Summer Screen

News Update 12/06/16On film, Jay Simpson shoots The 101 Year Old Man, the sequel to the award winning comic thriller – The 100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared based on the global bestseller by Jonas Jonasson. Jodie Mc Nee meanwhile joins the cast of Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool, a period feature which will be directed by Paul McGuigan. Pooky Quesnel joins the regular cast of CLASS, the 8 part Doctor Who spin off for BBC written by Patrick Ness and produced by Stephen Moffat whilst Thomas Coombes begins filming the prequel to Linda LaPlante’s Prime Suspect; Tennison. Charlotte Lucas joins the Broadchurch cast for seres 3 ‘Returning Home’ and Olwen May films the second series of Ordinary Lies for the BBC. Sara Powell plays regular Cass in Jo Brand and Morwenna Banks’ new Channel 4 dark comedy about Children’s Services in the South East and Aidan Kelly plays the role of Calvin in Series 2 of No Offence. Joseph May meanwhile shoots the 5th and final series of Episodes as series regular Andy Button with Jenna Augen also joining the cast. And Cosima Shaw heads to Budapest to shoot MARS a futuristic mini-series set in 2032 and directed by visionary Mexican filmmaker Everardo Gout for the National Geographic Channel.

And in 2016…

On Screen

Kent Riley20160114 Screen will play the regular role of Barry in Brief Encounters, ITV’s new 6 part drama about the women and party planners behind Ann Summers filming from January. Jodie McNee joins the cast of the brilliant Ripper Street with Daniel Nettheim directing whilst Lisa Palfrey will film Hinterland the popular Welsh drama for BBC4 also filming early 2016. David Nellist films Taboo, the Ridley Scott produced new mini series starring Tom Hardy, Joe Sims will guest in the cult hit Red Dwarf and Geraldine Alexander films Marcella, ITV’s new 8 part drama from the creator of The Bridge. Pooky Quesnel films the last block of The A Word, BBC’s new drama that centres around an autistic child, Ken Bones finishes filming on Medici and newcomer Oliver Dench lands a leading role in new Nickelodeon drama Let It Ride shooting across Canada and Northern Ireland until Easter. In film, Sara Powell shoots Denial, David Hare’s new Holocaust drama whilst Gary Oliver has just completed filming on the feature Bitter Harvest, in which he plays Joseph Stalin directed by George Mendeluk.

Coming up on screen early in 2016, Stephen Kennedy appears in Lucky Man on Sky 1 as well as Private Peaceful, Michael Morpurgo’s World War 1 drama which will making its network premiere on BBC1 late Jan. Sam Alexander guests in Call the Midwife, Joe Sims will be in Beowulf ITV’s epic new fantasy drama and Terence Beesley can be seen in the BBC’s epic new drama War and Peace. Look out for Terry too in The Musketeers alongside Melanie Kilburn who also guests in BBC’s returning drama series.

Autumn Theatre Preview

20150831-6-VerticalGavin Spokes will play Nicely Nicely in Chichester Festival Theatre’s West End transfer of the critically acclaimed Guys and Dolls playing at The Savoy Theatre. Ferdy Roberts returns to the Royal Court in the role of Jez in Plaques and Tangles which will be directed by Lucy Morrison in the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs. Michelle Bonnard will play Maxine in American playwright Marcus Gardley’s A Wolf in Snakeskin Shoes at the Tricycle Theatre directed by Indu Rubasingham whilst at The Print Room Richard Dempsey takes on the role of Edward in TS Elliot’s  The Cocktail Party directed by Abbey Wright.

Thomas Coombes will appear in a revival of Barbarians (for which he won an Offie in 2013), as Tooting Arts Club bring Barrie O’Keefe’s play back to the site specific former St Martins School of Art in central London. For Actors Touring Company, meanwhile, Farshid Rokey and Kriss Dosanjh join the cast of Martyr a story of a young radicalised Christian boy directed by Rahmin Grey. Robert Hands is currently in rehearsals for Mouthful at The Trafalgar Studios and Hayley Carmichael will appear in First Love Is The Revolution, a new play written by Rita Kalnejais’s to be directed by Steve Marmion for Soho Theatre.
Out of town Sara Powell plays Tituba in The Crucible at The Bristol Old Vic directed by Tom Morris; Jess Murphy joins the cast of ATG’s new musical The Choir directed by Dominic Hill at the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow.Scott Karim plays Helmholtz in The Royal and Derngate’s Brave New World directed by James Dacre.

20150831-4-Square Alex Blake will play Torvald in A Dolls House directed by Rachel O’Riordan at The Sherman Theatre Cymru and Rose O’Laughlin plays Anna in a revival of Brian Friel’s Living Quarters at The Tobacco Factory.
Openings include Jodie McNee in Our Country’s Good at The National, Tom Edden in Measure For Measure at The Young Vic and Tafline Steen making her Broadway debut in King Charles III at The Music Box Theatre, NY.

2015 brings….Screen

Thomas Coombe in JEKYLL_AND_HYDEThomas Coombes plays Edward Hyde in Jekyll and Hyde a new 10-parter adapted by Charlie Higson also for ITV. For Working Title/NBC/ Sky 1 Sara Powell and Natasha Gordon film Apocalypse Slough a new 10 part series that follows an eclectic mix of ordinary Berkshire residents who gather underground to watch the end of the world on TV.

