centre’s GWEN MORGAN – and dancer – with her mother

Above: Actor LEE FARRELL (Tchaikovsky’s pupil and
muse Eduard Zak) with director IAN WOODWARD

Above: Actor STEPHEN CARROLL (Tsar Alexander III), actress AIMEE CRAFT (Tchaikovsky’s bride and estranged wife Antonina Milyukova), director IAN WOODWARD, Love Song Costume Designer ANDREA GAMBELL, actress VERONICA SEVEGRAND (Tchaikovsky’s wealthy patron Nadezhda von Meck), and actor SIMON WILLSHIRE (Tchaikovsky’s drinking companion)

Above: Actress JENNIFER OLIVER (who plays the Young Society Lady and a Young Lover) with 3rd Assistant Director ALEXIS TYMON and Production Runner and On-location Bonus-Feature Interviewer LOTTIE BUTCHER

Above: Actress VICKY ALBUM (Tchaikovsky’s Belgian opera superstar fiancée Désirée Artôt)

Above, left to right: Filmmaker’s wife ZENKA WOODWARD, actor STEPHEN CARROLL (Tsar Alexander III), actor SIMON WILLSHIRE (Tchaikovsky’s drinking companion), Love Song Costume Designer ANDREA GAMBELL and actress VERONICA SEVEGRAND (Tchaikovsky’s wealthy patroness Nadezhda von Meck)

Above: Director IAN WOODWARD with CORINNA CHUTE, Director of the
Renowned Espinosa Dance Project company and Artistic Director of The
Espinosa Chute Centre in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, near London

Above: Actress AIMEE CRAFT (Tchaikovsky’s bride and estranged wife Antonina Milyukova), Love Song Costume Designer ANDREA GAMBELL and actress VERONICA SEVEGRAND (Tchaikovsky’s wealthy patroness Nadezhda von Meck)

Above: Director IAN WOODWARD with Production Runner LEE FRASER-CULLEN and Lee’s girlfriend POPPY MOORE

Above right: The filmmaker’s wife, ZENKA WOODWARD, in her temporary role as barmaid

Above: An empty Espinosa Chute Centre Theatre in Berkhamsted, near London, awaiting an
audience, downstairs and upstairs, for the big-screen premiere of Love Song: The Triumph and Tragedy of Tchaikovsky

Above: Actress VERONICA SEVEGRAND
(Tchaikovsky’s wealthy patroness Nadezhda von
Meck) arriving for the big-screen premiere

Above: Love Song Costume Designer ANDREA GAMBELL

Above, left to right: Actor SIMON WILLSHIRE (Tchaikovsky’s drinking companion), director
IAN WOODWARD, actor LEE FARRELL (Tchaikovsky’s music student and muse), actor JOE SHEFER (the Priest who marries Tchaikovsky…and more) and actress VERONICA SEVEGRAND (Tchaikovsky’s wealthy patron Nadezhda von Meck)

Above: Actress AIMEE CRAFT (Tchaikovsky’s bride and estranged
wife Antonina Milyukova) and actor JOE SHEFER (the Priest who
marries Antonina and the composer)

Above: Actress VERONICA SEVEGRAND (Tchaikovsky’s wealthy
patroness Nadezhda von Meck)

Above: JOE FOSTER, boyfriend (on his immediate left) of 3rd Assistant Director ALEXIS TYMON, with Production Runner and On-location Bonus-Feature Interviewer LOTTIE BUTCHER

Above: Actor LEE FARRELL (Tchaikovsky’s music student at
the Moscow Conservatory and muse) with his mother, SELENA

Above: Actress AIMEE CRAFT (Tchaikovsky’s bride and estranged
wife Antonina Milyukova)

Above: 3rd Assistant Director ALEXIS TYMON with Production Runner
and On-location Bonus-Feature Interviewer LOTTIE BUTCHER

Above: Production Runner LEE FRASER-CULLEN with girlfriend POPPY MOORE

Above: Actress VERONICA SEVEGRAND (Tchaikovsky’s wealthy patron Nadezhda von Meck), actress AIMEE CRAFT (Tchaikovsky’s bride and estranged wife Antonina Milyukova) and actor Joe Shefer (the Priest who marries Tchaikovsky)

Above: The audience begin to take their seats in the stalls and balcony upstairs for the world premiere screening of Love Song: The Triumph and Tragedy of Tchaikovsky, at the
Espinosa Chute Centre Theatre in Berkhamsted, near London, at 3pm, on 16 February 2014
Photos © STEFANIE WOODWARD