MASTERS ARE YOU MAD? - The Search For Malvolio

Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre, Chester   Until 19th August

Review

Following last week’s visit to a fabulous production of Twelfth Night, I was very intrigued to see this specially penned sequel by Glyn Maxwell. Some of the cast reprised their roles from the Shakespeare play while other actors, previously resigned to brave attempts at breathing life into relatively minor characters, were given a real chance to show what they can do with meatier parts. The conclusion of Twelfth Night saw curmudgeonly manservant Malvolio (a splendid Matthew Rixon) swearing revenge on the perpetrators of his ignominious fall from grace at the palace of the Lady Olivia (a regal Lorna Beckett ). The story is picked up twelve years later, and nobody has seen or heard from the man. Could he be the mysterious figure who rules the legendary land of Moai? Duke Orsino certainly thinks so, and sends a rag-tag band of clowns and assassins to ‘terminate’ him.

In one of the worst British summers on record it was, unfortunately, inevitable that the heavens would open up at some point during the evening, and so they did. The rattling of a heavy shower on the overhead canopy protecting our seats managed to drown out precious minutes of dialogue at one point, and it is to the actors’ credit that they soldiered on regardless as many of the audience began chattering and loudly opening their umbrellas. But the inclement weather could not dampen our spirits as director Robin Norton-Hale gave us a sparkling evening of wit, song, and rib-tickling tomfoolery. Haseeb Malik had previously been seen as Twelfth Night’s Sebastian, and excelled here as bumbling, sharp-suited killer-for-hire Adrian. Tom Radford reprising Orsino also seemed to relish a more expanded role, particularly in scenes where he has a whale of a time disguised as a woman. Sarah Lambie is cute as a button whilst scampering about as Coraline, an ‘actress’ who is also Orsino’s ‘boy’ (it’s complicated, so don’t ask!). There is a lot of running around in this production with several characters dashing in and out of the playing area, mingling with the audience and strumming ukeles and mandolins at the drop of a hat. The character of Malvolio is talked about a great deal, but doesn’t really have a lot to do this time around. He is rather like Marlon Brando’s crazed Colonel Kurtz in ‘Apocalypse Now’, in that his presence dominates the proceedings, and the rather long wait to see the man heightens audience anticipation. When we do meet him, he’s a mumbling, shuffling shadow of his former self, and has fallen so far that he now commands our full sympathy. Matthew Rixon is a fine actor, and skilfully plays Malvolio as a broken doll of a man before seemingly recovering his wits late on. A special mention also for Ellen O’Grady who plays the small role of Fabian in Twelfth Night, and here is rather splendid as the enigmatic ‘Songbird’; dressed in a long shimmering silver dress complete with Cleo Laine hairstyle, and charming the birds from the Grosvenor Park trees. Chris Vincent also shines as the comic harbourmaster, a right Northern jobsworth.  Masters Are You Mad is another triumph for Chester Performs in this their third summer season in Grosvenor Park, and is an exciting, imaginative, beautifully staged, and worthy successor to the bard’s original. 

Originally published at www.thepublicreviews.com

http://www.thepublicreviews.com/masters-are-you-mad-grosvenor-park-open-air-theatre-chester/

ROBOTS OF DEATH

Lass O’Gowrie Productions and Fab Cafe July 22^nd to 24^th at The Fab Cafe, Manchester

Review

There appears to be a quiet revolution happening in the heart of Manchester. A drive to bring classic tv and film productions to life, and engage audiences in a manner that big budget 3D movies can never truly manage. Imagine your favourite tv shows and characters living and breathing before your very eyes. Well thanks to producer Gareth Kavanagh and his team at The Lass O’Gowrie pub, you can. A few months ago I saw their productions of Halo Jones (adapted from the acclaimed comic book series by Alan Moore), and Midnight (from a classic Dr Who story by Russell T Davies), and they blew me away. Now, in association with Manchester’s Fab Cafe, we have Robots Of Death adapted by Alan Stevens from the original 1977 Dr Who story by Chris Boucher. Considered a bona fide classic of the Tom Baker era, Robots mixes the archetypal murder mystery with hardcore sci-fi themes in a superbly satisfying blend.

On a distant alien world, Storm Mine Four (a large industrial mining vessel) makes its way through massive sandstorms with a motley crew assisted by servile humanoid robots. When mineralogist Chub (a nicely underplayed debut from Manchester comedian Chris Tavner) is murdered, the crew begin to suspect each other until two time travelling adventurers arrive and are immediately blamed for the death. As the characters of The Doctor and Leela (who appeared in the original tv story) are owned by the BBC, the two main protagonists in this production are the super cool Kaston Iago ( the sublimely brilliant Marlon Solomon) and his feisty kick ass assistant Elska Blayes ( steely-eyed Kate Millest). Our heroes soon guess that the murderer is a robot, and they must unmask whichever one of the crew is the notorious killer Taren Capel (who is controlling the killer robots from a secret workshop on the ship).

With a minimal set, it is the fast paced action, top notch acting, and fine direction by Kerry Ely that rivets the attention. In the dimly-lit confines of the Fab Cafe bar with its sci-fi decor, replica starship bridge and a vast array of tv monitors screening selected images from the original tv story, we have the perfect atmosphere. Add to this the unnerving presence of the robots moving with eerie calm amongst the audience, I felt fully immersed in the proceedings. Played with a slight tongue-in-cheek, Robots expertly mixed tension and thrills with belly laughs and good-natured camp. We gleefully relished every murder, and the ensemble cast played their parts to perfection. As the ship’s commander Uvanov, Jessica Hallows is a hard-assed no-nonsense leader, ably supported by the gobby, chav-like Borg (a snarling, scary-eyed Miranda Benjamin), the delicate and aristocratic Zilda (a charming Ellie Judge), and blonde bombshell Dask (sassy and dangerous Clara James). Gerard Thompson gives a full-bloodied and gritty performance as the nervy Poul, while Cliona Donohoe doubles up well as Cass and one of the dastardly robot killers. Daniel Thackeray dies a lovely death, struggling with a robot assassin while Iago and Blayes argue over whether they should interfere. And Jess Lee oozes charm as the vertically-challenged friendly robot D84. But it’s Leni Murphy who steals the show with a beautifully judged comic performance as the happy go lucky Toos. Faced with an ever increasing body count, and the threat of imminent violent death from the out of control sand miner or a selection of robot killers, she effortlessly deals with anything thrown at her in a manner that reminds one of a young Elsie Tanner or more sexy Hilda Ogden. In a radical change from the original tv story, we have a truly Shakespearean finale mixing comedy and tragedy reminiscent of the late Douglas Adams.

The story continues though with the sequel ‘Storm Mine’ at The Lass O’Gowrie pub from 28^th July to 30^th, featuring more murders and mayhem from the same talented company. Tickets £8 on the door or from www.quaytickets.com

Originally published at www.thepublicreviews.com
http://www.thepublicreviews.com/robots-of-death-the-fab-cafe-manchester/

TWELFTH NIGHT

Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre, Chester till 19th August

Review

This is a thoroughly enjoyable and infectiously energetic production, that benefits enormously from the glorious open air setting of Chester’s beautiful Grosvenor Park. A three sided playing area with a backdrop of towering trees, gently swaying in the summer breeze, provided the perfect stage for a triumphant piece of Shakespeare at his rib-tickling best. This is the story of shipwrecked siblings Sebastian and Viola, and their romantic entanglements with Duke Orsino and the lady Olivia. But ‘Twelfth Night’ really comes to life with the shenanigans of the drunken and uproarious Sir Toby Belch (Jack Lord channelling the spirit of the great Brian Blessed), his hapless sidekick Sir Andrew Aguecheek (an excellent physical performance by Scott Arthur), and Olivia’s puritanical sourpuss manservant Malvolio (Matthew Rixon).