Joseph May continues to play model agent Luke in the first series of Comedy Central’s I Live With Models whilst Kriss Dosanjh returns to This is England reprising his role as Mr Sandu. Meanwhile Terence Beesley joins an impressive line up in the BBC’s new adaptation of War and Peace, Tom Edden features in 18th century marital drama The Woman in Red for BBC2 and Derek Hutchinson shoots Versailles an English-language historical drama about King Louis XIV and his building of the great palace for Canal + .

Theatre Round-up:

Open Court at the Royal CourtThe Royal Court is taken over by writers in Vicki Featherstone’s opening season, as a weekly rep of new plays move into the theatre downstairs. Natasha Gordon, Ferdy Roberts and Angela Terence will all join the Open Court ensemble for its summer season of plays. Nitin Kundra starts rehearsals for The Royal Exchange/Told By an Idiot co production of Too Clever By Half directed by Paul Hunter for the main house this summer whilst Gavin Spokes plays Oliver Hardy in The Watermill’s Laurel & Hardy directed by Paul Foster.  Vincenzo Nicoli heads to the Edinburgh Festival where he plays Bogs Diamond in Lucy Pittman’s Wallace’ s revival of Shawshank Redemption alongside Omid Djalili.

Openings include Sara Powell in Disgraced at The Bush, Geraldine Alexander in Strange Interlude at The National, Molly Logan in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at The Globe and Jess Murphy in Macbeth also at The Globe. Amy Cudden continues her West End run in One Man 2 Guvnors as does Derek Hutchinson in Cocktail Sticks which completes its run.

Theatre Updates

In Rehearsals:

Reflective-Pictures

Geraldine Alexander returns to The National Theatre in a revival of Eugene O’Neils Strange Interlude with Simon Godwin directing.  Sara Powell will be appearing in Disgraced at The Bush Theatre, a new play by Ayaad Aktar which premiered at The Lincoln Centre, New York and now comes to London with Nadia Fall directing. Daniel Rabin takes on the title role in Oedipus which Steven Berkoff directs for The Spoleto Festival whilst Colm Gormley joins the company of Dancing At Lughnasa with Richard Beecham directing for Northampton and Oxford.  Jess Murphy and Molly Logan, meanwhile,  start rehearsals for The Globe season where they will be performing in Macbeth & Lightning Child and A Midsummer Night’s Dream & Blue Stockings respectively.

Openings:

The Winslow Boy at The Old Vic with Richard Teverson has opened to wonderful reviews. Cocktail Sticks featuring Derek Hutchinson has also received high praise for its West End transfer.  The Low Road has premiered at The Royal Court with Natasha Gordon part of a brilliant ensemble in Dominic Cooke’s ambitious production. Next up, Children of the Sun (Stephen Wilson) and Othello (Scott Karim) both April openings at The National.

Spring Shoots:

LogosKen Bones has been confirmed for the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary episode, details of which are being kept a closely guarded secret but has been written by Steve Moffatt and will be directed in 3D by Nick Hurran.  Pooky Quesnel and Jay Simpson have both signed up to Hartswood Film’s The Guilty, a 3 part drama for ITV  directed by Ed Bazalgette which deals with the fall out after the disappearance of a 4 year old boy.  Del Synnott joins the cast of  The Great Train Robbery playing gang member Brian Field and featuring in Julian Jarrold and James Strong’s separate films for World Productions charting The Robber’s Tale and The Policeman’s Tale. Cosima Shaw, meanwhile, shoots new Warner Bros pilot The Selection set in an apocalyptic world and helmed by Alex Graves. Sara Powell and Robert Hands film guest roles in Love & Marriage, Tiger Aspects news comedy drama whilst Rocky Marshall completes filming on Montana, a British vigilante thriller set in London’s East End and directed by Mo Ali.

Spring Watch

Max Fowler in MayDay
Max Fowler in Mayday ©BBC

A young girl disappears from an idyllic community and so begins Mayday, the BBC’s absorbing new five part drama beginning Sunday 3 March and continuing.  Max Fowler plays the juvenile lead Linus with Daniel Coonan as PC Simmons. Also starting this week on the History Channel is the epic miniseries The Bible featuring Ken Bones as Ira. Coming soon to Fox UK, also with Ken Bones, is Da Vinci’s Demons which reveals the secret history of Leonardo Da Vinci. Over on ITV, bestselling novel Ice Cream Girls has been adapted and will screen this Spring with Sara Powell in the role of Fez. Also on ITV, set against the backdrop of the London Blitz, Daniel Rabin will be appearing as Granger in Murder on the Home Front. We’re also looking forward to Channel 4’s new drama Run in which Jay Simpson and Vincenzo Nicoli will appear. This fast-paced contemporary narrative is directed by Bafta winning Charles Martin.

September Screen

Sara Powell will begin filming The Ice Cream Girls a 3-part ITV drama based on Dorothy Koomson’s best-selling novel and directed by Dan Zeff. Watch out for Jay Simpson as Bruce Reynolds in Mrs Biggs, ITV’s new standout drama about the lives of the Great Train Robbers starting Wed 6th Sept at 9PM and continuing. Meanwhile, Mike Newell’s film adaptation of Great Expectations in which Pooky Quesnel plays Mrs Pockett premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival Sept 11.