Stage News

Jenna Augen (right) in Nachtland at the Young Vic

A busy season of theatre is coming up to start the year. Jenna Augen and Dorothea Myer Bennet will both appear in the Young Vic production of Nachtland (translated as a place of eternal darkness) a new satire from German playwright Marius Von Mayberg and directed by Patrick Marber. Kate Fahy joins the cast of the National Theatre’s production of Dodie Smith revival Dear Octopus with Emily Burns directing.

Stephen Kennedy also returns to the National Theatre in London Tide based on Charles Dickens’ Our Mutual Friend with Ian Rickson directing and music by PJ Harvey. Hywel Morgan, Daniel Rabin and Tafline Steen all join the cast in Rob Icke’s production of The Player Kings with Ian McKellan as Falstaff and playing at the Noel Coward Theatre. Jodie McNee takes the lead in the stage adaptation of Minority Report , directed by Max Webster and opening at Nottingham Playhouse before transferring to London and Howard Ward returns to the Almeida production of The Hunt which transfers to New York with Rupert Goold directing.

Greg Hicks will next be seen at the Marylebone Theatre in a solo show inspired by Dostoevsky’s The Dream of a Ridiculous Man , directed by Lawrence Boswell. Hayley Carmichael appears in the world premiere of Shed at Manchester’s Royal Exchange, Phoebe Eclair Powell’s Bruntwood Prize winning play and Olivia Onyehara opens in A Song For Ella Grey, Northern Stage and Pilot Theatre’s ambitious new staging of David Skellig’s award winning novel adapted from the Orpheus myth. Lily Beau plays the lead role of Ffion in the National Theatre of Wales production of Feral Monsters and Sam Alexander will transfer with the Bath Theatre Royal production of Machinal to The Old Vic.

Lily Beau (left) in Feral Monster for the National Theatre of Wales

Screen 2024

All ‘guaranteed bangers’ according to The Guardian. Its Must See TV List for 2024 begins with a show that could not have caused more of a stir. Despite being one of the biggest miscarriages of justices in history, the British Post Office scandal in which nearly a thousand sub-postmasters were privately prosecuted for theft or fraud in error, has only now gained the public traction it deserves. Watch Amy Cudden as solicitor Izzy Hogg in Mr Bates vs The Post Office streaming now on ITVX. We finally get to see Masters of the Air; the Spielberg/Hanks second world war extravaganza featuring EBA clients Jakob Diehl, Benjamin Dilloway and Robert Hands which will be streaming on Apple TV from January 26th. Jakob Diehl can also be seen as the mysteriously titled Professor in Apple’s The New Look, a drama about how Christian Dior and Coco Chanel created modern fashion from the embers of the second world war, streaming in February. Russel T Davies is back in charge of Doctor Who and whilst we are sworn to secrecy, we can promise some spectacular drama featuring EBA clients in guest roles. Michelle Bonnard will be returning to House of the Dragon on Sky Atlantic in the summer as Madame Sylvie and in what is described as his biggest show yet, Joe Barton’s (Girl/Haji and The Lazarus Project ) new political thriller, Black Doves for Netflix will feature Thomas Coombes.

Other must see shows include James Doherty in Sexy Beast, a prequel series to Jonathan Glazer’s 2000 crime film of the same name, which is set to arrive on Paramount+, late January; Jodie McNee in Breathtaking, Jed Mercurio’s real time drama about being on the on the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic on ITVX; Alex Blake in Joan, a new crime drama about notorious jewell thief Joan Hannington also for ITV X; Derek Hutchinson in The Way about a civil uprising that begins in Wales, written by James Graham and directed by Michael Sheen. Sophie Stone who has filmed the comedy horror series Generation Z for Channel 4 and finally Jake Cecil makes his professional debut as Gustave in Season 2 of Interview With A Vampire later this year.

In film news, Josie Walker stars in Kneecap opposite Michael Fassbender, directed by Rich Peppiatt which will receive its World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on 18th January whilst Gavin Spokes will next be seen in upcoming thriller Cold Storage, directed by Jonny Campbell and expected to be on Studio Canal’s 2024 slate of releases. Happy New Year!

Autumn Screen

We stand in support of the strike action. Those actors whose regular filming has been uninterrupted by the disputes include: Thomas Coombes who’s been shooting the new six-part drama Moonflower Murders directed by Rebecca Gatwood for Eleventh Hour Films/BBC and Masterpiece; Michelle Bonnard who’s filming Insomnia, an adaptation of Sarah Pinborough’s sleep deprivation novel for Left Bank Pictures with Börkur Sigthorsson directing; Jodie McNee joins The Gathering in Liverpool, a story of rivalry within the elite world of gymnastics from the creators of Line of Duty with Gareth Bryn directing; Olwen May films The Bay Season 5 as new regular DC McClaren;  Sophie Stone plays series regular Wendy in Generation Z for Forge and Channel 4, directed by Ben Wheatley and Alex Blake who has recently completed filming on Joan, a new six part series for ITV/ITVX based on the true story of notorious jewell thief Joan Hannington.