Director Alex Clifton mixes the slapstick elements with the more melancholic ones perfectly, and succeeds in creating a wonderfully satisfying, yet bitter sweet, evening of first rate entertainment. Krupa Pattani is a loveably perky Viola, and combines well with Tom Radford’s matinee idol Duke Orsino. Lorna Beckett creates a delightfully aloof Lady Olivia whose long legs turn to jelly when she falls for Viola (who is pretending to be a boy), and later (luckily for her!) easily transfers her feelings to Sebastian (a solid Haseeb Malik). As always in a Shakespeare comedy, it is the Fool who plays a pivotal part in the proceedings, and Chris Vincent camps it up gloriously as Feste the jester in the style of an understated Kenneth Williams. Easily the most enjoyable scenes are those featuring Sir Toby and Olivia’s servants; the permanently exasperated Maria (Victoria Gee), Ellen O’Grady’s Fabian (think Father Ted’s Mrs Doyle), and upper class twit Sir Andrew. Jack Lord is simply hysterical as Sir Toby, and threatens to steal the show with his unrestrained energy and moustache-twirling music hall theatrics. It is Matthew Rixon’s magnificent Malvolio who provides the icing on the cake however, with his towering presence, affected walk (he seems to glide across the ground as if on castors), and fruity delivery. Lord and Rixon are a beautiful double act, and their ongoing feud results in some hilarious face-offs.

As the daylight faded, and the temperature dropped, Grosvenor Park revealed itself to be a vital element of the production. Melancholia was in the air, and Feste’s heartbreaking final song against the rustling of the leaves on the trees was truly affecting. I loved it!

Originally published at www.thepublicreviews.com

http://www.thepublicreviews.com/twelfth-night-grosvenor-park-open-air-theatre-chester/

'ART' opens in Chester this week

My version of the original Times cartoon for the 1996 London production.

A bit of shameless self-plugging here, folks! I'm playing 'Serge' in Yasmina Reza's fantastic comedy/drama 'ART' at Chester Theatre Club all next week. We open this Saturday 30th, then we're on from Monday 2nd to Saturday 7th July.
Here's a bit from the club's website:

"What do you do when a friend you have known for years - a friend you thought you knew really well - buys a work of art that you consider to be ridiculous? This is the dilemma facing the three friends featured in Art. Serge thinks his painting of off-white marks on a white canvas is inspired. Marc thinks it is rubbish and Yvan can't quite make up his mind. Their friendships are tested to breaking point as a result in this tremendously entertaining and thought-provoking play by Yasmina Reza. "

It's my debut at the club, but I've been having a great time in rehearsals. Everyone's been very friendly and welcoming, and the place has a fantastic atmosphere.
Cassian Wheeler plays Yvan, Ray Bengree plays Marc, I play Serge, and Lisa Miller directs.

Tickets can be booked by telephoning 01244 322674 or contact info@chestertheatreclub.co.uk

The venue is Chester Little Theatre, Gloucester Street, Chester CH1 3HR

£7.50 (£6.00 Concessions Monday and Tuesday only)
£6.50 Saturday Preview

EVERYMAN - NEW PERFORMANCES

A little bit of self publicity here. My play about Patrick McGoohan is on at the wonderful Lass O'Gowrie in Manchester next Wed 25th and Thurs 26th Jan. I shall be performing a slightly re-written one man version running approx 50 minutes. Be seeing you!

EVERYMAN:

The Story Of Patrick McGoohan - The Prisoner

(Press Release 06.12.11)

The Lass O’Gowrie, Charles Street, Manchester.

8.30pm Wed/Thurs 25^th/26^th January 2012

http://www.lassfest.co.uk/

‘EVERYMAN: The Story Of Patrick McGoohan – The Prisoner’ written by BRIAN GORMAN, details the life of the theatre, television, and film star (who sadly died in 2009).

The play begins a mini tour of the UK, beginning with two performances at the ‘MidWinter LassFest’ at The Lass O’Gowrie pub, Charles Street, Manchester on Wed and Thurs 25^th & 26^th January. The play will be seen later in the year, across the UK, as part of a double bill with ‘A Passion For Evil’ by writer/actor John Burns (detailing the life of the infamous Aleister Crowley).

Manchester-based writer Brian Gorman, has played McGoohan and his character 'Number Six' on stage in Manchester, Chester, and Portmeirion (as a guest of Six Of One, The Prisoner appreciation society). A reading of the play by Gorman garnered a glowing review from Brian Watson for The Unmutual website (a major 'Prisoner' fan group):

"Brian achieved what no Number Two managed, that was to deconstruct the personality of the man and propose a very credible "what it's all about" of McGoohan's life and work.

The script of EVERYMAN is a joy: at turns witty, informative, dramatic, and wonderfully paced throughout. The author knows his subject thoroughly, tells the tale well and, while he refers to influences that surface later in The Prisoner, he never descends to quote-dropping for gratuitous effect”

Gorman believes that a theatrical tribute to the star of such cult tv favourites as ‘DANGER MAN’ and ‘THE PRISONER’ is long overdue:

"McGoohan was a brilliant actor. In common with the great Orson Welles, who he cited as a major influence, he was also a fiercely uncompromising individual who took real artistic chances, and divided the critics."

PATRICK McGOOHAN was born in New York, but spent less than a year there before his family relocated to their native Ireland. Several years later, they moved to England, where McGoohan caught the acting bug in Sheffield, and worked his way up to leading roles at the local professional repertory theatre. He was the first choice to play James Bond in 1962, but turned down the role of a lifetime due to his distaste for the depiction of gratuitous violence and casual sex. While Bond was smashing cinema box office records, McGoohan became an international television star as secret agent John Drake in ‘Danger Man’; who rarely used a gun and politely declined the numerous advances of beautiful women. After several hugely successful years, McGoohan tired of playing Drake, and persuaded legendary producer Lew Grade to back his new project, ‘The Prisoner’, and allow him full creative control. The series made McGoohan the highest paid actor on British tv when he played an un-named secret agent who attempts to resign his job, only to be kidnapped and imprisoned in a mysterious village from which there seems no escape. Everybody in The Village is assigned a number, and McGoohan is referred to as Number Six, but refuses to conform; spending each of the series’ seventeen episodes attempting to outwit his captors. The show became a massive cult hit with its flamboyant action, imaginative stories, and surreal style, and was recently remade for ITV with Sir Ian McKellen starring as the enigmatic and menacing ‘Number Two’. McGoohan also starred in a variety of successful films including ‘Silver Streak’, ‘Ice Station Zebra’, and Mel Gibson’s oscar-winning ‘Braveheart’. He won two Emmy awards for acting in the ‘Columbo’ tv series, and was even immortalised in an episode of ‘The Simpsons’.


