Category: Cast and crew

Denis Lill to appear in the 2015 stage tour of Twelve Angry Men

Denis Lill (Charles Vaughan) is to appear in the 2015 stage tour of the classic behind-the-scenes jury drama Twelve Angry Men, joining an all-star cast headed by Tom Conti, and featuring many of producer Bill Kenwright’s regular ensemble of actors.

Twelve Angry Men - 2015 touring production

Full casting has been announced for the 2015 UK Tour of Twelve Angry Men. Seven actors who recently appeared in the West End revival will reprise their performances for the tour.

Joining the previously announced Tom Conti is: Andrew Lancel (Coronation Street), Robert Duncan (Drop The Dead Donkey), Andrew Frame (EastEnders), David Calvitto (These Shining Lives, The Odd Couple), Mark Carter (Hollyoaks, Utopia) and Sean Power (Secret Diary of a Call Girl). Jon Carver (Doctors) returns to play The Guard.

The cast is completed by: Denis Lill (The Royal, Only Fools And Horses), Paul Beech (King Lear, A Tale of Two Cities), Alexander Forsyth (Porcelain, It Never Ends), Edward Halsted (Holby City, Jonathan Creek) and Gareth David-Lloyd (Torchwood).

Twelve Angry Men opens on 27 January 2015 at the Theatre Royal Windsor with the current cast initially confirmed to play until 2 May 2015.

Twelve Angry Men is produced by Bill Kenwright and directed by Christopher Haydon, with design by Michael Pavelka. Originally written, by Reginald Rose, as a television play in 1954, Twelve Angry Men was adapted for the stage in 1955 and as an Oscar-nominated Hollywood film, produced by and starring Henry Fonda in 1957. The production was first seen in the West End last November, when it opened at the Garrick Theatre, London starring Robert Vaughn and Jeff Fahey.

UPDATE, 20 April 2015: The tour has now been extended until 27 June, with additional runs at theatres in Southend, Wolverhampton, Barnstable, Croydon, Newcastle and Glasgow. Tom Conti will not appear at the Southend or Wolverhampton runs; with the part of Juror No. 8 being taken on by Jason Merrells.

Carolyn Seymour interviewed in new edition of Vortex magazine

Ahead of the release of the new audiobook version of Terry Nation’s 1976 Survivors novel, Big Finish have published a new interview with Carolyn Seymour (Abby Grant), discussing her work voicing the book and anticipating the release of series two of Survivors audio adventures, in June 2015.

The interview, in the latest issue (No. 70) of the free-to-download Vortex magazine, comes ahead of the imminent release of the Survivors audiobook (which is still available for pre-order on both CD and through digital download).

In the interview Seymour reflects on the continuing relevance of the themes of Survivors:

Nowadays, it’s so relevant, and very apt when you think of the danger that we’re facing today with the threat of Ebola. Survivors has never lost its appeal, as it’s so possible, and it’s not too difficult to imagine that something like that could really happen.

Carolyn Seymour interview - Big Finish - Survivors - Vortex - first page

Carolyn Seymour interview - Big Finish - Survivors - Vortex - second page

Ian McCulloch at Abertoir 2014 horror film festival

Ian McCulloch’s (Greg Preston) participation in the recent Abertoir 2014 horror film festival is documented in some of the video, photo and Twitter commentary from The Ghostface Girls.

Ian McCulloch in the Q&A for 'Contamination' at the Abertoir horror film festival
Luigi Cozzi and Ian McCulloch in the Contamination Q&A session at Abertoir 2014


 


 

The Ghostface Girls produced daily video diaries from the festival. The screening of Contamination, and the question and answer session which followed, is discussed at 2ms 50s. One of the Ghostface Girls comments: “The Q&A was fantastic. It’s like one of those things that you only get from festivals; to get these people who’ve probably not seen each other for a long, long time, to suddenly sit down and talk about what they did, like, thirty years ago.”

‘An Evening with Ian McCulloch’ is discussed, and briefly illustrated at 2ms in, in this video log from the event.

Big Finish talk Survivors at the London Film and Comic Con

Members of the Big Finish production team discussed the reception of the first series of Survivors audio dramas at the recent London Film and Comic Con.

Producer David Richardson reveals: “Survivors has been selling very well […] it’s had really great reviews; people have really started buying into it and it’s been a great success for us.”

Script editor Matt Fitton adds: “People are picking it up without having seen the TV series, and also fans of the TV series are picking it up and saying that it really is in keeping with it; that it’s part of that world. So it works both ways… Quite a few have come in, listened to it, and then gone and bought the DVDs of the 1975 series.”

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Denis Lill helps centre for adults with learning difficulties celebrate anniversary

The Western Gazette – Sherborne (8 November) reports on a recent visit by Survivors star Denis Lill (Charles Vaughan) to a local centre for adults with learning difficulties celebrating its fourth birthday.

