Spring Shoots

Sara Powell joins the regular cast of The Killing Kind for Paramount +/ Sony Pictures, a new legal thriller based on Jane Casey’s book of the same name which has been adapted and directed by Zara Hayes. Jodie McNee films Breathtaking, a powerful 3 part drama for ITV based on Dr Rachel Clarke’s book that provides an account of the life of an NHS doctor during the Covid pandemic. Thomas Coombes completes filming on Netflix’s Baby Reindeer, written and directed by Richard Gadd and based on his one man play and Derek Hutchinson shoots The Way, a brilliant Michael Sheen and James Graham collaboration, set in South Wales and inspired by global unrest and the migration crisis.

New graduate Jake Cecil is delighted to be joining Season 2 of Interview With A Vampire shooting in Prague and Alex Blake joins the cast of Joan, a new six part series for ITV/ITVX based on the true story of Joan Hannington, the UK’s most notorious female jewell thief based on her her memoir I Am What I Am. Joe Sims has wrapped filming on Ruby Speaking alongside award winning comedian and fellow Bristolian Jayde Adams, who also created and stars in the show. Roger Sloman has completed new comedy Dinner With the Parents for Big Talk and Amazon Studios with Tristram Shapeero directing whilst Gavin Spokes has joined the cast of Cold Storage, a dark comedy sci-fi directed by Johnny Campbell for Studio Canal currently shooting in Italy.

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.

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. 

Autumn Shoots
Part I

TV

Latest casting news has been announced on HBO’s much anticipated Game of Thrones prequel ‘House of the Dragon’ and we’re thrilled to confirm that Gavin Spokes is playing the role of Lord Lyonel Strong, Master of Laws to King Viserys and Lord of Harrenhal.  Filming will continue for the rest of this year. Amy Cudden joins the cast of The Midwich Cuckoos playing the regular role of Sarah McLean as David Farr teams up with Sky to adapt John Wyndham’s original sci-fi novel based in a sleepy English village with Alice Troughton directing. 

Eugene O’Hare is filming Season 2 of HBO’s Industry and Robert Hands will appear in Noughts & Crosses 2 for Mammoth Screen before going on to film Masterpiece/ ITV’s new remake of the classic Tom JonesBen Dilloway, meanwhile, will play the role of Col Bill Airing in the epic Whirlwind: Masters of the Air for Apple TV with Dee Rees directing his block.

Also filming this autumn is Joseph  May in the return of Toast of Tinseltown with Michael Cumming directing for Objective /BBC, Aleksandar Mikic in Stay Close with Lindy Heyman directing for Red Productions, Guy Rhys in The Witcher: Blood Origins with Sarah O’Gorman directing for Netflix and Alex Blake as Father Augustin in Dangerous Liaisons with Leonora Lonsdale directing for Starz.  Kate Fahy will play the mother of Kim Philby in a new ITV drama centred around the Cold War’s most infamous spy in A Spy Among Friends and Olwen May is currently filming the second season of Miss Scarlett and the Duke for PBS. Charlie Field has been filming a guest lead role in Season 3 of Amazon’s Jack Ryan Series and Hywel Morgan films a new 6 part drama Tell Me Everything for ITV exploring the mental stress on today’s teens . Jimmy Walker  plays Mr A in the Amazon Originals Series The Devil’s Hour from the creators of Sherlock whilst Lochlann O’Mearain joins the cast of Holding, Graham Norton’s successful novel that is being adapted for the screen and directed by Kathy Burke,  filming on location in Ireland. Sara Powell joins the cast of Murder In Provence, Britbox’s first US and global commission and Sally Scott completes filming on The Tower which Jim Loach directs for Mammoth. Jack Sandle joins season 2 of BBC’s The Capture. Kate Maravan guests in The Split 3 for Sister Pictures/BBC and Emma Handy plays new regular Mrs Cook in the popular revival of The Beaker Girls with John McKay directing for BBC. Look out as well for Roger Sloman who returns to the BBC in Mandy written and directed by the brilliant Diane Morgan and for Cosima Shaw who will be returning to the screen in German/CBS co-production Ze Network. More to follow.

Film


On film Lochlann O’Mearin has just wrapped Joyride opposite Olivia Colman and directed by Emer Reynolds. Josie Walker shoots Netflix feature The Wonder adapted from the acclaimed novel by Emma Donoghue and directed by Sebastian Leilo and plays Sister Michael with Florence Pugh in the leading role. Eugene O’Hare shoots Lady Chatterley’s Lover, the first film collaboration between Netflix and Sony Pictures with Emma Corrin and Jack O’ Connell in the title roles and Leah Gayer has just filmed The Prizefighter with Russel Crowe.  Graham Turner films  The Last Voyage of the Demeter with Andre Ovredal at the helm and Thomas Coombes films Living for Number 9 Films in an adaptation of the Ishiguro novel.

