Tag: Jodie McNee

New Year Update

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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 Watch
Part II

Posted on | by Eamonn

On Screen:

Jodie McNee can be seen in Series 3 of Britannia on Sky and will next be seen in new 4 part ITV drama Hollington Drive which airs from late September. Oliver Dench and Greg Hicks both guest star in Sky Atlantic’s Dominia and watch out for Oliver in the new year in brand new drama Hotel Portofino as well. Josie Walker plays Auntie Violet in Kenneth Branagh’s feature film Belfast which premieres in the UK in November. 

Andrew Koji’s recent feature Snake Eyes is now on general release and will be available on home media in October and Chris Harper appears in The War Below streaming now on Amazon.   Also upcoming on Amazon is thriller All The Old Knives directed by Janus Metz and featuring Karina Wiedman and arrives this autumn. Watch out too for the release of Danny Boyle’s new Sex Pistols drama Lonely Boy based on guitarist Steve Jones’ memoir and in which Jay Simpson plays his abusive stepfather Ron. 

On Stage:

Tamsin Carroll leads the National Theatre production of Hex this Autumn – a twist on the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale,  Rufus Norris directs. Laura Rogers has opened in the Hampstead Theatre revival of The Memory of Water and is currently in rehearsals for the West End transfer of National Theatre production of The Ocean at the End of the Lane at the Duke of York’s. 
Jenna Augen and Dorothea Myer Bennett return in Tom Stoppard’s Leopoldstadt at The Wyndham’s Theatre and James Doherty is back in Come From Away at The Phoenix Theatre. 

John Mackay and Hayley Carmichael join the cast of HOME in this revival for Chichester Festival of the modern David Storey classic directed by Josh Roche and Patrick Brennan takes the lead role of Phil in Broken Lad, a new play by Robin Hooper directed by Richard Spier at The Arcola. Also this autumn Jordan Mifsúd revives his role as Colbert in While the Sun Shines at the Orange Tree and Christopher Harper returns in the dual roles of Lesgate and Hubbard in the UK tour of Dial M For Murder directed by Anthony Banks.

Spring Production News

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Screen

Oliver Dench begins filming Hotel Portofino a new Brits family drama set in Mussolini’s Italy of the 1920s. Jodie McNee joins the cast of Hollington Drive a new 4 part thriller for ITV written by Sophie Petzall. Michelle Bonnard is a new regular in the second season of We Hunt Together filming from next month whilst Josie Walker is cast as a series reg opposite Ben Whishaw in the much anticipated BBC adaptation of Adam Kay’s book This Is Going to Hurt.

The Chelsea Detective is a new 4 part series airing later this year with Sophie Stone playing series reg Ashley Wilton whilst Jason Callender joins the staff as a new teacher in the BBC’s reboot of the classic Mallory Towers.  Sally Scott is currently filming Dalgliesh a new 6 parter based on the PD James novels whilst Amy Cudden has been cast in new Speilberg/ Tom Hanks produced World War II drama Whirlwind.  

Guest roles this spring include Hayley Carmichael and John Mackay in Landscapers a new 4 part drama starring Olivia Colman, Guy Rhys in Ipcress Files the TV remake,  Hywel Morgan is a guest lead over 2 eps of Gentleman Jack playing William Briggs and Jimmy Walker plays the role of Ray Nelson in HBO Max’s adaptation of the bestselling novel The Girl Before. Natalie Radmall Quirke has been cast in Hulu’s upcoming adaption of Sally Rooney’s novel Conversations with Friends and Olwen May plays the main supporting role of Dora in A Very British Scandal: Duchess of Argyll written by Sarah Phelps starring Claire Foy and Paul Bettany.  Joseph May joins the reboot of All Creatures Great & Small and Jude Monk McGowan films perennial favourite Call the Midwife.  

In other production news,  Warrior starring Andrew Koji has been recommissioned for a third season in moving over  to HBO Max and Eugene O’Hare joins the cast of Starz drama Outlander which has been commissioned for a 6th season.  

Theatre

As theatres slowly begin to reopen we’re delighted to be able to announce some casting news.  Scott Karim will appear at The Kiln Theatre in The Invisible Hand which Indhu Rubasingham directs in its first major revival. Colm Gormley is back at The Globe for their reopening summer season of As You Like It, The Tempest and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.  Jordan Mifsúd and Dorothea Myer-Bennett return to The Orange Tree with Paul Miller’s ‘Shaw Shorts’ and Jack James Ryan makes his National Theatre debut in After Life written by Jack Thorne in a co-production with Headlong.  James Doherty is back in the West End in Come From Away Winner of 4 Olivier Awards including Best Musical which plays at the Phoenix Theatre from 22 July.  And following its West End success Home I’m Darling starts a UK Tour this summer with Sandy Foster playing the lead role of Judy. Daniel Crossley, meanwhile,  joins the cast of Talent written by Victoria Wood and playing at the Sheffield Crucible this summer.

Autumn 2020

Posted on | by Eamonn

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

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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

Screen Update

Posted on | by Eamonn

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

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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

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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.

Stage News 2019

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RADA graduate Leah Gayer makes her professional debut in Always Alys a gripping new psychological thriller by Lucinda Coxon playing at The Bridge Theatre and directed by Nicholas Hytner.  Lyndsey Turner directs  RWCMD grad Ashna Rabheru as Kit and Charlotte Lucas as Win in a revival of Caryl Churchill’s landmark play Top Girls at The National Theatre. Stephen Kennedy joins Josie Rourke at The Donmar for her final show as Artistic Director.

West End transfers include Robert Hands in Come From Away opening at The Phoenix Theatre from The Abbey, Dublin;  Sophie  Stone as Margaret Clifford in The Globe’s Emilia at The Vaudeville, Hywel Morgan as Marcus in Laura Wade’s Home I’m Darling at The Duke of York’s and Daniel Crossley who joins The Almeida’s production of The Twilight Zone at The Ambassadors.

Jodie Mc Nee returns to The RSC in 2019 to play Belvidera in Venice Preserved with Prasanna Puwanarajah directing and Patrick Brennan also joins the company in As You Like It  directed by Kimberley Sykes and Measure for Measure with Greg Doran.  Colm Gormley joins Julie Hesmondhalgh in Mother Courage at The Royal Exchange with Amy Hodges directing whilst Trevor Nunn’s production of Agnes Colander with Sally Scott transfers from The Bath Ustinov to Jermyn Street.

Gavin Spokes continues as  Harry in the acclaimed Company playing at The Geilgud Theatre whilst Natasha Gordon performs as  Lorraine in Nine Night her award winning debut play now running  at Trafalgar Studios.