Sam Alexander in “Murder Retrial”

Guest roles include Amy Cudden in Mr Bates vs the Post Office a drama detailing the great miscarriage of justice around the postal workers; Jay Simpson in The Day of the Jackall, a TV remake of the classic film;  Daniel Crossley who is filming a six part TV series about Ayrton Senna for Netflix in Brazil; Gavin Spokes and Patrick Brennan who both appear in Out There, a new rural Welsh thriller for ITV led by Martin Clunes; Aidan Kelly who is completing shooting on forthcoming drama Say Nothing for FX focusing on the Troubles in NI. Sam Alexander also plays the lead role in a new drama commissioned by Channel 4, titled Murder Retrial, examining the British judicial system.

Premiering at the London Film Festival this October; Melanie Kilburn plays Mrs Forde in Starve Acre with Matt Smith starring and Daniel Kokotajilo directing and Josie Walker stars in writer-director Naqqash Khalid’s debut feature film In Camera.  Congratulations also to Lily Beau who played leading roles in  Y Swn and Y Goleudy which have both recently been nominated for a host of Welsh BAFTA Awards.

Other things to watch out for this Autumn include Jakob Diehl in Netflix blockbuster All the Light We Cannot SeeGavin Spokes in the hugely popular Slow Horses, Sara Powell in Paramount Plus thriller The Killing Kind (streaming now), James Doherty in the highly anticipated TV remake of Sexy Beast and Jodie McNee in crime thriller Culprits for Disney Plus.

2023 Preview

Steven Spielberg’s Masters of the Air marks the completion of a trilogy two decades in the making following Band of Brothers and The Pacific. This second war drama, about the air force this time, includes EBA clients Jakob Diehl, Robert Hands and Benjamin Dilloway and will premiere on Apple TV+ . All the Light We Cannot See is another World War II drama and follows the lives of two teenagers Marie-Laure, a blind girl and Werner Pfennig, a German boy whose paths cross in occupied France. Jakob Diehl this time plays Nazi Colonel Mueller in a 4 part adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize winning novel adapted by Steven Knight for Netflix. Rain Dogs is written by Cash Carraway, described as a “wild and punky tale of a mother’s love for her daughter, of deep-rooted and passionate friendships, and of brilliance thwarted by poverty and prejudice”. Starring Daisy May Cooper and featuring Thomas Coombes, it will be shown on the BBC. We can’t wait to see Thomas too in the highly anticipated Luther: The Fallen Sun, a feature film adaptation of the TV show which is scheduled to premiere on Netflix in March. Watch out too for Jodie McNee in Culprits, a new comedy heist drama for Disney Plus, John MacKay in Nolly, ITVX’s big launch show about Crossroads legend Noele Gordon and Gavin Spokes in Better, BBC’s new crime thriller from the creators of Spooks and Humans.

Returning dramas we can’t wait to catch up with in 2023 include Warrior Season 3 for HBO Max which will see Andrew Koji back as Ah Sahm in San Francisco’s 19th Century China Town. Also, Oliver Dench is returning as Lucian in Hotel Portofino , the lavish period drama set in a hotel on the magical Italian Riviera during the ‘Roaring 20s’ and set against the rise of Fascism in Mussolini’s Italy. The second season of Hotel Portofino is set to premiere in 2023 on ITVX in the UK and on PBS in the US whilst Season 1 will be shown on ITV. There are returns too for Sophie Stone as forensic pathologist Ashley Wilton in The Chelsea Detective and Nicholas Lumley will reprise his role of Larry in the 2nd season of Screw to be broadcast later this year

BBC Films have a busy release schedule this year including two features in which Josie Walker takes leading roles. Naqqash Khalid’s debut feature In Camera is set in Manchester and follows the life of an aspiring actor and Knockers explores the strange hinterland between childhood and adolescence in a Britain set in the early 90’s ; written and directed by Lucy Cohen. Also on BBC Films slate is Starve Acre; dark and sinister forces are at work in this upcoming feature where Melanie Kilburn plays the mystic Mrs Forde opposite Matt Smith and Morfydd Clark. Natalie Radmall Quirke plays Eileen Gray in a biopic of the architects life titled Life is Everything – directed by Christoph Schaub for Das Collective with an autumn release anticipated. Described as a dystopian fever dream action thriller, we can’t wait too to see Andrew Koji star opposite Bill Skarsgard in Boy Kills World due for release later this year with Moritz Mohr directing.

