Stealing Shakespeare

David recently narrated a new documentary for BBC One. If you missed it you can catch up on the iPlayer here.

Stealing Shakespeare:
The remarkable story of how a 53-year-old rare book dealer from the North East of England became the centre of a mystery surrounding the disappearance of a long lost Shakespeare First Folio. The film follows bachelor Raymond Scott as he finds himself the focus of a worldwide investigation, involving the FBI, a Cuban fiancee and Durham CID.

EDIT: Added internation version for overseas fans to watch below.
Thanks to Vanessa.

Decoy Bride Update

Filming for Decoy Bride has been continuing across Scotland this week and for an amazingly informative insight in to the process we recommend that you read ForArgyll.com's blog about a day on location with the cast and crew here.

There's also a couple of new on set photos of David to be found here.

The Guardian Recommend Blackpool

The Guardian have today published a review of Blackpool on DVD, starring David Tennant.
Read it below:

Blackpool, the all-singing, all-action drama from 2004, features whipsmart dialogue and gripping chemistry between its three principal characters.
Perhaps it's the Glee effect, but Blackpool seems less weird now than when it was first broadcast, in 2004. At the time, many viewers balked at a crime drama in which the cast burst into hallucinatory song-and-dance numbers, Dennis Potter-style, at climactic moments. And it's hard to think of any other series that would run to an elaborate staging of the Smiths' The Boy With the Thorn in His Side, complete with a chorus line of twirling policemen, lip-synching tramps and a leering David Tennant.
The six-parter was written by Peter Bowker, with a cast led by David Morrissey, a pre-Doctor Who Tennant and Mistresses' Sarah Parish. Ostensibly a domestic whodunnit, Blackpool is really the portrait of Ripley Holden (Morrissey), a charismatic monster to rival Ashes to Ashes' Gene Hunt. This "prehistoric" Elvis-alike is an amusement-arcade boss intent on transforming the seaside town with his plan for a Vegas-style resort hotel ("It's goldrush time in Blackpool," he announces at one point, "and guess who's shitting golden nuggets?"). When a dead body turns up, Holden is soon butting heads with detective Peter Carlisle (an equally charismatic Tennant), who in turn becomes compromised when he embarks on an affair with Holden's wife, Natalie (Parish).
The real joy of Blackpool is the explosive chemistry between this trio, played out in part via karaoke renditions of pop classics such as Cupid and the Clash's Should I Stay Or Should I Go (indeed, Tennant's absence fatally hobbles 2006's disappointing one-off sequel, Viva Blackpool). But there is much else to savour, including a solid supporting cast (Corrie's Georgia Taylor as Holden's daughter Shyanne; John Thomson and Steve Pemberton as seedy associates), some whipsmart dialogue and a noirish Americana score that surely approximates the music playing inside Holden's head. In the same way, this town of strippers, stag parties and addicts is subtly glossed with an exotic sheen. Blackpool has never looked better: truly, the Vegas of the north.

Source: The Guardian

You can order Blackpool & Viva Blackpool from our shop for just £7.99!

Hairy McClary On The iPad

Hairy McClary as narrated by David is now available for download on the iPad.

