PAGE 47 MONDAY 3 OCTOBER 2005 THE INDEPENDENT 46 ARTS •••••• The Virgin sister abroad K Y M Vanessa Branson is aiming to outshine her famous sibling by C making a big noise in the art world. CarolinePhillips meets her Hotelier, charity worker, art first sight – or whatever crap you being left out of anything and director Peter Florence to patron, bon viveur,fitness fa- want to put.” The Vanessa badgered me until I relented.” Bloomsbury publishing’sAlexan- natic, general enthusiast and Devereux Gallery opened in 1986. Co-curated by the art advisor dra Pringle and Harper Collins’s sister of Richard, Vanessa It collapsed in 1991 “under the Prue O’Day,TWF comprises 100 Jane Johnson. Branson has that gene for weight of interest rates and four works by 68 artists of 26 nation- Purchasing decisions for TWF making things happen. This children under the age of seven”. alities, working in most media. were made by O’Day and Bran- human dynamo raised At the same time, her marriage It focuses on young artists, but son. “We didn’t have any pre- £250,000 (in just eight hours) and the Portobello Arts Festival also has pieces from some es- conceived ideas of what we’d be to buy a contemporary art col- (of which she was co-founder) tablished figures – from the buying,” reveals Branson. “We lection to be owned by 15 peo- crumbled. “I plunged into de- Chapman brothers to Tracey had to be incredibly careful about ple who didn’t know one an- pression,” she says quietly. “My Emin, Sarah Lucas and Francis each decision, because we had other,understood little about family and business had disinte- Alys. “Wewere drawn to emerg- so little money.” Everything cost art and had never before grated under too much pressure.” ing artists who needed the under £10,000. Some pieces were collected. She called it The She divorced Robert in 1997. money,” explains Branson. just £500. Wonderful Fund. But after being separated for four “The collection wasn’t put to- “We’d shoot round art fairs in Branson was educated at years, the couple got together gether as an investment.” (Will a buying frenzy, reserve pieces, Box Hill, in Dorking. She left again. “It seemed in to be in ev- they sell it? “Never,” she says. then have lunch with lashings of O brother, where art thou? Vanessa Branson IA03.1ST.xxx.039-046.PS school at 16, hitch-hiked eryone’sbest interests,” she says, “Maybe we’ll loan it perma- wine and make decisions,” she around Italy, caught the art carefully. “Anyway, I’m always nently.”) It will show at Le Musée continues. “Wepurchased young Kenny Macleod’s challenging artistic, political and cultural bug and then talked her way up for a challenge!” de Marrakech to mark the start artists from good galleries, know- video, RobbieFraser. “A20-minute concerns. “Wewere sensitive on to a postgraduate art-stud- Branson decided that The of AiM (Arts in Marrakech), Mo- ing that they had the support to talking head who’s not making to world events like Septem- ies course, run by the erstwhile Wonderful Fund (TWF) would rocco’s first arts festival. go on and do well.” What mis- sense about his life and being bla- ber 11 and the war,” she says. Turner Prize judge Roger be a special way in which to mark It’snot hard for her to lure big takes did they make? “We kick tantly contradictory and surre- “They didn’t dictate our choic- Bevan. “All three of us [sib- the Millennium. Consequently names. Branson’sfriends are the ourselves that we nearly bought al,” she says. “After they’d seen es, but they influenced them.” lings] were dyslexic and un- she mentioned it to everyone she A-list Notting Hill media crowd Gillian Carnegie (now short-list- it, they were silent. Totally gob- The overriding theme is a employable,” she explains. “So bumped into the next day,which – from Alan Yentobto Matthew ed for the Turner prize.)” smacked! What were we doing sense of insecurity over issues we had to do our own thing.” was 1 May 1999. A total of £50,000 Bannister and the spin doctor TWF members have twice- with their money?!” of identity. “That’s the pre- Aged 17,she met Robert De- a year for five years was instantly Howell James. Meera Syal, Hanif yearly kitchen-suppers at Bran- In their five-year project, Bran- dominant theme of vereux, a Cambridge history promised. “It came from a Kureishi, Esther Freud, Danny son’sLondon home – followed by son and O’Day have assembled contemporary art.” student who was to become stranger at lunch, a dog-walking Moynihan, the ICA director guest speakers from Keith Tyson a not-insignificant collection of the Virgin Communications neighbour, Nick Ross…” smiles Ekow Eshun and Deborah to Anthony Reynolds, and “aimed contemporary art, work mostly The Wonderful Fund will be at chairman and an art collector Branson.” I didn’t want Richard Moggach will