Julie Graham joins cast for series six of Survivors audio dramas

Big Finish has announced (16 January 2017) that Julie Graham, who played the role of Abby Grant in the BBC’s 2008-2010 remake of Survivors, joins the cast for an episode of series six of new Survivors audio adventures. In the story “Revenge of Heaven”, written by Simon Clark, Graham takes on the role of Katherine Tanner in a standalone story that focuses on Greg Preston’s (Ian McCulloch) eventful trip to Norway.

Series six of Survivors audio adventures will be released in June 2017, and is available for pre-order on the Big Finish site. In December 2016, the company confirmed its commitment to releasing (at a minimum) nine series of Survivors audios.

Julie Graham joins Survivors cast for series six

Survivors – series six news

Coming in June, Survivors – Series 6 is the next of Big Finish’s listener-praised audio continuation of Terry Nation‘s 1970s BBC TV show:

“We’re trying something a little different this time,” confirms producer David Richardson, “Each disc is a separate, self-contained story – and I think it’s working beautifully. Set during the third season of the TV show, it allows us to focus individually on our leads Abby (Carolyn Seymour), Greg (Ian McCulloch) and Jenny (Lucy Fleming). Separated geographically, they each face different challenges. But might their paths finally cross again?”

Of particular note in the forthcoming set to Survivors fans is a particular casting. As David explains: “I’ve wanted to work with Julie Graham for ages, and in Simon Clark‘s Revenge of Heaven we had the perfect role for her – Katherine Tanner, an adventurer who helps Greg Preston on his mission in Norway. Needless to say, Julie was fantastic in the part, and it was lovely to sit and chat to her about playing Abby Grant in the re-imagined BBC TV series of Survivors. The show is clearly still very close to her heart.”

Survivors Series 6 is released in June on Download for £20 and CD for £25 – both pre-release prices offering a £5 discount on the price when the set goes on general release later in the year. A CD order automatically unlocks digital access on release.

Check out the entire Survivors range, including the chance for pre-orders on Series 6 through to Series 9, and to catch up with the first five sets, as well as listening to Carolyn Seymour‘s evocative reading of Terry Nation’s original novel. There’s even a free episode – Series 1’s Survivors – Revelation.

Watch this space for more news.

Lucy Fleming and Simon Williams – ‘Posting letters to the moon’ – at Carnforth Station Heritage Centre

Lucy Fleming and Simon Williams appear at the Carnforth Station Heritage Centre Carnforth, Lancashire LA5 9TR) on Thursday 2 March at 19:30 to deliver a reading of the wartime correspondence between Fleming’s mother Celia Johnson and husband Peter Fleming.

These letters from Celia to her husband tell of her experiences during the war – from coping with a large isolated house full of evacuated children, learning to drive a tractor, dealing with rationing, occasional holidays in Cornwall where she took to surfing, and all the while acting for David Lean, Noel Coward and starring in the classic film Brief Encounter in 1945.

Not only are the letters highly engaging, but they also provide a fascinating historical insight into that time of true austerity and fearfulness.

Carnforth Railway Station was the filming location for the pivotal scenes in the 1945 film Brief Encounter in which Celia Johnson starred. Tickets for the event (‘Posting letters to the moon’) are £9:00 and are only available from the Centre.

Other performances are scheduled for Wednesday 1 March 2017 (Dukes Playhouse, Lancaster) and Saturday 4 March (Glenridding Public Hall, Glenridding).

Posting letters to the moon - Lucy Fleming and Simon Williams

The Westmorland Gazette carries a short preview of the event:

Brief Encounter actress Celia Johnson’s daughter Lucy Fleming to perform at Carnforth Station Heritage Centre in Posting Letters to the Moon

THE daughter of actress Celia Johnson is to make a special appearance at Carnforth railway station this spring, where her mother filmed famous scenes from Brief Encounter in 1945.

Actress Lucy Fleming and her husband Simon Williams – of Upstairs, Downstairs fame – are to appear in Posting Letters to the Moon, when they will read wartime letters between Lucy’s mother and father, Peter Fleming.

Described as touching and amusing, the letters from Celia to her husband tell of her experiences during the war, from coping with a large, isolated house full of evacuated children, to learning to drive a tractor, dealing with rationing, and all the while accepting offers of work when she could get away – for David Lean, Noel Coward, wartime propaganda films and ultimately in 1945 starring in the classic Brief Encounter.

“It was a joy to discover these letters, and I hope you will find them as funny and moving as I do,” said Lucy, whose uncle was James Bond author Ian Fleming.

The performance is to take place at Carnforth Station Heritage Centre on Thursday, March 2, at 7.30pm. The pair will also be taking their show to the Dukes Playhouse, Lancaster, on March 1, and Glenridding Public Hall on March 4.