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

Unprecedented

Produced by Headlong and Century Films, Unprecedented was conceived, written, filmed and produced in lockdown, and shot in homes across the country using digital conference technology.

Patricia Allison plays Ellie in House Party (first broadcast on 27 May at 10pm on BBC4)

Jodie McNee appears as Beatrice in Fear Fatigue (first broadcast on 28 May 2020 at 10pm on BBC 4) 

All 14 of the Digital Plays are now available to watch on iPlayer

Oliviers 2020

Josie Walker in “The Ocean At The End Of The Lane” at the National Theatre (Dorfman)
(Best actress in a supporting role)

Congratulations to all our actors who feature in this years Olivier Award Nominations 2020 and to Josie Walker who receives her third individual nomination for her performance as Old Mrs Hempstock in The Ocean at the End of the Lane (Dorfman)

Best new play

A Very Expensive Poison
(The Old Vic )

The Doctor (Almeida)

Leopoldstadt (Wyndham’s)

The Ocean At The End Of The Lane (Dorfman)

Best Revival

Cyrano de Bergerac (Playhouse) 

Best Entertainment

Emilia (Vaudeville)

Upstart Crow (Gielgud)

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.

Stage News

Gavin Spokes joins the cast of A Very Expensive Poison a new play by Lucy Prebbles premiering at The Old Vic and directed by John Crowley. Tafline Steen plays River in Appropriate by Brandon Jacobs -Jenkins at The Donmar which Ola Ince directs. Josie Walker returns to The National playing Old Mrs Hempstock in The Ocean At The End of The Lane , Neil Gamain’s fantasy novel adapted to the stage and directed by Katy Rudd. Ferdy Roberts plays Dr Walker in the first revival of Conor McPherson’s Girl From The North Country which returns to the West End at the Gielgud Theatre. Daniel Rabin joins Robert Icke’s final production of at The Almeida The Doctor, Natalie Radmall- Quirke joins the cast of Ned Bennet’s Equus which comes to the Trafalgar Studio’s and Sophie Duval and Sam Alexander reprise their roles in Laura Wade’s The Watsons which transfers from CFT to The Menier Chocolate Factory. At the Globe Sophie Stone is Jacques in As You Like It directed by Elle While, Anita Reynolds plays in The Merry Wives of Windsor, whilst Jenna Augen joins Bartholomew Fair with director Blanche Mcintyre.

Openings include Tamsin Carroll in Peter Gynt at The National directed by Jonathan Kent, Scott Karim in Oklahoma! at Chichester Festival Theatre director Jeremy Sam , Patrick Brennan in Greg Doran’s Measure for Measure at the RSC and Tomi Ogbaro in Dominic Hill’s A Midsummer Nights Dream at Regents Park. Rupert Goold’s The Hunt with Howard Ward has opened to rave reviews at The Almeida and Jodie McNee has earned high praise for her performance as Belvedere in Venice Preserved at RSC Stratford. Jordan Mifsúd and Dorothea Myer-Bennett continue in Rattigan’s While The Sun Shines at The Orange Tree whilst Hayley Carmichael has opened in Peter Brooks WHY? at Bouffes Du Nord Paris.

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.

2019 Olivier Awards

Congratulations to our 2019 Olivier Award Nominees, Robert Hands who is nominated in the Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical category for Come From Away and Natasha Gordon whose debut play Nine Night is nominated for Best New Comedy.  

Robert Hands

Natasha Gordon

Special mentions as well to Hywel Morgan in Home I’m DarlingDan Rabin in King Lear, Gavin Spokes in Company & Quiz and Melissa Vaughan in The Wider Earth whose shows have all received nominations this year.