PRESS RELEASE:
Auckland, NZ – Announcing Kiwa Media, the developer of Hairy Maclary From Donaldsons Dairy (QBook), has launched a remarkable new product for iPad users. The application is a unique, interactive, read-along QBook(TM) which combines a celebrity narrator’s voice, full page illustrations, touchable speaking text, to help young kids develop reading and comprehension skills in an entertaining way. QBook(TM) is a very popular teaching tool and has become the format of choice for many publishers.
Hairy Maclary From Donaldsons Dairy is an iconic bestseller, with over 1.5 million copies sold, written by one of New Zealand’s most popular authors, Lynley Dodd. Dodd has an instantly rewarding writing style as she takes Hairy the dog and his doggy friends exploring down their street. Tension arises however, when a terrible cat by the name of Scarface Claw enters the scene.
Youngsters love the verbal pacing used by the celebrity narrator, David Tennant, the actor famous for his role as Dr. Who. Tennant reads the story, revealing how Hairy and the gang deal with their problem. As the tale unfolds in this QBook(TM), kids are able to interact with it, touching words to watch them leap to life and speak or holding their finger down on a word to hear each letter pronounced, thereby learning to spell and recognize the words.
Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy, like all of the QBooks, provides for a great deal of personalization, so kids can proudly add their own creativity to the book, which even further encourages their involvement in the learning process, increases their focus and is just plain more fun. That’s what QBook(TM) is all about and it seems to work very well.
These are some of the features found in Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy:* Uses the specially designed QBook(TM) format* Narrated by David Tennant (Dr. Who)* Book can be personalized with ‘This book belongs to …’ * Swipe-to-Read(TM) to highlight and playback the story at a child’s own pace* Touch-to-Hear(TM) individual words spoken * Touch-to-Spell(TM) to hear the letters that spell each and every word* Auto Play to enjoy the narration* Users can click the ‘My Narration’ Function to record the story themselves* The Color Palette allows users to paint each page and save the results
QBook(TM) has become the format of choice for publishers wishing to migrate their children’s books into a touch-enabled format. That means that consumers will be seeing many more QBook(TM) products available for teaching and entertaining their children very soon, including books enhanced with animation.
Device Requirements:* Compatible with iPad* Requires iOS 3.2 or later* 59.9 MB
Pricing and Availability:Hairy Maclary From Donaldsons Dairy (QBook) 1.0 for iPad is only $7.99 (USD) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Books and Entertainment category. Promo codes are available for qualified reviewers. Please specify the website or blog you represent when making your request.
Hairy Maclary From Donaldsons Dairy (QBook) 1.0Purchase and DownloadYouTube VideoMedia Assets
Kiwa Media Group is an award winning media company based in New Zealand. Heavily involved in developing iPhone, iPod touch and iPad Apps, Kiwa Media is the creator of the QBook digital publishing format. The company embraces its diversity with its production of film and television programs and digital content for the mobile music industry. Kiwa Media also provides software solutions for ADR and Language Dubbing across the globe. Copyright (C) 2010 Mobile-App-Marketing-Makeover & Edward Turner. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone and iPod are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Headway Essex Reach £10,000!

Lots of good news comes from our friends at Headway Essex this morning!
They have raised an amazing £10,000 so far from the sales of the T Shirts and Pillow Cases designed by David! Thank you to all of you who have purchased one!
And if you haven't got one yet then what are you waiting for?!

and if you're one of our overseas fans then fear not as very soon you'll be able to get your hands on one too. Work is well underway for a new Headway Essex shop and PayPal system, so hang in there!!

And last but not least we've had a few queries about sizings of the T Shirts for kids and as you can see above the T Shirts are a fab idea for the younger fans amongst us too! Little Kurtis looks cool in his and is delighted to be wearing something designed by David!
He's wearing the small male size which is 37-39ins and seems to be the best size for kids to go for.

For full details and info on how to order click here.

And please pop by and visit Headway's Site here.

David Wins At The Constellation Awards

David has been named the winner of the Constellation Award for "Best Male Performance In A 2009 Science Fiction Television Episode" for his portrayal of the Doctor in the Doctor Who episode The Waters Of Mars. He scored 23% of the final vote.

Press Release follows:

TORONTO, ONTARIO, FILM/TV AWARDS ANNOUNCEMENT--(Marketwire - July 20, 2010) - The winners of the 2010 Constellation Awards, honouring the actors and producers behind Canada's favourite science fiction television series and movies, were announced this weekend at ceremonies held at the Sheraton Parkway Toronto North Hotel.
In the film categories, actor Karl Urban ("Star Trek") won the trophy for "Best Male Performance", while his co-star Zoe Saldana won in the "Best Female Performance" category - although her win was for her role in 2009's other blockbuster sci-fi film, "Avatar". "Avatar"'s visual effects also took the win in the "Best Technical Accomplishment" category, while "Star Trek" was honoured as "Best Film of 2009".
In the television categories, actress Lena Headey ("Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles") won for "Best Female Performance", while the "Best Television Series" trophy went to the Vancouver-based series "Supernatural", breaking the 3-year winning streak by the popular British series "Doctor Who".
The Canadian flavour of the awards was evident all night, as Quebec-born actor Bruce Greenwood won the evening's feature category "Outstanding Canadian Contribution to Science Fiction Film or Television" for his performance "Star Trek". Meanwhile, Ontario-based science fiction author Robert J. Sawyer accepted the trophy for "Best Film Or Television Script" on behalf of David S. Goyer and Brannon Braga for their script of the pilot episode of the series "FlashForward", which was based on Sawyer's original novel.
The most competitive category of the evening was the award for "Best Male Performance in a 2009 Television Episode", where actor David Tennant ("Doctor Who") nudged out Canadian actor Robin Dunne ("Sanctuary") by a single percentage point in the fan vote. "I felt like Al Gore!" remarked Dunne when interviewed after the ceremonies. Both "Sanctuary" and the CTV co-production "Defying Gravity" were heavily nominated in this year's awards, but they each failed to triumph in any of the evening's categories./For further information: For more information about The Constellation Awards, please visit http://constellations.tcon.ca or email constellations@tcon.caWebsite contains complete voting statistics in all categories

Decoy Bride Update

Filming on Decoy Bride moved to Scotland last week and David was interviewed on the set at Caerlaverock Castle by BBC Scotland. Watch the video below:

Meanwhile Universal Extras are looking for more people for background work on the film. For more information visit http://www.UniversalExtras.co.uk website or call 0845 0090344.

Fright Night Update

There's a new addition to the cast of one of David's latest film projects. Sandra Vergara will take on the role of David's character's girlfriend in Fright Night.
Colin Farrell, Toni Collette, Imogen Poots and Christopher Mintz-Plasse have also been announced as being part of the film.
Fright Night is due for release on 7th October 2011.

Decoy Bride Update

Filming on Decoy Bride continues this week with the location changing to Scotland.
Meanwhile you can wath an interview with David on Granada Reports from whilst he was filming on the Isle Of Man below:

Decoy Bride Update

David was interviewed by the BBC regional news programme North West Tonight on the set of Decoy Bride yesterday on the Isle Of Man.
Watch the interview below and see some screen caps of David on set here.



He also chatted to the island's radio station 3FM. You can listen to the interview here.

RSC Update

Above is a photo of the new seats being installed in the newly transformed Royal Shakespeare Theatre!
We wonder which one will have David's name on it?!
Read previous posts on the Take Your Seat Campaign here.

Decoy Bride Update

Filming for Decoy Bride is continuing on the Isle Of Man and today 3FM DJ Kelly Foran was down on set to catch up with David and the cast, check out DT's snazzy togs - we assume he was in character for this pic!

Fake Signed Items On eBay

It has come to our attention that a few fake items supposedly signed and or having belonged to David or have been worn by David are currently up for sale on the auction site eBay, some even have a 'genuine' letter from David with them.
David has checked them out and we can confirm that they are nothing to do with him.

Please be VERY careful what you are bidding for on eBay and think before you part with your hard earned cash.
If you would like a signed photo of David that you know for sure is genuine then you can get one in several ways:

• Write to David at the address found here including a SAE.
• Donate to Headway Essex and get a fab signed card, details can be found here.
• Or check out eBays many charity run auctions at http://www.ebay.co.uk/

Fright Night Update

Another of David's film projects, Fright Night, begins filming later this month and they are looking for extras to take part in various scenes.
The movie will be shot in Albuquerque, New Mexico which will stand in for Las Vegas.
On Location Casting is now accepting applications for extras.They are looking for some specific types too, including 18+ year olds to look like younger high school students, 16 to 17 year olds, various high school clique types: nerds, jocks, cheerleaders, Asians, stoners, etc., teacher types with professional attire, parents of high school students, Las Vegas Showgirls, poker players, vampire types, and more.If you're in the area, fill out an application here. On Location adds the one night of filming will be taking place in Los Angeles at: 1335 Willow St.
Thanks to Clara Morgan.