BRIAN GORMAN is from Wigan, and is a writer, artist, and actor. He has designed posters and brochure illustrations for The Chester Gateway Theatre, and had work published in The Liverpool Daily Post, The Big Issue, and Green World (the magazine of The Green Party). His artwork has also been seen on television (ITV1’s ‘Martina Cole’s Lady Killers’), and he is currently working on a professional commission to produce a series of graphic novels on Manchester bands. As an actor he has played leading roles in corporate and educational dramas, music videos, and recently portrayed the notorious mass murderer Thomas Hamilton in television reconstruction of the 1996 Dunblane massacre. He has also played the main villain, Viktor Toxikoff, in award-winning director Chris Stone’s James Bond inspired music video ‘The Rebel’, for the band The Amateurs. Gorman also has an arts review blog at http://fictionmaker.blogspot.com/
Gorman first studied acting at Wigan College of Technology in the 1980s, and was fascinated to later discover that Sir Ian McKellen had grown up just yards from the college theatre:

"I wrote to Sir Ian several years ago when he agreed to allow me to use his likeness in my comic book, ‘Borderliners’ (as did another hero of mine, The Saint himself - Sir Roger Moore). He sent me a wonderful three page hand-written letter telling me about how he’d enjoyed his childhood in Wigan, and had even played on the same stage as I had. It’s a fascinating coincidence that he has recently starred in the remake of ‘The Prisoner’, and now here I am playing Patrick McGoohan! "

Onboard as the production’s official adviser is ROBERT FAIRCLOUGH. Robert is a freelance writer, designer and producer. His work on ‘The Prisoner’ includes the book ‘The Prisoner: The Official Companion to the Classic TV Series’, editing two volumes of ‘The Original Scripts’ for the classic series and graphic design work on the recent AMC remake. He is a broadcaster who has featured on BBC radio and ITV, written for the British Film Institute and 'SFX' magazine and produced documentaries for 2 Entertain's range of ‘Doctor Who’ DVDs.

There is a word of warning from Brian Gorman for anyone expecting a straight-forward story of McGoohan’s life:

"In keeping with McGoohan’s surreal work on ‘The Prisoner’, we will be playing around with time, as well as the character itself. ‘Patrick McGoohan’ will be a mix of the real man, and ‘Number Six’, and the whole piece will be presented in the style of an episode of ‘The Prisoner’."

Another Prisoner fan, STEPHEN FRY, has sent Brian his personal best wishes for the production.

Brian Gorman can be contacted at brianinchester@yahoo.co.uk  Tel. 07510 591444

MIDNIGHT

By Russell T Davies
The Lass O'Gowrie, Charles St., Manchester

Until Sunday 8th January 2012

‘Midnight’ was one of the darkest episodes of ‘Doctor Who’, and a personal triumph for Russell T Davies. The Manchester-based writer and creator of the controversial ‘Queer As Folk’ and ‘The Second Coming’ had revived the BBC’s classic sci-fi series rather spectacularly, and with David Tennant taking on the title role had managed to propel the show to new heights of popularity and critical acclaim. ‘Midnight’ was unusual for a Tennant episode, as we saw his normally unflappable and almost superhuman Doctor brought quite literally to his knees at the hands of a terrifying invisible enemy. Previous Davies stories had been hugely entertaining and thought-provoking, but had sometimes been criticised for being too upbeat, sentimental and overly optimistic about ‘the human condition’. ‘Midnight’ proved that RTD could take us into much darker and unsettling territory with a tale that reminded me of Nigel Kneale’s ‘Quatermass’ at its very best.

The story sees our hero join a small group of tourists on a giant space truck crossing a lifeless planet made of diamond. In no time at all, they find themselves in dire straits as the engines fail, the pilots are killed, and one of the passengers becomes possessed. To produce this story on the stage, rather than television, is a hell of a task, requiring a tight-knit group of top notch actors, and a director with a grip of steel. This production triumphs on every level, and is quite possibly the best thing I’ve ever seen in a theatre. Honestly, I am not exaggerating here. The tension was almost unbearable at times, and the whole experience was deeply unnerving. In fact, I had nightmares afterwards.

There is no mention of ‘The Doctor’ in this production, as the character remains the property of the BBC, and this is a not-for-profit presentation. Russell T Davies granted his permission for the project to go ahead, and so our title character is here named ‘Dr John Smith’. This works brilliantly, and proves that the story works perfectly well beyond the confines of a hugely familiar television series. 

Staged in a small room with space for around 30 audience members, the atmosphere was truly claustrophobic, with the actors just inches away from us. A white floor, black walls and a silver entrance door created our space truck, and gave us nowhere to hide. At just 50 minutes (the length of the original tv episode), there was no padding of the story; simply a tight, tense, nerve-jangling experience.

Mike Woodhead had the unenviable task of playing John Smith, and proved to be an inspired bit of casting. This was no simple imitation of David Tennant, but a beautifully realised interpretation of an iconic character who we all think we know. Apart from brandishing the sonic screwdriver a couple of times, Woodhead never once fell into the trap of replicating the familiar tics and body language of Tennant’s Time Lord. Zoe Matthews as Sky Sylvestry was outstanding as the heartbroken woman possessed by the alien invader, and gave an utterly remarkable performance. I happened to be sitting right by her through the most terrifying scenes, and I can tell you I was astonished. This is a part that any actress would be hard pressed to pull off; requiring the performer to regularly repeat the other characters’ dialogue and speech patterns, then proceed to speak their lines a fraction of a second before they do. In simple terms this means the actress playing Sky must learn nearly every line in the play, and time her interactions with the other actors to the split second. As I said, astonishing.

Phil Dennison and Paida Noel made a terrific double act as the condescending Professor Hobbes and his mousey assistant Dee-Dee, while Natalie Husdan, Matt Aistrup, and Michael Loftus as the bickering and dysfunctional Cane family provided sterling support. The family’s strained relationships were evident from the start, and the fact that the characters only bonded when deciding to commit an act of stomach-churning violence was pretty damn chilling.

Jane Leadbetter as The Hostess provided the few comic moments, with a character whose brittle and artificial surface soon cracked when faced with any interruption to her work routine. Her finest moment will surprise anyone unfamiliar with the story from the television episode, but is still a fabulous emotional jolt for the audience.

Director Brainne Edge has done a fantastic job of marshalling her actors in a confined performance space, and should be congratulated on a wonderful adaptation of one of Dr Who’s best ever episodes. Produced by The Lass O’Gowrie’s Gareth Kavanagh and Lisa Connor, ‘Midnight’ is simply a breath-taking, audacious piece of theatre.

THE BALLAD OF HALO JONES

The Lass O'Gowrie, Charles St., Manchester
Until Saturday 7th January

Theatre Review

I had no idea what to expect from this production. After all, Alan Moore and Ian Gibson’s comic book space opera has a multitude of incredible characters, and an epic sweep. Well, The Lass O’Gowrie in association with Scytheplays has pulled it off. Comics genius Alan Moore, he of ‘Watchmen’ and ‘V For Vendetta’ fame, created ‘The Ballad Of Halo Jones’ for the 2000AD weekly comic in the 1980s and it became an instant cult success. Moore and artist Ian Gibson wanted to create a fully-rounded female character, as they were getting fed up of the dispiritingly one-dimensional presentations of women in comic books. Halo Jones would break the mould.

Set in the 50^th century, mass unemployment has resulted in the creation of The Hoop, a massive ghetto for no-hopers. These abandoned people are fed a daily diet of soap operas and celebrity gossip, and encouraged to simply accept their lot in life. Halo Jones is an ordinary young woman growing increasingly irritated by her friends’ inability to see anything beyond The Hoop, and through a series of bizarre events manages to see a way out.

There is little in the way of set in this production, and so we have only the actors to bring to life what at first seems unstageable. I admit I was a little lost for the first 10 minutes, as I have not read the original series of stories, and was completely unfamiliar with the confusing slang many of the characters speak in. But, I was soon mesmerised by the performances, and my ears adjusted accordingly.