debate culture and at acquiring the knowledge to go produced during the first five the Musée de Marrakech to 15 and investor.Seven years later, to join. He has zero interest in eat tagines with bookish with the works.” Branson showed years of the century.It provides January. (00 212 (0) 6071 9180; 322774-0.eps BOSE LTD they married. “It was love at contemporary art. But he hates luminaries from the Hay festival members their first purchase, a document of millennial social, www.kssouragafay.com) 34 cm x 7 col C entertainment listings “OSBORNE arrives in a DUKE OF YORK’S 0870 060 6623 HER MAJESTY’S 0870 8901106 + Fee/ NATIONAL THEATRE 020 7452 3000 Peacock Theatre 0870 737 0337 PRINCE OF WALES THEATRE THEATRE ROYAL HAYMARKET Theatre blaze of passion” Guardian JOE STEPHEN MARK 0870 060 1765 + Fee www.nationaltheatre.org.uk 0870 850 0393 / 0870 264 3333 0870 901 3356 MCGANN MCGANN MCGANN JAMES THIERREE on line booking: www.mamma-mia.com JOSEPH FIENNES - “Excellent” Times ‘Phantom remains the most exciting OLIVIER La Veillee des Abysses ADELPHI 08704 030303 + fee ‘are brilliant in this new Cooney classic’ musical in London’ D.Mail 2003 ‘FANTASTIC FUN!’ Classic FM ROB LOWE FRANCESCA ANNIS - “Splendid” Ind PLAYING WITH FIRE “It will blow you away” Gdn Suranne Jones John Barrowman on-line www.chicagothemusical.com Sheridan Morley, Daily Express ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER’S MAMMA MIA! GEORGE DILLON A new play by David Edgar Tue-Sat at 8pm and Jack Ellis in CHICAGO TOM, DICK & HARRY THE PHANTOM OF Tonight 7.30 Sun Mat at 3pm THE SMASH HIT MUSICAL “Brilliant, intelligent, cutting Sally Ann Triplett Amra-Faye Wright “PETER GILL’swonderful prod” DT By Ray & Michael Cooney LYTTELTON BASED ON THE SONGS OF ABBA Terence Maynard Victor McGuire Comedy Theatre 0870 060 6637 “Left me helpless with laughter” THE OPERA PHOENIX BO/CC 0870 060 6629 Mon-Thur 7.30, Fri 5.00 & 8.30, A FEW GOOD MEN and starring Lynda Carter ARISTOCRATS socks you between the eyes” Ind Charles Spencer, DailyTelegraph Directed by HAROLD PRINCE 0870 160 2878/0870 840 1111 (fee) Sat 3.00 & 7.30 ‘SHEER THEATRICAL Mon-Sat 7.30, Wed & Sat 2.30 By Brian Friel By Aaron Sorkin “Happiest & funniest show in town” Eves 7.30, Mats Tue & Sat 2.30 BEST MUSICAL BEST AVAILABILITY MIDWEEK BLISS’ Telegraph theambassadors.com/georgedillon Tonight (cap), Tomorrow 7.30 Mon-Sat 7.45, Mats Wed & Sat 3.00 Neil Sean, BBC London ALL MAJOR AWARDS IA03.1ST.xxx.038-047.CMYK Mon-Thu 8, Fri 5 & 8.30, Sat 3 & 8 seegeorgedillon.com www.thephantomoftheopera.com Only 13 Perfs left “Terrific!” John Peter, The Sun Times WILLY RUSSELL’S QUEENS THEATRE COTTESLOE Trafalgar Studios 0870 060 6632 ALBERY 0870 950 0920 RICHARD E GRANT in Mon-Fri 8, Thurs Mats 3pm, Sat 5pm & 8.15pm 0870 890 1110 + fee JAMES NESBITT LONDON PALLADIUM 0870 890 1108 BLOOD BROTHERS HAPPY 20TH BIRTHDAY SEAN HAMISH Best seats £25 PAUL ‘…Brings the audience to its feet, & CONLETH HILL, JIM NORTON in “Remarkable” Times 2004 FOLEY and McCOLL in OTHERWISE ENGAGED TOMMY STEELE in A new play by Howard Brenton roaring its approval’ D. Mail By Simon Gray FORTUNE BO & CC 0870 060 6626 Previews Tonight, Tomorrow 7.30 THE NATION’S SHOOT THE CROW DUCKTASTIC The Spectacular Family Musical Eves 7.45, Mats Thu 3.00, Sat 4.00 By Owen McCafferty Previews 25 Oct - All seat £25/£15 17th SPINE-CHILLING YEAR! FAVOURITE MUSICAL A New Comedy Spectacular Mon-Sat 7.45pm, Thu/Sat 3pm Susan Hill’s SCROOGE! New Ambassadors 0870 060 6627 PLAYHOUSE 0870 060 6631 Directed by KENNETH BRANAGH Criterion 0870 060 2313 LES MISERABLES All tickets £15 & £25 to 14 Oct Red price prevs from 20 October KRISTIN BOB Previews from 11 October THE WOMAN IN BLACK JOURNEY’S END Eves 7.30, Mats Wed & Sat 2.30 shootthecrow.com www.ducktastic.co.uk Criterion Theatre 0870 060 2313 SCOTT THOMAS HOSKINS Adapted by Stephen Mallatratt ‘DEVASTATING’ Guardian www.lesmis.com LYCEUM 0870 243 9000 (bkg fee) ‘MAGNIFICENT’ S. Tel Mail In Pirandello’s ALDWYCH THEATRE: 0870 400 0805 WHAT THE BUTLER SAW “A VINTAGE THRILLER TO VAUDEVILLE THEATRE 0870 890 0511 Groups (15+) call: 0870 152 1000 www.seejourneysend.com By Joe Orton CHERISH” The Times AS YOU DESIRE ME 4TH YEAR IN THE WEST END 11 11 or Disney Groups 020 7845 0949 Tues - Sat 7.30/Tues & Sat 2.30 RSC LONDON FAME “MASTERPIECE of HIGH COMEDY” D. Tel Mon-Sat8,MatsTue3&Sat4 A new version by Hugh Whitemore The International Hit Disney Presents OFFERS ON seejourneysend.com Novello Theatre 0870 950 0904 Mon-Thurs 7.30 Fri 5.30 + 8.30 FINAL 3 WEEKS Fully air-cooled theatre Directed by Jonathan Kent STOMP Sat 3 + 7.30, 1/2 price tickets Fri 5.30 332586-0.eps HOUSE AD LOUISE CRIBBS Shakespeare’s COMEDIES Mon-Sat 7.45, Tues 3pm, Sat 4pm THE LION 15KING cm x 8Old col Vic 0870 060 6628 SUNDAY MATINEES 4PM ‘Pure stage magic’ S.