Autumn 2020

Andrew Koji joins Bullet Train, the Brad Pitt-led action thriller directed by David Leitch for Sony Pictures. Based on the Japanese novel Maria Beetle by best-selling author Kotaro Isaka, the story centres on a group of assassins who find themselves aboard the same high speed train with Andrew playing one of the assassins.

Patricia Allison returns to filming as Ola on Sex Education 3 and production also resumes for Jodie McNee as Willa on Britannia 3, Ken Bones on A Discovery of Witches 3 and for Oliver Dench as Xander on Pandora 2.  We’re thrilled that all of these shows have found their way back into production during these unprecedented times.  

New commissions include Josie Walker who is filming Belfast, written and directed by Ken Branagh and described as a tribute to the city and its people; Robert Cavanah in Red Election, a UK/Danish thriller shooting in Ireland who goes on to film Professor T, a new ITV crime drama based on the hit Belgian show of the same name; and Natalie Radmill Quirke who continues shooting medieval drama Glow & Darkness in Spain about the life of St Francis of Assisi.

On the box, Jodie McNee stars in Agatha and the Midnight Murders, a feature length Ch 5 film about the life of the legendary writer; Jay Simpson features in Des, the critically acclaimed ITV drama about serial killer Dennis Neilson on the ITV hub and Tom Coombes will next be seen in Small Axe , Steve McQueen’s return to the small screen with a series of five films about London’s West Indian community. 

We also have a new favourite listening habit which comes in the form of a new podcast about bees.  Hosted by friends Jane Horrocks and our gorgeous Esther Coles download now wherever you get your pods  ? ? ?

play.acast.com/s/queen-bees/trailer

Screen Update

Sex Education Season 2 launches exclusively on Netflix with Patricia Allison returning as Ola, Otis’ current love. All episodes will be available to stream from Jan 18th when Ashna Rabheru will also appear in the guest role of Gwen.

Andrew Koji is currently filming the GI Joe spinoff Snake Eyes in Japan. Robert Schwentke directs with Paramount producing with Andrew playing the role of Storm Shadow the blood brother and archenemy to Snake Eyes. Jodie McNee is back as Willa in the second season of Britannia, currently streaming on Amazon Prime and available to view on Sky Atlantic.

Filming has begun, meanwhile, in Italy on Domina, Sky Atlantic’s epic new drama set in Ancient Rome with Oliver Dench cast as Ilullus and Greg Hicks as Asprenus. Jay Simpson joins the regular cast of true crime series Des with David Tennant in the title role and Ken Bones also guesting. Aleks Mikic has completed filming on the second season of The Bay for ITV and Thomas Coombes wraps filming on the second series of Save Me where he reprises his role of Goz in Lenny James’ RTS Award winning drama which will air later this year

Autumn Stage

Tom Edden returns to the Jamie Lloyd Company as De Guiche in Cyrano de Bergerac opposite James McCoy in the title role at The Playhouse Theatre. Thomas Coombes makes his Royal Court debut as Mark in A Kind of People, a new play by Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti with Michal Buffong directing. Jodie Mcnee takes the title role of Faustus in That Damned Woman, a gender swap reimagining for Headlong Theatre opening at Lyric Hammersmith, Caroline Byrne directs. Scott Karim opens in The Arrival at The Bush Theatre, an exciting new family drama written and directed by Artistic Director Bijan Sheibani.

Gavin Spokes will play King George III in the phenomenon that is Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre whilst Ferdy Roberts also returns to the West End in the revival of Connor McPherson’s The Girl From the North Country at The Geilgud Theatre from December. Also opening is Josie Walker as Old Mrs Hempstock in The Ocean at the End of the Lane at The National Theatre.
Looking ahead Jenna Augen and Dorothea Myer Bennett will be playing Rosa and Hannah in Tom Stoppard’s epic new play Leopoldstadt which Patrick Marber directs for Sonia Friedmann Productions at The Wyndham’s Theatre early 2020. Dan Rabin transfers to the West End with Rob Icke’s Alemida Theatre production of The Doctor. Chris Harper joins the cast of Hitchcock classic Dial M For Murder, directed by Anthony Banks and opening at Richmond Theatre whilst Olwen May joins the cast of Band of Gold which Kay Mellor has adapted and will direct in a world stage premiere.

Recent openings to try and see include Ashna Rabheru in [BLANK], a new play by Alice Birch directed by Maria Aberg for The Donmar and Jack James Ryan in Chichester Festival Theatre’s Sing Yer Heart Out For the Lads directed by Nicole Charles.