Louise Hamer was simply perfect as Halo, and gave a genuinely affecting performance as the disadvantaged ‘everywoman’, battling against prejudice and hopelessness. A sweet mixture of innocence and steely determination, that had the audience taking her to their collective hearts. Superbly supported by the hyper active Claire Dean as the hard as nails Rodice, the two had great chemistry, and the characters’ deep friendship shone through. Paida Noel broke our hearts as the tragic Ludy, providing the catalyst for Halo’s escape. Benjamin Patterson was hilarious and terrifying as the robot dog, Toby; in this adaptation looking like a Cylon warrior in a hoodie (part man, part animal, part machine), and with a gruff Northern Irish accent adding an aura of contained menace. The scene where he rips a character to pieces was performed to perfection. Zoe Iqbal shone as the flamboyant tv presenter ‘Swifty Frisco’, providing regular updates on the relentless celebrity gossip, soap opera previews, and fashion tips; every brief appearance had the audience in stitches. An outstanding contribution came from Danny Wallace as ‘The Glyph’, a truly unsettling yet hilarious character revealed to be an actual non-entity due to an endless series of sex change operations that left him/her without a personality. There were so many weird and offbeat characters on display, that if one failed to amuse and entertain, there was another one along at any given moment. The wonderfully-named Marlon Solomon made me chuckle as the slimeball President, and again as the ineffectual Mix Ninegold. Gerard Thompson excelled as a fabulously leery Scotsman desperately trying to chat up Laura Cope’s icy sex kitten Toy Molto, and again eliciting belly laughs as a fashion conscious tosser. Michelle Ashton gave us a hard-faced and ridiculously amusing customs officer, and Alastair Gillies was brilliantly funny as an unintelligible workman, and slow-witted security guard. Terry Naylor’s Proximen and bartender stole every scene he was in with the minimum of dialogue. Phil Dennison’s weasel-like terrorist was a great character, and Will Hutchby had a lovely little scene waltzing with Halo as the enigmatic Lux.

Faced with performing in a very awkward space (the main bar area), the actors were remarkable in bringing to life a hugely ambitious story, and I was amazed at the atmosphere they created. I loved every minute, and felt as though I’d been in the company of some rather special friends.

Top marks to directors Daniel Thackeray and Ross Kelly (who also adapted the original comic strips), and producer Gareth Kavanagh. The Lass O’Gowrie is getting quite a reputation for adapting cult tv drama and comedy, and this fantastic production of a much-loved comic strip is yet another triumph.

STRAWBERRY JACK

The latest play by Joe O'Byrne

Seen at The Robert Powell Theatre, University Of Salford Campus saturday 10th December 2011

How does he keep doing it?

 I ask myself this question every time I have the great pleasure to witness the birth of yet another classic piece of theatre from the mighty Joe O’Byrne. The Bolton-based writer/director/actor unleashed his latest creation, ‘Strawberry Jack’ this week, and delivered yet another 5 star effort.

We should be used to this by now.  Consistency is this man’s middle name, and work of this quality will surely find a bigger audience soon. ‘Strawberry Jack’ is the latest instalment in O’Byrne’s series of plays located on the fictional northern England estate of Paradise Heights. You don’t have to have seen the previous works; ‘Rank’, ‘The Bench’, or ‘ I’m Frank Morgan’, but if you’re one of the lucky ones who have, then  ‘Strawberry Jack’ will reward you on so many  levels.

This is the story of disfigured doorman Jack Grundy (who sports a half face of angry red; the result of a horrific childhood accident that has scarred him inside and out). Jack, as played by the always superb Ian Curley, is a character that any actor worth his salt would kill to play. A brooding, guilt-wracked, cornered beast of a man who elicits our sympathy and fear in equal measures. Multi-faceted and Shakespearean in tone. Jack has a secret, which can only lead to tragedy, and O’Byrne’s build-up to Jack’s awful fate takes us through every emotion going. Gorgeously atmospheric music from Ruth Parfitt and the enigmatically-named  ‘Tangled Man’ adds enormously to the play’s impact. There’s even a theme song, the haunting ‘Gemini Man’, co-written by O’Byrne and performed in a spine-tingling erotic fashion by the wonderful Stella Grundy.

Jack and fellow doorman ‘Deaf Freddie’ (the remarkable David Edward-Robertson) work at The Ace Of Spades, a notorious nightclub owned by legendary gangster Frank Morgan (unseen here, but check out his previous appearances in ‘I’m Frank Morgan’ and O’Byrne’s superb short film ‘The Watcher’).  Curley and Robertson make a delicious double act, swapping razor sharp bitchy remarks that serve to mask a deep underlying respect that will be sorely tested. Junior doorman Dave (a dynamic  Matthew Ganley)and his scummy little girlfriend (a delightful Jo Kirkham) represent the drug-fuelled, cold-hearted new generation willing to sacrifice anybody for a few quid. Alice Brockway as Mandy opens proceedings with a gut-wrenching monologue concerning her ordeal at the hands of a local psycho, and impresses throughout as the only woman to get under Jack’s skin. A touching and humorous scene inside a derelict church sees Jack encounter an angel (Jo Kirkham again), which contrasts nicely with a later scene involving a demonic crime boss (O’Byrne) who gets his just desserts. O’Byrne also plays Jack’s ailing Uncle Mel, who provides a good few lighter moments in the play, before writer O’Byrne pulls the rug out from under us.

‘Strawberry Jack’ has more twists and turns than Tarantino, a good deal more originality than any Guy Ritchie geezer-fest, and comes straight from the heart. O’Byrne’s aim is true, and if you’re fortunate to be in the line of fire, then whatever you do, don’t duck; stand rock steady and take everything he offers. Give him and his incredible cast and crew your undivided attention.

Next up from Paradise Heights is ‘Torch’. Kill for a ticket.

Review originally written for http://www.thepublicreviews.com/

James Bond is back in 'SKYFALL'

EON Productions have just released the following information on the new Bond film. I'm excited!!

Official SKYFALL Announcement

3rd November 2011

Press Release
Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli today presented the cast of the 23rd James Bond adventure, entitled SKYFALL. The film, from Albert R. Broccoli's Eon Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, and Sony Pictures Entertainment, is directed by Academy Award® winner Sam Mendes and stars Daniel Craig, who returns for his third film as James Bond 007. The screenplay is written by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and John Logan. SKYFALL, which goes into production on Monday, November 7th, will begin its worldwide roll-out in the UK and Ireland on October 26th 2012 and in North America on November 9th 2012.

Joining Michael G. Wilson, Barbara Broccoli and Director Sam Mendes were members of the cast of SKYFALL, including: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Dame Judi Dench, Naomie Harris and Berenice Marlohe. The filmmakers also announced Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney and Ben Whishaw.

In SKYFALL, Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

"We're so delighted to have Sam Mendes direct SKYFALL and be working once again with Daniel Craig. We've a great script, an extraordinary cast and an incredibly talented creative team for this latest James Bond adventure," said Wilson and Broccoli.

The Director of Photography is Roger Deakins, a nine-time Oscar® nominee who previously shot the films Jarhead and Revolutionary Road for Mendes. The Production Designer is Oscar® winner Dennis Gassner, who previously designed Quantum of Solace and collaborated with Mendes on the films Road to Perdition and Jarhead. The Editor is Stuart Baird, A.C.E., whose many credits include Casino Royale. Jany Temime, whose many credits include the Harry Potter series, In Bruges, and Children of Men, is the Costume Designer. Action specialist Alexander Witt is the 2nd Unit Director. Gary Powell is Stunt Co-ordinator, Chris Corbould is SFX Supervisor and Steve Begg is Visual Effects Supervisor, all of whom have worked on previous Bond films.