Autumn Stage

Jodie McNee joins the Michael Grandage Company who are bringing Orlando to the West End stage for a strictly limited run. Virginia Woolf’s gender defining historical fiction has been adapted by Neil Bartlett with Emma Corrin in the title role and will play at The Garrick Theatre until February 2023. Mariah Louca, John Mackay and Dan Rabin are all appearing in The Doctor, Robert Icke’s brilliant reimagining of Schnitzler’s 1912 play originally for The Almeida and now playing at the Duke Of Yorks. Also currently appearing in the West End are Tamsin Carroll in 2:22 at the Criterion, Jason Callender in Upstart Crow at the Apollo and Robert Hands and James Doherty in Come From Away at the Phoenix Theatre.

Hayley Carmichael in rehearsals for “Super High Resolution”

Gavin Spokes is in rehearsal at The National Theatre for Kerry Jackson, a biting new comedy by April de Angelis whilst Jay Simpson and Colm Gormley also return to The National in Clint Dyer’s Othello playing in The Lyttleton from November. Richard Dempsey has opened in The Almeida’s hit new musical Tammy Faye which runs until December and Hayley Carmichael opens in Soho Theatre’s Super High Resolution, Nathan Ellis’s debut play about being a doctor in the NHS with Blanch McIntyre directing.

Tom Edden has joined Josie Rourke’s production of As You Like It which will open Soho Place , London’s newest theatre. Greg Hick‘s brings Dinner With Groucho Frank McGuinness’ new play to London after its successful premiers at the Dublin and Belfast International Festivals and Justin Avoth joins Witness For the Prosecution at County Hall. Further afield, Jenna Augen has opened on Broadway in Leopoldstadt, Tom Stoppard’s latest play whilst across the Channel Oliver Dench takes on the role of Cliff in Cabaret at the Lido Theatre, Paris and Daniel Crossley joins the cast of 42nd Street at Theatre du Chatelet.

Summer Film

Filming starts next month on Knockers, a coming of age drama for BBC films in which Josie Walker plays the leading role of Yvonne. Lucy Cohen is writer and director. The novel Starve Acre has been adapted for cinema with Melanie Kilburn joining Matt Smith and Morfydd Clark in the cast and Sandy Foster continues filming Disney’s reimagining of Snow White with Marc Webb directing. Jay Simpson, meanwhile, joins Patrick Marber again in his feature adaptation of Anthony Quinn’s novel The Critic with Anand Tucker directing. Watch out too for Bullet Train with Andrew Koji which hits UK cinema screens August 5th.

Summer TV

TV

Andrew Koji begins filming season 3 of martial arts crime drama Warrior this month for HBO Max. He returns as prodigy Ah Sahm who emigrates from China to San Francisco in search of his sister, becoming hatchet man for one of the most powerful “tongs” in Chinatown. Also returning to filming is Oliver Dench as Lucian Ainsworth in Season 2 of Brit Box original series Hotel Portofino. Set in the late 1920s, this beautiful period drama sees Lucian as a First World War survivor battling both his inner demons, a complicated family life and the rise of Mussolini’s fascism in Italy.

Gavin Spokes remains busy with Slow Horses next on his slate, Apple TV’s spy thriller series based on Mick Herron’s novels and starring Gary Oldman. Jakob Diehl joins an all star cast in The New Look, a biographical drama about Christian Dior set in post World War 2 Paris also for Apple and George Parker has been cast in the lead role of Henry Ashe in new Netflix drama Bodies. John Mackay has completed filming on both Steve Knight’s adaptation of Great Expectations for the BBC and ITV’s Nolly, Russell T Davies take on the legendary Noele Gordon with Helena Bonham Carter.

Other guest roles shooting over the summer include Jodie McNee in brand new comedy drama Mrs Sidhu Investigates, Ben Dilloway in hit German streaming show Das Boot, Joe Sims in The Ballad of Renegade Nell and Lily Beau who joins Welsh drama The Lighthouse

Summer Stage

Gavin Spokes returns to the National Theatre in Kerry Jackson, a new play by April de Angelis with Indhu Rubsingham directing.  Jay Simpson is also going back to The National joining Clint Dyer’s cast of Othello.   John Mackay joins the Almeida Theatre’s production of The Doctor with Robert Icke directing the West End transfer and joins Mariah Louca and Daniel Rabin who reprise their original roles. Kate Fahy is back in the London revival of Moira Buffini’s award winning play Handbagged and Jenna Augen returns to Tom Stoppard’s Leopoldstadt for the Broadway transfer.