TV News

RADA Grad Leah Gayer joins Bloodmoon, the HBO pilot and prequel to Game of Thrones with SJ Clarkson directing early summer. Oliver Dench plays series lead Xander in Pandora, CW’s new sic-fi series scheduled for release later this year. Patricia Allison returns as Ola in Netflix’s hugely popular Sex Education for Season 2 whilst Max Fowler reprises his role as Colin for the final season of The Affair for Showtime. Andrew Koji is currently shooting Season 2 of Warrior for Cinemax and also returning for a second season is Save Me, Sky Atlantic/World Production’sthriller written by and starring Lennie James, which sees Thomas Coombes back as Goz. 

Guest roles currently shooting include Aleksandar Mikic as Sachin in Cobra, director Hans Herbots; Kate Maravan in Giri/Haji for Netflix/BBC with Julian Farino directing; Tom Edden as Mr Smith in Singapore Grip, Tom Vaughan directing for ITV, and Melanie Kilburn as Sophie in Cold Call with Gareth Tunley directing. Eugene O’Hare plays the recurring role of Eddie in the latest Marcella instalment.
   In comedy, Gavin Spokes joins the cast of Hitmen, a new comedy series for Sky produced by Tiger Aspect and starring Mel & Sue; Joe Sims films the ever popular returning Plebs , set in Ancient Rome for ITV 2;  Jay Simpson plays John the Butcher in new sitcom King Gary , produced by Shiny Button for the BBC and James Doherty features in the  next series of Motherland , Juliet Mays directing.  

Film News

Rebecca Johnson returns as Sally in Trip to Greece with Steve Coogan and Rob Bryden and Michael Winterbottom directing, Carol Macready plays Mother Geri in A Boy Called Christmas , a film adaptation of Matt Haig’s bestseller with Gil Kenan directing, John Mackay films Ammonite, a new film written and directed by Francis Lee and Clemmie Sveaas competes shooting on Tom Hooper’s live adaptation of Cats.

Autumn Shoots

Peaky Blinders returns and we are delighted to confirm that Andrew Koji will play a guest lead over 2 episodes filming this autumn. Eugene O’Hare is currently shooting Dublin Murders for the BBC; adapted by Sarah Phelps this 8 part crime drama will come to our screens next year with Eugene playing series regular Detective Quigley. Oliver Dench joins the cast of Noughts and Crosses, Mammoth/BBC’s adaptation of the Malorie Blackman books now filming in Cape Town with Kibwe Taveres directing; Jordan Mifsúd plays the recurring role of Krzystof in new Tall Story Pictures/ ITV drama The Bay set in Morecambe with Lee Haven Jones directing whilst Max Fowler will join the regular cast of The Affair for the 5th and final season of the acclaimed drama from Showtime. Jospeh May will play Brett across the new series of Dark Money, a timely and evocative new drama around child abuse written by BAFTA winner Levi David Addai for BBC/The Forge. Gary Oliver, David Nellist and Rocky Marshall have all been cast in The Confession penned by Jeff Pope (Little Boy Blue, The Moorside) which details the investigation behind the disappearance of Sian O’Callaghan in 2011, Paul Andrew Williams directs. Richard Teverson will portray Colin Tenant in the much anticipated Season 3 recast of The Crown for Left Bank Pictures/Sony/Netflix whilst Joe Sims joins the Netflix Original and Emmy Winning Free Rein for Season 3. Graduate Lion Russell Baumann makes his screen debut as Prince Sigmund in Mammoth /ITV’s Victoria. Aleksandar Mikic and Robert Hands film guest roles in Paramout’s Berlin Station; Chris Harper returns to ITV screens in the ever popular Endeavour, Rebecca Johnson joins the cast of Good Karma Hospital this season playing the returning role of Lesley McConnell and Robert Cavanah will play the role of Gilbert Benson across Season 5 of BBC’s Shetland.

Comedy shoots this autumn include Melanie Kilburn in new Sky comedy Brassic; Carol Macready and Kate Fahy currently filming new BBC comedy drama Don’t Forget The Driver, written and directed by Toby Jones and set in the post Brexit world of Bognor Regis; Cosima Shaw in Home a new comedy series for Ch 4 written and starring Rufus Jones and Sophie Stone will be playing a guest lead in the next series of BBC comedy Two Door Down.

In film news Ben Dilloway shoots Rare Beasts, Billie Piper’s directorial debut, Thomas Coombes and Sally Scott film Summerland, Jessica Swale’s first feature and Robert Cavanah portrays Joe Boyle in historical drama Queen Marie of Romania.