BriefingThe 23rd James Bond film, "Bond 23", will commence principal photography in November 2011 for a UK release on October 26th, 2012 and the USA on November 9, 2012. MGM will produce, finance and distribute 007's 23rd adventure in partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Daniel Craig will be returning as the legendary British secret agent, alongside Judi Dench as "M", with Sam Mendes directing a screenplay written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan. Five-time 007 composer David Arnold will score James Bond's 23rd official on-screen adventure.

It it will be the longest gap between Bond movies without a change in the lead role. In addition, 2012 marks the 50th anniversary of the EON Productions series of James Bond films.

YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE: The Legend Of Liverpool FC

Review

The Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool

If you're a Liverpool FC fan, then I cannot recommend this production highly enough. If you're a fan of entertaining, full-bloodied, passionate, engaging theatre in general; I STILL cannot recommend this production highly enough. I'm not a Liverpool FC supporter. In fact, it's probably best that I remain silent about where my football loyalties lie. But it matters not a jot; I was utterly blown away by Nicky Allt's musical comedy-drama (call it what you will). This is a show about passion, belief, family, and unswerving loyalty.

The Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool is the perfect venue for this kind of rollicking good old-fashioned entertainment, with it's cabaret style seating (and pie and mash for under a fiver!), and classic 30s Art Deco design. Add to all this the fact that several old LFC faces were in the audience (I sat right behind Phil Thompson, who graciously responded to my friend patting him on the back and asking for an autograph!). There was also Phil Neal, chuckling away, Roy Evans, David Fairclough, Allan Kennedy, and even a couple of young aspiring stars from the reserves. Who could fail to be moved in this company? The whole evening had an atmosphere of religious devotion, and I half expected King Kenny Dalglish to make an entrance in a red Pope Mobile.

The cast were uniformly excellent, with local legend Pauline Daniels holding it all together with wit, charm, and a few barbed one-liners (ad libs?). The story concerns a typical working class Liverpudlian family, who in the course of scattering Granddad Tommy's ashes at Anfield, take us on an emotional roller coaster ride through all 119 years of LFC history. And here is where the hard-working cast really earn their money, playing a bewildering variety of parts as we progress through a century of English history. Heartstrings are tugged at when we encounter teen-age Liverpudlians in the trenchs of WW1, and their descendents keeping the red flag flying through WW2 and beyond. I won’t go into detail about the historical events covered, but believe me you’ll feel like you’re reliving every moment of the Reds history alongside legends such as Keegan, Case, Fowler, Dalglish, Gerrard, and many more. Even poor old Michael Owen gets an honourable mention (even though the cast fall silent at the sight of his image, and we are treated to an elongated pause as the sound of blowing tumbleweed fills the auditorium). The stage set by Mark Walters comprises of a huge screen showing non-stop documentary footage of LFC matches, with a football terrace below, the bar of ‘The Twelth Man’ pub on one side (yes, I believe there‘s no ‘f‘ in Twelth; at least on this occasion!), and a live band on the other. Half the production’s job is done by the screening of match footage and images of players and managers past and present (Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley, in particular, are revered as Gods), which cannot fail to rouse the passion of the hometown audience, but it is to the company’s immense credit that they do not rely on historical images alone. Mark Moraghan and Anthony Watson are a fine double act, whether playing drunken supporters or teenage, ‘car-minding’ scallies. Jamie Hampson as Tia belts out the title song with gusto, and more than holds her own against the more experienced cast members. Special mention must go to Lenny Wood as young Kenny. With a face as pliable as Jim Carrey, and some superb slapstick skills, this young actor is a real star. Of course, there are tears along the way, and the tragedies of Heysel and Hillsborough loom large as we head towards the 1980s. There is a particularly moving scene regarding the deaths of 96 supporters in the 1989 F.A. Cup semi final, and Mark Moraghan delivers a superb tribute to those who lost their lives. The actor seemed genuinely overcome during this scene, and it is a testament to his skill that he was able to play his character whilst dealing with such an emotive and , I suspect, personally heartfelt topic.

Director Bob Eaton throws everything but the kitchen sink into this fabulous production, and I am certainly looking forward to his Xmas show, ‘Little Scouse On The Prairie’.

‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ runs until Saturday 29^th October.

This review originally appeared at www.thepublicreviews.com
You can see it here: http://www.thepublicreviews.com/youll-never-walk-alone-royal-court-theatre-liverpool/

NORTHERN BROADSIDES meet CHEKHOV at THE LOWRY, SALFORD: Win 2 tickets!!

WE ARE THREE SISTERS premieres at The Lowry Theatre, Salford on Tuesday 20th September. For more information check out: http://www.thelowry.com/event/we-are-three-sisters

I bloody love Northern Broadsides, and they're back with a play about those broody, brilliant Brontes. And two of you lucky people can go and see 'em for nowt. That's absolutely NOWT!! Read some publicity from The Lowry Theatre below:

We Are Three Sisters

Haworth 1840s; in a gloomy parsonage where there are neither curtains nor comforts, Charlotte, Anne and Emily Bronte light up their world with outspoken wit, aspirations, dreams and ideas. And throughout their confined lives intensely lived…. they write.

A pair of tickets is available for opening night – Tuesday 20^th September

All you have to do, folks, is answer this question:

What is the name of the Bronte sisters' brother?

Email me at brianinchester@yahoo.co.uk with your answer, your full name, and telephone number. The winner shall be announced here (unless they wish to remain anonymous, of course) on Tuesday 13th September. Good luck!

DOCTOR WHO returns

Steven Moffat on the new series on BBC1 from Saturday 27th August...

The wait is almost over. The second part of the thrilling new series of Doctor Who begins on 27 August 2011.

The rules have changed, and the game is deadlier than ever. Out in the universe, where the earthly rules of time and space do not apply, Amy and Rory know only too well that their baby daughter needs them. For Melody Pond is destined to become River Song, mysterious archaeologist and convicted murderer – the woman who killed the best man she ever knew...

The Doctor leads Amy and Rory across centuries and galaxies in a desperate search for baby Melody, but a terrible and inescapable date looms large. At 5.02pm on 22nd April 2011, the Doctor will die. These are his last days, and the quest for Melody his final mission.

The search will result in a crash landing in Thirties Berlin and will bring them face to face with the greatest war criminal of all time. And Hitler. Old friendships will be tested to their limits as the Doctor suffers the ultimate betrayal and learns a harsh lesson in the cruellest warfare of all.

A distress call from a terrified little boy will break through all barriers of time and space and lead the Doctor to visit the scariest place in the Universe. George's bedroom. George is terrorised by every fear you can possibly imagine. Fears that live in his bedroom cupboard. His parents are desperate – George needs a doctor. But allaying George's fears won't be easy. Because the monsters in George's cupboard are real.

An unscheduled visit to a quarantine facility for victims of an alien plague – a plague that will kill the Doctor in a day – leaves Amy trapped. Alone, Rory must find Amy and bring her back to the TARDIS before the faceless doctors kill her with kindness. But Rory is about to encounter a very different side to his wife.

In an impossible hotel, the Doctor, Amy and Rory find themselves checked-in but unable to check out. Walls move, corridors twist, rooms vanish and death lies in wait for every visitor. But the Doctor's time has yet to come. He has one last stop to make on his final journey. His old friend, Craig Owens, desperately needs his help – a new and unfamiliar presence is wreaking havoc in Colchester. And then come the Cybermen. But time catches up with us all and the Doctor can delay no more.

By the shores of Lake Silencio, in Utah, all of time and space hang in the balance. And a NASA astronaut is waiting..."