Only Fools and Horses star visits Sherborne

ACTOR Denis Lill best known for his role in Only Fools and Horses recently visited Sherborne.

Mr Lill starred in the classic British sitcom as Rodney Trotter’s father-in-law. He was in the town to help The Green Shed celebrate its fourth birthday.

The Green Shed, based in Castle Gardens, provides work for adults with learning difficulties. They are employed to produce kindling, plant troughs and other items using recycled materials.

Mr Lill spent the morning regaling people with anecdotes from his six decade film and television career.

Coordinator of the Green Shed, Barry Watts, said: “We were delighted to have Denis along to celebrate our anniversary with us and we are very grateful to him for spending time talking to our service users.

Denis Lill visits Sherborne - Western Gazette (Sherborne)
“A lot of laughs were had and it was fascinating to hear his anecdotes about filming Only Fools and Horses, The Royal and the 1975 television series Survivors.”

The Green Shed was opened in October 2010 after the Whitehouse Resource Centre in Sherborne closed. It is operated by Dorset County Council and was part-funded by Chalk and Cheese.

Western Gazette Sherborne. “Only Fools and Horses star visits Sherborne”, Western Gazette Sherborne, 8 November 2014. http://www.westerngazette.co.uk/Fools-Horses-star-visits-Sherborne/story-24440634-detail/story.html

Ian McCulloch to join Dimensions 2014 convention Big Finish roster

Ian McCulloch (Greg Preston) will join the panel of Big Finish guests at the upcoming Dimensions 2014 convention, being held at the Copthorne Hotel, Newcastle on 24-26 October 2014.

Other Big Finish guests involved with the Survivors audio dramas include: Ken Bentley (director, writer), David Richardson (producer), Jason Haigh-Ellery (executive producer) and Matt Fitton (writer, script editor). Also appearing at the convention over the course of the weekend, as part of the Doctor Who guest line-up, are Louise Jameson (‘Jackie Burchall’, writer) and Terry Molloy (‘John Redgrave’).

Ian McCulloch - Greg Preston - Survivors - S1 studio day - 2003

Big Finish release trailer for Survivors audio book

Big Finish have released a first trailer for the unabridged audio-book of Terry Nation’s 1976 Survivors novel, voiced by Carolyn Seymour (Abby Grant).
 

 
The CD and download versions of the Survivors audio-book, which will be released in December 2014, can be pre-ordered from the Big Finish web shop.

Survivors - Terry Nation - Big Finish - audiobook
Survivors – Terry Nation – Big Finish – audiobook

Big Finish complete recording on second series of Survivors audio adventures

Carolyn Seymour (Abby Grant), Ian McCulloch (Greg Preston) and Lucy Fleming (Jenny Richards)
Carolyn Seymour (Abby Grant), Ian McCulloch (Greg Preston) and Lucy Fleming (Jenny Richards) in the Big Finish studios, October 2014

Recording of the second series of Big Finish’s Survivors audio adventures has completed this week, and all four episodes are now being scheduled for editing, mixing, music and all post-production tasks ahead of the June 2015 release.

I had the great privilege of attending one of the week’s recording sessions, and was able to interview the cast in between the recording of different scenes and listen in (from the engineer and director’s booth), as sequences from the first episode of the new series were rehearsed and different takes recorded.

Material from these new interviews will be published next year on our dedicated Big Finish Survivors site and in the new edition of The End of the World? book that we’re currently beavering away on.

Big Finish reveals cover art for upcoming Survivors audio-book

Big Finish have released the cover artwork for the upcoming audio-book version of Terry Nation’s 1976 Survivors novel. With its ‘shattered glass’ design, the cover art evokes comparison with the original UK paperback and hardback editions of the book – which featured a smashed photo frame containing a portrait of Abby Grant.

Unabridged and voiced by Carolyn Seymour (Abby Grant), Survivors – audiobook of novel will be released in a six-disc CD set and in a digital download version in December 2014. Both versions of the Survivors audiobook are available for pre-order on the Big Finish site.

Survivors - Terry Nation - Big Finish - audiobook
Survivors – Terry Nation – Big Finish – audiobook

A deadly virus spreads across the world as quickly as the passenger jets that encircle it. Within weeks, most of the global population is dead.

The human race is thrown back into the dark ages. The few left alive must rely on the most basic skills to survive one day to the next.

Abby Grant ventures out into a strange new England, her husband dead, the fate of her son unknown. Jenny Richards flees London. Engineer Greg Preston arrives from abroad. Desperate lone travellers come together, their instinct to form a community, even if that means rebuilding civilisation from scratch. But not all who are left have such high ideals…

And while she has the chance of a new beginning, Abby cannot settle until she knows the truth. Has her son survived?

Written by: Terry Nation | Number of Discs: 6 | Duration: 360ms approx | ISBN: 978-1-78178-451-8