Blog
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas …..
Yes it’s that time of year again when I find myself sitting in my living room surrounded by pantomime dame costumes and boxes filled with wigs, shoes, hats etc in readiness for being packed into my car to head, this year, to The Pavilion Theatre in Rhyl
This year I will be playing the role of Nurse Dolly Dumpling in ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ alongside comedian Andy Jones, Amy Thompson from Channel 5 and Tupele Dorgu, best remembered as Kelly Crabtree in Coronation Street, as the Wicked Queen. Tupele will next year be touring as Velma Kelly in the national tour of the musical Chicago
Although I’ve done twenty-six pantos this will be only the second time that I have done Snow White. I did it some years ago at The Plaza in Stockport with Denise Welch as the Wicked Queen. In that production the seven dwarfs were played by children with masks and pre-recorded voices. The great problem there being that you never knew which one was talking unless they waved their arms around! This year we have seven real little people.
The Pavilion is a lovely big theatre right on the seafront in Rhyl, and I’m really looking forward to playing it during the next seven weeks or so.
November 24th, 2011
Stormy Seas
Each year the German production company FFP Media decend on the Westcountry to produce half a dozen 90 minute television films of Rosamund Pilcher stories. So far they have produced over a hundred. I have had the pleasure of appearing in six of these dramas in previous years and this Summer was delighted to be approached to appear in the latest one, Stormy Seas, where I was to play the Bishop of Cornwall.
The story revolved around an Anglican priest who, after being the subject of false accusations is moved, along with his housekeeper, to a small parish in Cornwall.
Our first day of filming was at the lovely St Symphorian Church at Veryan.
The vast majority of my scenes were with the Dutch actor Philippe Brenninkmeyer who played the role of the priest Paul Gilmore.
He was a charming man who has done a lot of work both in Germany and America, and between takes had a fund of stories of working on shows like Sex and The City and Law and Order in the states.
The next couple of days were spent shooting at St Clement Church at Withiel near Bodmin.
I was also working with actress Catherine Flemming who was playing the role of the housekeeper. A lovely actress with a good sense of humour and we had several laughs between takes. The final day of shooting involved me in six key scenes at the Bishop’s Palace.
Location for the Bishop’s Palace scenes was the wonderful stately home of Prideaux Place in Padstow.
I love working on these productions as the crew are always so warm and welcoming. I was really lucky on this one to be working with director Michael Steinke who is quite an ‘old hand’ at directing these Pilcher films, which have a massive following in Germany. So much so that each year parties of German visitors arrive in Cornwall to visit some of the locations used in the dramas.
Stormy Seas will be transmitted on German television network ZDF on Sunday December 18th at 20.15
November 22nd, 2011
Is there a Doctor in the House?
This year Charles and Imogen Vance are presenting their Silver Jubilee Summer Play Rep season at the lovely little Manor Pavilion Theatre in Sidmouth.
For several years we have talked about the possibility of my appearing in one of the thirteen or so plays which are produced there in as many weeks. So it was a great pleasure to be asked to play the role of Bromley, the hospital porter, in the comedy Doctor in the House for this very special season.
Each production opens on a Thursday and I have to admit that I faced the rehearsal period with great trepidation, as I have never worked on a production with such a short rehearsal period.
So on Friday 9th September I entered the rehearsal room very nervously, but those nerves were soon dispelled by the company who were very friendly and welcoming. We spent the morning blocking and plotting the whole play and then went away for the weekend to learn the lines. Monday morning was spent running the whole of Act 1 off the book, Tuesday morning Act 2 and on Wednesday morning we ran the whole play. Thursday afternoon was spent on the technical rehearsal followed by the dress rehearsal. And after adjourning to the local chip shop for tea it was back to the theatre and the First Night, which went without a hitch.
My admiration for my fellow cast members is immense, as learning and staging a play so quickly on a regular basis over a period of thirteen or so weeks is a very special skill. There were times when I felt I was on an express train that I couldn’t get off, but the experience was one which I certainly wouldn’t have missed for the world!
September 27th, 2011
Too many cooks?
As if there weren’t enough cookery programmes on television already, I’ve just had the pleasure of doing a ‘pilot’ for a new one for the Sky Channel.
In The American Motorhome Cookery Roadshow I’m joined by the world renowned Global Baker, Dean Brettschneider who brings his own special style of new world baking to Cornwall.
Touring the county in a luxury American Motorhome (RV) complete with fully equipped kitchen, aided, or is that hindered by me, Dean demonstrates how to make some truly mouth watering recipes that are inspired by the people and places we visit in Cornwall.
The National Trust’s magnificent Lanhydrock House near Bodmin provided the venue for the ‘pilot’, showcasing some of the property’s 19th century splendour, including its extraordinary kitchen and sumptuous dining room. In the RV, Dean put his own spin on the French inspired food that was favoured by Lanhydrock’s Victorian owners and National Trust staff give their verdict on Dean’s creations.
Of course there’s no guarantee that a ‘pilot’ programme will be taken any further, in fact I’ve been involved with more ‘pilots’ than British Airways! It’s just a question now of hoping and keeping our fingers crossed!
August 14th, 2011