And MATT SMITH's views:

With viewers still reeling from the shocking news that River Song is actually Amy and Rory's baby, Bafta-nominated actor, Matt Smith, provides a sneak-peek at what is coming up in the new episodes of Doctor Who.

"I thought it was brilliant because it's such a great science fiction pay-off," explains Matt as he reveals how he felt when he learnt the truth about River Song. "Steven Moffat set it up so well and it now leaves the story open to go in so many different directions. She's Amy and Rory's daughter which is mad, but yet brilliant, and it's going to be really interesting to see how the dynamic between all of the characters shifts."

Despite Melody Pond being kidnapped at the end of A Good Man Goes To War, Matt says viewers can rest assured that Alex Kingston, who plays River Song, will be back and there are more shocks in store. "We get to learn a lot more about River in Let's Kill Hitler" he explains, "and she's on her best flirty form; the River I love! It's certainly Alex's episode and we had great fun filming the scenes, so hopefully we have some good on-screen chemistry."

New monsters are also set to make an appearance, sending children and adults alike scuttling behind the sofa in true Doctor Who style. "I think it's fantastic the way the show can tap into people's primal fears as children" says Matt, specifically referring to Mark Gatiss's episode Night Terrors. "Mark has come up with a really clever idea by featuring a dolls house with terrifying and creepy dolls – it's a brilliant adventure-packed episode and Danny Mays, who guest stars, is superb in it."

The Tin Tin actor isn't the only high-calibre guest artist to secure a role in Doctor Who. Upcoming episodes also feature funny men David Walliams and James Corden. "James reprises his role as Craig, who appeared in The Lodger last year," explains Matt. "He's back in an episode which also features the Doctor's arch enemies, the Cybermen. We had such fun on set; it was hard to keep a straight face when we were filming.

"David Walliams was also hilarious" continues Matt. "He plays a character called Gibbis and he had to wear a lot of prosthetics for the part. Once he was all made up he looked a lot like a giant Mole, so it was hard to take him seriously!"

However, Matt's tone does become more serious when talking about the fate awaiting the Doctor...

"The Doctor died at the start of the series" explains Matt. "He was shot in the future by someone in a space suit and, despite the adventures he goes on in these next few episodes, inevitably he's moving closer towards his own death. Amy, Rory and River are aware of his fate but they have no way of stopping it. I can't tell you what happens but Steven has set up an explosive finale."

But can he reveal if his Stetson makes an appearance? "Yes, I can tell you the Stetson is back; I do love a good hat!" chuckles Matt. "The Doctor also has a new coat; a long green moleskin one. We always wanted the Doctor's outfit to evolve and the coat certainly kept me warm when filming during the winter.

"I still haven't lost my clumsy streak though," sighs Matt. "We were filming the final scenes last month in a cornfield and, needless to say, I was the one who tripped over and twisted my ankle!" If only there had been a doctor around...

CAPTAIN AMERICA: The First Avenger

FILM REVIEW

As a child in the early 1970s I read a lot of Marvel Comics' output, and I quite liked Captain America. Despite appearances, the character wasn't so much a flag-waving super patriot, but a decent old-fashioned guy (active during WW2, he is frozen in ice, and awakens in the modern day), who is made fun of by more hip and 'with it' types. Thankfully, director Joe Johnston and Marvel Studios have successfully transferred the good captain to the big screen, and given us a glorious retelling of his origin story, neatly setting up next summer's blockbuster, 'The Avengers', where Captain America will team up with Iron Man, Thor, and The Hulk.
Chris Evans gives a great performance as Steve Rogers, transformed from a 90lb weakling into a strapping 'super soldier' by kindly scientist Dr Abraham Erskine (a charming performance by Stanley Tucci) with the help of engineering whizz kid Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper). In his early scenes, Evans' head is grafted (by special effects) onto the body of a much smaller actor, and (to quote the late Eric Morecambe) you can't see the join. We warm to the sickly young man as he suffers one humiliation after another; whether it be at the hands of local bullies, rejection by the girls, or failure to be accepted in to the military. All he wants to do is fight for his country, and with his indomitable spirit he is the perfect candidate for Dr Erskine's experiment.
Tommy Lee Jones is his usual reliable self as the gruff but humane Colonel Chester Phillips, while upcoming British actress Hayley Atwell shines as Steve's love interest Peggy Carter. The romantic scenes are nicely underplayed by Evans and Atwell, with Peggy's growing admiration for Steve's courage blossoming into deep affection.
The main plot sees crazed Nazi scientist The Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) attempting to take over the whole planet with the help of an ancient religious artefact. Only one man can stop him, but the politicians have decided that our hero must be paraded around as part of a propaganda exercise rather than risk their expensive investment on the battlefield. Once again Steve Rogers faces endless humiliation as he is dressed in a series of ill-fitting costumes and forced to take part in corny Busby Berkley inspired stage shows and shoddy adventure movies. The film-makers cleverly address the sheer outlandishness of a red, white and blue costumed character called 'Captain America' existing in a realistic wartime environment. The character IS ridiculous, but it is Steve's integrity and moral strength that eventually elicits sympathy and admiration from his fellow soldiers and, more importantly, we the audience. With Peggy's support, Steve decides he must play the super hero for real, and engage the enemy in the field.
Director Johnston handles the action sequences effectively, and there is a lot of fun to be had watching Captain America taking on hordes of Nazis and despatching them with ease. But it is the quieter scenes that work best, and a top notch cast really breathe life into characters that began as truly two dimensional creations. Alan Silvestri's music is suitably heroic and bombastic, and there's a great cheesey song over the end credits you'll be humming in your head for hours after you leave the cinema.

Certificate 12A
Directed by Joe Johnston

THE WATCHER

FILM REVIEW
Originally published by The Public Reviews at http://www.thepublicreviews.com/film-the-watcher-a-tale-from-paradise-heights/

Written & Directed by Joe O'Byrne

Produced by Chris Lane

Ken Loach style kitchen sink realism meets Martin Scorcese’s more elevated archetypal storytelling, in this latest tale from the fictional Paradise Heights estate. Writer and actor O’Byrne (who also plays the pivotal role of enigmatic loan shark, Frank Morgan) has created a chillingly believable world not a million miles away from the mean streets of Salford and his home town of Bolton. But forget any comparisons with the cosy old world view of Coronation Street, or even the plastic scallies of Shameless; here is a place where the dead impinge on the living, and surviving is something to be mightily proud of.

Joe O’Byrne has written several previous stage plays and films utilising characters from Paradise Heights, and now we have the latest installment, 'The Watcher'. On a shoestring budget, this is a supreme example of what can be acheived when one has a cracking script, a dedicated team of first rate actors, a dynamic director, and a will of iron.

It is Halloween, and Polish taxi driver Marek (Ian Curley) trawls the desolate streets of the Paradise Heights housing estate looking for fares. With the Police having issued warnings about marauding gangs of mask-wearing youths, local residents cower behind their front doors. Freak atmospheric conditions are affecting radio communications, further enhancing Marek's feelings of isolation and dread. With a stunningly hypnotic and unsettling music score by Barry Thompson, we are firmly in John Carpenter territory here, with more than a nod to the classic 'Halloween', and the flawed 'Escape From New York'. Colin Warhurst's photography gives a slick sheen to everything, and there's some beautifully lit scenes, with night-time aerial shots of the estate adding a dream-like quality to the story. Everyone is on edge, and everyone is watching. Marek looking out for business, and a small girl and her mother peering out at the dead streets and dreading the return of 'the man'. That man is Frank Morgan, the type of man you wish you'd never heard of. O'Byrne is a master at structure and pace, and keeps the viewer in suspense right up until the very end. Character information is drip fed, and the palpable sense of tension is expertly cranked up to disturbing levels. When, halfway through the film, O'Byrne himself appears from the shadows as the grim-faced Morgan, we are left in no doubt that here is a man with a past, and a very uncertain future. Indeed, he could well be a dead man walking; as could many of the characters in this film. Firmly anchored in everyday realism, 'The Watcher' has supernatural overtones, and a brilliant atmosphere oozes from the screen, threatening to shred one's nerves to pieces.