Olivia Onyehara is in RSC rehearsals for Blanche McIntyre’s All’s Well That Ends Well in which she plays Diana and Guy Rhys will play Benedict in Sheffield Theatre’s Much Ado About Nothing with Rob Hastie directing.  Openings include Sara Powell in Jamie Lloyd’s The Seagull, Tom Edden in Chichester Festival Theatre’s Crazy For You and Stephen Kennedy and Derek Hutchinson in Deborah Warner’s The Tempest playing at Bath Ustinov.   Robert Hands and James Doherty continue in Come From Away at The Phoenix Theatre and Richard Teverson is at London County Hall in the ever popular Witness For the Prosecution.

Spring shoots

Film & TV

Andrew Koji shoots back to back feature films – SENECA with John Malkovich directed by Robert Schwentke and BOY KILLS WORLD with Bill Skarsgård, director Moritz Mohr. Jakob Diehl joins the cast of ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE, Steven Knight’s adaptation of Anthony Doerr’s Pulitzer Prize Winning novel directed by Shawn Levy for Netflix .

Thomas Coombes has been shooting STREET DOGS with director Jamie Payne also for Netflix and goes onto film RAIN DOGS , an original drama for HBO/BBC. Jodie McNee films CULPRITS for Disney and Hulu , an 8 part heist drama written and directed by J.Blakeson and Sara Powell films brand new psychological thriller THE WINTER CHILD with Dominic Le Clerc directing.

Gavin Spokes joins the regular cast of new drama series BETTER for Sister Pictures/BBC and Michelle Bonnard returns as Sal in UNFORGOTTEN 5. Carol Macready films the new season of STRIKE: TROUBLED BLOOD and Eugene O’Hare returns for Season 6 of OUTLANDER as Gov Josiah Martin. Melanie Kilburn joins Matt Smith and Morfydd Clark in STARVE ACRE for BBC Films whilst Aidan Kelly films US thriller JERICHO RIDGE with Will Gilbey directing.

Theatre

Greg Hicks will be seen in Daniel Fish’s Tony Award winning revival of OKLAHOMA which transfers to The Young Vic. Carol Macready joins Anne Marie Duff in the Almeida production of THE HOUSE OF SHADES directed by Blanche McIntyre. Olwen May leads the cast in The Manchester Royal Exchange’s production of ELECTRIC ROSARY by Bruntwood Prize winner Tim Foley and Anita Reynolds has been cast in the Old Vic production of A MONSTER CALLS .

Tom Edden, currently in New York with Jamie Lloyd’s award winning CYRANO returns to play in Chichester Festival’s revival of CRAZY FOR YOU directed by Broadway legend Susan Stroman. Sam Alexander will play Teddy in Bath Theatre Royals’ tour of Pinter’s THE HOMECOMING and Laura Rogers has been cast as Countess Andrenyi in MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS opposite Henry Goodman as Hercule Poirot.

Christopher Harper will play the leading role of Professor Robert Langdon in THE DA VINCI CODE touring from May and Richard Teverson joins the cast of WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION playing at London County Hall. Look out too for Mariah Louca in Soho Theatre’s new musical THE MINISTRY OF LESBIAN AFFAIRS.

New Year Update

Screen View

Belfast, Kenneth Branagh’s acclaimed film which has garnered much awards talk opens across the UK on 21 January and features Josie Walker in the role of Auntie Violet.  Also on general release and opening to brilliant reviews is Boiling Point, a one shot film that takes place during service in a busy London restaurant and with Thomas Coombes playing opposite Stephen Graham as Mr Lovejoy.  Hotel Portofino with Oliver Dench as Lucien premieres on Brit Box at the end of January and Harlan Coban’s Stay Close is now streaming on Netflix starring Cush Jumbo and featuring Aidan Kelly as series reg Rudi.  

Roy Williams drama Screw is showing on Channel 4 with Nicholas Lumley playing prison regular Larry and Daniel Crossley plays Bernard McDonald in Rules of the Game – a four part thriller with Maxine Peake, currently on BBC  iPlayer.  Also on iPlayer and a timely reminder to protect our BBC is Olwyn May in A Very British Scandal, Roger Sloman in Mandy, Thomas Coombes in Eastenders, Joseph May in the fantastic revival of Toast of Tinseltown and for the kids, Emma Handy in The Beaker Girls and Jason Callender in Malory Towers.


Back On Stage

It’s exciting to see some of our ladies leading NT productions as we make our way back to theatre. Tamsin Carroll has opened in Hex (Olivier) Laura Rogers in The Ocean at the End of the Lane (The Duke of York’s West End ) and  Sophie Stone in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime (NT Touring). Also, Jodie McNee will be playing Nora in Manchester Royal Exchanges new production of The Doll’s House to be directed by Bryony Shanahan. 

James Doherty returns to the West End in Come From Away and other theatre opening soon includes Tom Edden in Jamie Lloyd’s revival of Cyrano (West End & BAM), Joe Sims in Bristol Old Vic’s The Red Lion, and Mariah Louca in Cherry Jezebel a new play which will premiere at Liverpool’s Everyman in February.