Category: Eamonn Bedford

On Screen: To Watch

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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

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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…

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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.

News from the boards!

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On Stage:

Tafline Steen20151029 makes her Broadway debut in King Charles III at The Music Box Theatre, New York. Gavin Spokes opens as Nicely Nicely in Chichester Festival Theatre’s West End transfer of the critically acclaimed Guys and Dolls playing at The Savoy Theatre from December. Ferdy Roberts has opened at The Royal Court in the role of Jez in Plaques and Tangles directed by Lucy Morrison in the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs. Michelle Bonnard plays Maxine in Marcus Gardley’s A Wolf in Snakeskin Shoes at the Tricycle Theatre directed by Indu Rubasingham whilst Thomas Coombes appears 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. Hayley Carmichael opens in First Love Is The Revolution, a new play written by Rita Kalnejais’s directed by Steve Marmion for Soho Theatre whilst Tom Edden continues as Pompey in Joe Hill Gibbon’s Measure For Measure at The Young Vic.

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 and Scott Karim plays Helmholtz in The Royal and Derngate’s Brave New World directed by James Dacre.

Continuing:

Colm Gormley plays Ted in the NT’s War Horse, Geraldine Alexander finishes her run as Siobhan in the NT’s other great hit The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time for which she has been nominated Best Actress in the UK Touring and West End Awards. Chris Harper plays Benedick in The Globe’s Much Ado About Nothing now touring South America and Emma Handy and Richard Teverson complete the UK tour of Moira Buffini’s Handbagged.

Autumn Newsletter

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Coming Up:

Bastard ExecutionerLisa Palfrey and Natasha Gordon join the much anticipated Line of Duty III series and Lisa can also be seen in Fox’s Bastard Executioner alongside Stefan Kalipha. Joe Sims plays Greff in ITV’s epic new take on Beowulf, Rocky Marshall plays Palace Security Agent James Hill in E!’s cult drama The Royals, Hayley Carmichael can currently be seen in Michaela Coel’s new Channel 4 comedy Chewing Gum and Thomas Coombes appears in Jekyll & Hyde again for ITV. Terence Beesley will appear in this winter’s BBC blockbuster War and Peace as well as the new series of The Musketeers whilst newcomer Carla Harrison Hodge and a busy Thomas Coombes will all appear in Tiger Aspect’s new police drama Cuffs at the end of this month. And keep tuned too for more of Roger Sloman’s gripping portrayal as Les and alter ego Christine currently playing out in Eastenders.

Currently Filming:

Max Fowler in PowersPooky Quesnel will play Louise in The A Word a six part drama about an autistic boy and his family directed by Dominic LeClerc. Rose O’Loughlin shoots Small Town the story of two Irish youngsters who head off to London to start again for TV3 written and directed by IFTA winning Gerard Barrett. Ken Bones continues shooting Medici Kingdom of Gold in Rome, Max Fowler is back in Atlanta reprising his role as Krispin Stockley in the second series of Powers for Sony Picture Entertainment.

Rehearsing this month

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In Rehearsals:

Peter Pan Goes WrongRWCMD graduate Chris Gordon joins the Cheek By Jowl company for their Winter’s Tale tour opening in Paris and touring Europe, New York and coming to London’s Barbican. Tom Edden joins the cast of Peter Pan Goes Wrong for a Christmas West End season, Dan Rabin returns to the Globe for Pericles, new client James Musgrave performs in a revival of Flowering Cherry at The Finborough, Joseph May starts rehearsals for the Sonia Friedman produced The Haunting of Hill House, directed by Melly Still for Liverpool Playhouse and finally Richard Teverson joins the Tom Attenborough directed Private Lives for The Ambassadors.

Autumn Screen

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20150921Ken Bones plays Ugo Bencini opposite Dustin Hoffman in the 8 part drama, Medici Kingdom of Gold shooting in Rome this Autumn. The series about the hugely influential Medici family is directed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan for Big Light Productions & Lux Vide. Max Fowler meanwhile returns to Atlanta to shoot the second series of Powers for Sony Picture Entertainment reprising his role as teenager Krispin Stockley. Chris Gordon has been cast in the regular role of John Dean in Stephen Daldry’s eagerly anticipated Netflix series The Crown, shooting here in UK and South Africa which also sees Tony Guilfoyle playing The Bishop of Durham. For World Productions Ferdy Roberts shoots Dark Angel a two-part drama, based on the extraordinary true story of the Victorian poisoner Mary Ann Cotton directed by Brian Percival. Joe Sims guests as Nathaniel in Houdini and Doyle, a co production between UK and Canada which pairs the famous escapologist and the celebrated crime novelist in a modern day crime drama. Jay Simpson plays Alf in the BBC Film’s Their Finest Hour and A Half the story of A British film crew who attempt to boost morale during World War II directed by Riot Club and An Education director Lone Scherfig. Meanwhile Spencer Jones plays reluctant Groom Kevin in Still Open All Hours, Alex Blake shoots the second series WWII spy thriller of X Company in Budapest, Stefan Kalipha joins the cast of The Bastard Executioner and Carla Harrison Hodge and Vincenzo Nicoli play parts in new BBC Comedy I Want My Wife Back.