                                           Colin Warhurst and Joe O'Byrne

The cast are uniformly excellent. Ian Curley is a class act, and gives an unselfish and understated performance as the hapless Marek. As with all O'Byrne's characters, we get the feeling that this man has a wealth of stories to tell, and this is merely one of them. There is a fabulous turn from David Edward-Robertson as Danny, an embittered ex fireman nursing an intense hatred of Frank Morgan, and O'Byrne himself plays Morgan with lashings of steely-eyed charm that the likes of Jason Statham would kill to have an ounce of.

'The Watcher' is a perfectly formed gem of a film, and deserves a much wider audience. This is where the real heart of British film-making beats loud and strong. Forget the mainstream trash clogging up screen after screen at the local multiplex, and do yourself a big favour. Who watches 'The Watcher'? Everybody should!

Available to view online in the next month.

For more information on 'The Watcher' and Joe O'Byrne's Paradise Heights, take a look at the blog here: http://lowtalesfromtheheights.blogspot.com/

THE WATCHER

Joe O'Byrne

O'Byrne on set

For some very very very irritating reason, I seem unable to copy and paste articles on this blog at the moment. Therefore, I shall refer you to The Public Reviews website, where my review of Joe O'Byrne's cracking new film appears: http://www.thepublicreviews.com/film-the-watcher-a-tale-from-paradise-heights/

THE WATCHER

Many apologies. There seems to be a problem uploading the review. Watch this space, folks!

IT'S BEEN A WHILE.....

... but I'm back.

Review of Joe O'Byrne's fabulous new film up very soon!!

'The Prisoner' play premieres in Manchester

At last, my play about Patrick McGoohan gets its premiere this week. We had planned to open it in London recently, but those pesky 'circumstances beyond our control' have forced us to postpone the performances until the new year. Meaning, we shall now be opening this Friday 12th November at 8pm in The Salmon Theatre at The Lass O'Gowrie. Press release below.

'Be seeing you'!!

NEW PLAY ABOUT 'THE PRISONER' STAR PATRICK McGOOHAN PREMIERES IN MANCHESTER

(Press Release 08.11.10)

‘EVERYMAN: The Story Of Patrick McGoohan – The Prisoner’ is a new play from TRANSMISSION UNLIMITED, detailing the life of the theatre, television, and film star (who sadly died last year), and is to be staged in Manchester this week at The Salmon Theatre, upstairs at The Lass O'Gowrie pub on Charles Street. Writer BRIAN GORMAN, who also plays McGoohan and his character 'Number Six', performed a special rehearsed reading of 'Everyman' earlier this year at The Lass O'Gowrie, and played to a full house. The reading garnered a glowing review from Brian Watson for The Unmutual website (a major 'Prisoner' fan group):

"Brian achieved what no Number Two managed, that was to deconstruct the personality of the man and propose a very credible "what it's all about" of McGoohan's life and work.

The script of EVERYMAN is a joy: at turns witty, informative, dramatic, and wonderfully paced throughout. The author knows his subject thoroughly, tells the tale well and, while he refers to influences that surface later in The Prisoner, he never descends to quote-dropping for gratuitous effect."

Gorman believes that a theatrical tribute to the star of such cult tv favourites as ‘DANGER MAN’ and ‘THE PRISONER’ is long overdue:

"McGoohan was a brilliant actor. In common with the great Orson Welles, who he cited as a major influence, he was also a fiercely uncompromising individual who took real artistic chances, and divided the critics."

PATRICK McGOOHAN was born in New York, but spent less than a year there before his family relocated to their native Ireland. Several years later, they moved to England, where McGoohan caught the acting bug in Sheffield, and worked his way up to leading roles at the local professional repertory theatre. He was the first choice to play James Bond in 1962, but turned down the role of a lifetime due to his distaste for the depiction of gratuitous violence and casual sex. While Bond was smashing cinema box office records, McGoohan became an international television star as secret agent John Drake in ‘Danger Man’; who rarely used a gun and politely declined the numerous advances of beautiful women. After several hugely successful years, McGoohan tired of playing Drake, and persuaded legendary producer Lew Grade to back his new project, ‘The Prisoner’, and allow him full creative control. The series made McGoohan the highest paid actor on British tv when he played an un-named secret agent who attempts to resign his job, only to be kidnapped and imprisoned in a mysterious village from which there seems no escape. Everybody in The Village is assigned a number, and McGoohan is referred to as Number Six, but refuses to conform; spending each of the series’ seventeen episodes attempting to outwit his captors. The show became a massive cult hit with its flamboyant action, imaginative stories, and surreal style, and was recently remade for ITV with Sir Ian McKellen starring as the enigmatic and menacing ‘Number Two’. McGoohan also starred in a variety of successful films including ‘Silver Streak’, ‘Ice Station Zebra’, and Mel Gibson’s oscar-winning ‘Braveheart’. He won two Emmy awards for acting in the ‘Columbo’ tv series, and was even immortalised in an episode of ‘The Simpsons’.

Manchester-based BRIAN GORMAN is from Wigan, and is a writer, artist, and actor. He has designed posters and brochure illustrations for The Chester Gateway Theatre, and had work published in The Liverpool Daily Post, The Big Issue, and Green World (the magazine of The Green Party). His artwork has also been seen on television (ITV1’s ‘Martina Cole’s Lady Killers’), and he is currently working on a professional commission to produce a series of graphic novels on Manchester bands. As an actor he has played leading roles in corporate and educational dramas, music videos, and has just played the notorious mass murderer Thomas Hamilton in an upcoming television reconstruction of the 1996 Dunblane massacre. He has also played the main villain, Viktor Toxikoff, in award-winning director Chris Stone’s James Bond inspired music video ‘The Rebel’, for the band The Amateurs. Gorman also has an arts review blog at http://fictionmaker.blogspot.com/

Gorman first studied acting at Wigan College of Technology in the 1980s, and was fascinated to later discover that Sir Ian McKellen had grown up just yards from the college theatre:

"I wrote to Sir Ian several years ago when he agreed to allow me to use his likeness in my comic book, ‘Borderliners’ (as did another hero of mine, The Saint himself - Sir Roger Moore). He sent me a wonderful three page hand-written letter telling me about how he’d enjoyed his childhood in Wigan, and had even played on the same stage as I had. It’s a fascinating coincidence that he has recently starred in the remake of ‘The Prisoner’, and now here I am playing Patrick McGoohan! "

Onboard as the production’s official adviser is ROBERT FAIRCLOUGH. Robert is a freelance writer, designer and producer. His work on ‘The Prisoner’ includes the book ‘The Prisoner: The Official Companion to the Classic TV Series’, editing two volumes of ‘The Original Scripts’ for the classic series and graphic design work on the recent AMC remake. He is a broadcaster who has featured on BBC radio and ITV, written for the British Film Institute and 'SFX' magazine and produced documentaries for 2 Entertain's range of ‘Doctor Who’ DVDs.

