Happy new year!
So,I am currently in rehearsals for 'Mary Stuart' by Friedrich Schiller.
I am playing Count Aubespine,the French ambassador who causes havoc in the English court.
We open at Questors Theatre on February 8th until the 16th.
I am also working on onother play,'Oh Democracy' a bawdy musical adaption of Aristophanes' political satire 'The Knights' in which I play Dem the European citizen.
We open that show on the 26th of February for an off-West End three week run at Theatro Technis.
Also, 'After the World Ended' is released on the 1st of June so look out for that.
So busy and loving it!

Firstly,I would like to offer my congratulations to Tony Sebastian Ukpo and his team on winning three awards for 'A Fighter's Ballad'at the John Paul II festival including best film and best actor to Peter Cadwell.well done guys-well deserved!
As Christmas draws near I spent a wonderful evening this week at the Chelsea Old Church for a charity carol service in aid of RAPt- a rehabilitation organization for prisoners with addictions with readings by 'Downton Abbey's Brendan Coyle,Emilia Fox and my friend Bob Kingdom.
Also,I am taking part in a live art installation project headed by the talented artist Lauren Godfrey.
We will be showing it at the ICA this Saturday the 8th of December as part of Bloomberg New Contemporaries.very exciting!

During the week I was invited to a screening of 'A Fighters Ballad' at the Whirled Cinema.It was a beautifully poignant and powerful film starring Clive Russell and Peter Cadwell who wrote the screenplay adapted from his stage play. It was directed by Tony Sebastian Ukpo who recently directed me in 'After the World Ended'.The film was followed by a Q&A with Tony and its producer Jane Frisby.An enjoyable evening was had by everyone and I am sure it will do well in Miami where it is being screened and nominated for a number of awards at the John Paul II Film Festival!

Today I am having a fitting at a studio near Virginia Water for a film I am doing at the end of the month playing an aeroplane passenger.
I taped an audition video for the producers of a London crime thriller,more and more casting directors are asking actors to do this rather than the conventional way,it is easier I guess.
I am playing a guy getting ready to go out on a Saturday night in a music video for the band 'Cheatahs',they are using footage from my actual audition.

After postponing filming due to the weather we finally wrapped on the independent film 'After the World Ended'yesterday.Locations were Holland and Hyde parks in glorious autumn sunshine.
I didn't get the print job,but I have an upcoming audition for a film and onother project in the works.

Well,the print casting went well I thought,basically it's for a major food brand and the photographer took stills of me doing various facial expressions and of my hands holding a couple of objects.
I have been to this sort of casting before and the brand usually have a particular look in mind,so we shall see.

We couldn't film yesterday due to heavy rain so it's been postponed til next week.
Today I have a Print casting in central London,will let you know how it goes.
Last night I was having a conversation with some friends about films I have been close to getting;In the nineties I was up for a lead role in the movie 'Alive' about the group of rugby players who are stranded on the Andes.the casting director,Mike Fenton at Paramount really wanted me for the part and told me to read the book which I did and then I had  a call-back where I met the producers and director. Alas the part went to a name actor.
Onother  film I was supposed to do was 'Il Postino'.I was given the script by the assistant director Stefano Veneruso,who has since become a dear friend and a director in his own right;the part was only a minor one:the policeman,I think.It went on to become Stefano's uncle,the late Massimo Troisi's most successful film.I was working in the family business at the time and didn't go to Italy for the casting.alas.
It is always interesting to note the movie roles that actors have turned down or didn't get and which other actors have made their own.