On Screen: To Watch

20160318On television this spring catch the much anticipated third series of Line of Duty featuring Lisa Palfrey, Natasha Gordon and Melanie Kilburn starting on BBC2 from the 24th March. On BBC1 new drama The A Word with Pooky Quesnel will screen from 22 March whilst royal drama The Crown, Peter Morgan’s biographical story of the royal family with Chris Gordon and Tony Guilfoyle begins on Netflix later this year as does Dark Angel the true story of the Victorian poisoner Mary Ann Cotton featuring Ferdy Roberts on ITV. On Sky keep an eye out for Stephen Kennedy in Lucky Man Thursdays 11pm on Sky 1 and Derek Hutchinson in Canal +’s Versailles airing Saturday nights on BBC2. In other TV news Reece Dinsdale is to direct an episode of Jimmy McGovern’s ever popular Moving On for the BBC later this year.

Olivier Awards

Olivier AwardCongratulations to Gavin Spokes who earns an Olivier Award Nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for his role as Nicely Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls, currently playing in the West End.

Guys and Dolls also receives a nod for Best Musical Revival. Other Olivier nominations include Best New Musical for Mrs Henderson Presents featuring Robert Hands as well as Best New Comedy for Peter Pan Goes Wrong featuring Tom Edden as well as Nell Gwynn with Peter McGovern.

In Rehearsals:

20160301Josie Walker will play Mrs Gogan and Stephen Kennedy Fluther Good in a revival of Sean O’Casey’s Plough and The Stars, directed by Howard Davies for The National Theatre and marking the centenary of the Easter Rising. Also for The National, Pooky Quesnel joins the cast of The Suicide in a fresh adaptation of Erdman’s original script relocated to contemporary London directed by Nadia Fall. Tom Edden will play The Good Angel in The Jamie Lloyd Company’s West End Production of Dr Faustus with Kit Harrington in the title role whilst at the Royal Exchange, Jodie McNee takes on the role of Kay in Sarah Waters’ The Night Watch directed by Rebecca Gatward. Sam Alexander returns to Hampstead Theatre in Howard Brenton’s new play Lawrence After Arabia with John Dove directing, Hywel Morgan joins the cast of the RSC’s The Alchemist directed by Polly Findlay, Natasha Gordon joins Mel Giedroyc in Simon Dormandy’s production of Luce at the Southwark Playhouse and Michelle Bonnard plays Jess in The Quiet House by Bruntwood Prize winning writer Gareth Farr at The Park Theatre. For the West Yorkshire Playhouse and London’s South Bank Centre, Carla Harrison Hodge plays Avocado and Pomegranate in two hander The Fruit Trilogy, 3 short plays from the Tony Award winning playwright of the Vagina Monologues Eve Ensler whilst over at The Birmingham Rep Sophie Stone plays the Postmaster in Artistic Director Roxanna Silbert’s innovative new production of Gogol’s The Government Inspector. Also out of London Tony Guilfoyle plays Prospero in William Galinsky’s production of The Tempest at Hippodrome/Great Yarmouth and Kate Maravan joins the cast of Phelim McDermott’s new show Opening Skinner’s Box for Improbable.

Opening Soon:

Openings:

Husbands-And-Sons-posterLook out for Molly Logan who has opened as Viola in Twelfth Night for the Globe, Peter McGovern currently appearing in Nell Gwynne at The Apollo Theatre, Ferdy Roberts returning to The Lyric Hammersmith in Filter’s revival of A Midsummer Nights Dream, Howard Ward at The Orange Tree in German Skerries and Nicholas Lumley in Doctor Faustus/ Don Quixote at the RSC. Gavin Spokes continues to play Nicely Nicely in the current run of Guys and Dolls which transfers to the Phoenix Theatre whilst Husband and Sons with Josie Walker has transferred to The Royal Exchange after its London run.

New Year Stage News:

On Stage

Robert Hands20160114 Theatre plays the Lord Chamberlain in Mrs Henderson Presents, directed by Terry Johnson and transferring to the Noel Coward Theatre, West End from February. Sophie Stone plays Michelle in a revival of the Simon Stephens’ play Herons at the Lyric Theatre directed by Sean Holmes. Charlotte Lucas revives her role as Ellen Tree in the critically acclaimed Red Velvet by Lolita Chakrabarti as part of The Kenneth Branagh Season at The Garrick. Josie Walker continues her run at The National as Mrs Purdy in Husbands and Sons. Peter McGovern will play Ned in The Globe’s transfer of Nell Gwynn to the Apollo Theatre, West End whilst Dan Rabin continues at The Sam Wanamaker Playhouse opening in The Winters Tale. Molly Logan, meanwhile, plays Viola in Twelfth Night director Bill Buckhurst also for The Globe. Graham Turner returns to the RSC playing the Fool to Tony Sher’s Lear in Greg Doran’s new production as well as Belarius in Melly Still’s Cymbeline. Nicholas Lumley is also returning to Stratford in Maria Aberg’s Dr Faustus and Angus Jackson’s Don Quixote.

Laura Rogers and Richard Teverson take a new production of Private Lives on a tour for Ambassadors, directed by Tom Attenborough, Penny Beaumont plays Camilla in Make Bartlett’s King Charles III touring the UK and then Australia whilst Geoff Leesley returns to PW’s An Inspector Calls. Natalie Radmall-Quirke and Chris Gordon both appear in Winter’s Tale for Cheek By Jowl touring Paris, Madrid and Italy and Scott Karim will play Edmund in the Philip Frank’s directed King Lear starring Michael Pennington. In a year for Lear’s Thomas Coombes will be playing Oswald in Michael Buffong’s version for The Royal Exchange whilst Sévan Stephan begins rehearsals for Breakfast At Tiffanys which will tour prior to opening at The Haymarket Theatre, West End.

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.

Charlie Cox joins EBA

Charlie CoxWe start the New Year by welcoming Charlie Cox to EBA who joins the team as an Agent whilst bringing him with him a select group of wonderful actors whom he will continue to represent.
And 2016 is off to speedy start!