RICHARD HULSE directs for TRANSMISSION UNLIMITED, and also plays the part of McGoohan's/Number Six's nemesis 'Number Two'. Gorman and Hulse first met almost twenty years ago whilst studying for English degrees, and have collaborated on several theatrical and film projects.

There is a word of warning from Brian Gorman for anyone expecting a straight-forward story of McGoohan’s life:

"In keeping with McGoohan’s surreal work on ‘The Prisoner’, we will be playing around with time, as well as the character itself. ‘Patrick McGoohan’ will be a mix of the real man, and ‘Number Six’, and the whole piece will be presented in the style of an episode of ‘The Prisoner’."

Another Prisoner fan, STEPHEN FRY, has sent Brian his personal best wishes for the production.

Entry is just £4, and tickets will be on sale on the night at the venue. Reservations can be made by emailing theprisonermcgoohan@yahoo.co.uk.

More details can be seen on the production’s Facebook page ‘JOHN DRAKE’.

Brian Gorman can be contacted at http://uk.mc296.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=brianinchester@yahoo.co.uk
or on 07510 591444.

'EVERYMAN' London & Chester dates

NEW PLAY ABOUT 'THE PRISONER' STAR
PATRICK McGOOHAN PREMIERES IN LONDON

THE PHOENIX ARTIST CLUB, 1 Phoenix St., Charing Cross Rd., London WC2H 8BU
8pm Wednesday 3rd - Thurs 4th November 2010

(Press Release 15.10.10)

‘EVERYMAN: The Story Of Patrick McGoohan – The Prisoner’ is a new play from Brian Gorman's theatre company, TRANSMISSION UNLIMITED, detailing the life of the theatre, television, and film star (who sadly died last year), and is to be staged in London next month at the famous Phoenix Artist Club on Charing Cross Road. The play will then be performed in Chester at The Forum Studio Theatre, Hamilton Place on 13th January next year (the anniversary of McGoohan's death in 2009).

Gorman, who also plays McGoohan and his character 'Number Six', performed a special rehearsed reading of 'Everyman' earlier this year in Manchester, at The Lass O'Gowrie pub, and played to a full house. The reading garnered a glowing review from Brian Watson for The Unmutual website (a major 'Prisoner' fan group):

"Brian achieved what no Number Two managed, that was to deconstruct the personality of the man and propose a very credible "what it's all about" of McGoohan's life and work.
The script of EVERYMAN is a joy: at turns witty, informative, dramatic, and wonderfully paced throughout. The author knows his subject thoroughly, tells the tale well and, while he refers to influences that surface later in The Prisoner, he never descends to quote-dropping for gratuitous effect."

Gorman believes that a theatrical tribute to the star of such cult tv favourites as ‘DANGER MAN’ and ‘THE PRISONER’ is long overdue:

"McGoohan was a brilliant actor. In common with the great Orson Welles, who he cited as a major influence, he was also a fiercely uncompromising individual who took real artistic chances, and divided the critics."

PATRICK McGOOHAN was born in New York, but spent less than a year there before his family relocated to their native Ireland. Several years later, they moved to England, where McGoohan caught the acting bug in Sheffield, and worked his way up to leading roles at the local professional repertory theatre. He was the first choice to play James Bond in 1962, but turned down the role of a lifetime due to his distaste for the depiction of gratuitous violence and casual sex. While Bond was smashing cinema box office records, McGoohan became an international television star as secret agent John Drake in ‘Danger Man’; who rarely used a gun and politely declined the numerous advances of beautiful women. After several hugely successful years, McGoohan tired of playing Drake, and persuaded legendary producer Lew Grade to back his new project, ‘The Prisoner’, and allow him full creative control. The series made McGoohan the highest paid actor on British tv when he played an un-named secret agent who attempts to resign his job, only to be kidnapped and imprisoned in a mysterious village from which there seems no escape. Everybody in The Village is assigned a number, and McGoohan is referred to as Number Six, but refuses to conform; spending each of the series’ seventeen episodes attempting to outwit his captors. The show became a massive cult hit with its flamboyant action, imaginative stories, and surreal style, and was recently remade for ITV with Sir Ian McKellen starring as the enigmatic and menacing ‘Number Two’. McGoohan also starred in a variety of successful films including ‘Silver Streak’, ‘Ice Station Zebra’, and Mel Gibson’s oscar-winning ‘Braveheart’. He won two Emmy awards for acting in the ‘Columbo’ tv series, and was even immortalised in an episode of ‘The Simpsons’.

BRIAN GORMAN is from Wigan, and is a writer, artist, and actor. He has designed posters and brochure illustrations for The Chester Gateway Theatre, and had work published in The Liverpool Daily Post, The Big Issue, and Green World (the magazine of The Green Party). His artwork has also been seen on television (ITV1’s ‘Martina Cole’s Lady Killers’), and he is currently working on a professional commission to produce a series of graphic novels on Manchester bands. As an actor he has played leading roles in corporate and educational dramas, music videos, and has just played the notorious mass murderer Thomas Hamilton in an upcoming television reconstruction of the 1996 Dunblane massacre. He has also played the main villain, Viktor Toxikoff, in award-winning director Chris Stone’s James Bond inspired music video ‘The Rebel’, for the band The Amateurs. Gorman also has an arts review blog at http://fictionmaker.blogspot.com/Gorman first studied acting at Wigan College of Technology in the 1980s, and was fascinated to later discover that Sir Ian McKellen had grown up just yards from the college theatre:

"I wrote to Sir Ian several years ago when he agreed to allow me to use his likeness in my comic book, ‘Borderliners’ (as did another hero of mine, The Saint himself - Sir Roger Moore). He sent me a wonderful three page hand-written letter telling me about how he’d enjoyed his childhood in Wigan, and had even played on the same stage as I had. It’s a fascinating coincidence that he has recently starred in the remake of ‘The Prisoner’, and now here I am playing Patrick McGoohan! "

Onboard as the production’s official adviser is ROBERT FAIRCLOUGH. Robert is a freelance writer, designer and producer. His work on ‘The Prisoner’ includes the book ‘The Prisoner: The Official Companion to the Classic TV Series’, editing two volumes of ‘The Original Scripts’ for the classic series and graphic design work on the recent AMC remake. He is a broadcaster who has featured on BBC radio and ITV, written for the British Film Institute and 'SFX' magazine and produced documentaries for 2 Entertain's range of ‘Doctor Who’ DVDs.

RICHARD HULSE directs for TRANSMISSION UNLIMITED, and also plays the part of McGoohan's/Number Six's nemesis 'Number Two'. Gorman and Hulse first met almost twenty years ago whilst studying for English degrees, and have collaborated on several theatrical and film projects.

There is a word of warning from Brian Gorman for anyone expecting a straight-forward story of McGoohan’s life:

"In keeping with McGoohan’s surreal work on ‘The Prisoner’, we will be playing around with time, as well as the character itself. ‘Patrick McGoohan’ will be a mix of the real man, and ‘Number Six’, and the whole piece will be presented in the style of an episode of ‘The Prisoner’."

Another Prisoner fan, STEPHEN FRY, has sent Brian his personal best wishes for the production.

Entry is just £6, and tickets for the London production will be on sale very soon. Tickets at the same price for The Forum Studio Theatre, Chester are now on sale; telephone 01244 341296, or book online at http://www.tiptopproductions.co.uk/

Reservations can be made by emailing theprisonermcgoohan@yahoo.co.uk. More details can be seen on the production’s Facebook page ‘JOHN DRAKE’.

Brian Gorman can be contacted at brianinchester@yahoo.co.uk
or on 07510 591444.