Decoy Bride Update

Filming is continuing on David's latest film project, Decoy Bride, and it has been announced that filming will also take place in Nithsdale.

The Dumfries And Galloway Standard report:

THE NATION’S favourite Dr Who is heading for Nithsdale.
And would-be movie stars are being offered the chance to appear on screen alongside David Tennant (right).
A host of stars will be on location near Dumfries for five or six days shooting key scenes for The Decoy Bride, a new romantic comedy.
Tennant will be joined by Kelly MacDonald who starred in Trainspotting, No Country for Old Men and Gosford Park; Alice Eve from Sex in the City 2; and Michael Urie, well known to Ugly Betty fans as Marc St James.
//');
//]]>
Although Annan’s Ashley Jensen is not among the stars, the Ugly Betty connection continues in the shape of Sheree Folkson who moves over from the TV series to direct The Decoy Bride.
No details of the location have yet been released but an appeal has gone out for extras.
“The company needs about 20 people to play paparazzi,” said Mark Geddes of the South West Scotland Screen Commission.
“They are looking for people aged between their late 20s and their 50s.”
They hunt is also on for extras for a second film, Timelock, which is to be filmed mainly in Dumfries itself.
Private locations in and around Irish Street and English Street will be used in the film about a heist during a huge jewellery exhibition.
“The exhibition venue will be filmed in Glasgow,” added Mark. “But a lot will be filmed in private residences in Dumfries.
“They are also looking for extras, in particular someone to play a delegate at the exhibition.”
Timelock has a much smaller budget than The Decoy Bride which is already being filmed in the Isle of Man. Tennant stars as writer James, who is engaged to famous film star Lara (Alice Eve).
The pair decide to get married on a remote Scottish island when their wedding is ambushed by a paparazzi.
Local lass Katie (Kelly MacDonald) is to be persuaded to stand in as a decoy bride to distract the paparazzi while Lara’s manager Steve (Michael Urie) struggles to ready the island for a fairytale wedding.
Of course, it all goes pear shaped when James meets Katie.
The Decoy Bride was written by Neil Jaworski and Smack The Pony's Sally Phillips, who also stars in the film.
Filming on Timelock gets under way on July 6 and The Decoy Bride starts on July 13.
Anyone interested in becoming an extra should email Mark at Mark.Geddes@dumgal.gov.uk in the first instance.

David At Legally Blonde

A few weeks back David attended a special performance of Legally Blonde at the Savoy Theatre in London. View some photos from the evening here.

Find out more about Legally Blonde The Musical here.

A Year In The Spotlight eBook

The book David Tennant A Year In The Spotlight was published in November 2009 and is now available as an eBook (both Kindle or PDF). The book examines the media interest in the actor David Tennant. The eBook is 356 pages in length and is available online from either http://www.DavidTennantBook.com or on Amazon.co.uk and all proceeds go to the cancer charity AICR which David Tennant supports. 2008 was a massive year for the actor David Tennant in terms of the press interest in him. He was the star of one of British television's leading dramas, Doctor Who, and he played theatre's most famous role, Hamlet, for the Royal Shakespeare Company which won excellent reviews from the critics. He also played in Love's Labour's Lost on stage, chose to announce that he was leaving Doctor Who live on national television, had to withdraw from Hamlet to have an operation days before the London press night but managed to return to the role for the final week of the run in half the usual recovery time. Add to that the numerous awards that he won throughout the year and barely a day went by that David's name was not mentioned in the British press. It was a roller-coaster ride too for his fans; keeping up with all his news, watching Doctor Who episodes on television, listening to his radio and TV interviews and making trips to see him on stage in Stratford-Upon-Avon and London, as well as reading and posting on the masses of David Tennant and Doctor Who fan forums online. This book seeks to look at an amazing year in the spotlight in the life of one quite humble actor through reports in the press, through comments by his friends and colleagues and through reactions by his fans. As well as a section of all this theatre reviews, the book also covers: All the awards both David Tennant and Doctor Who received during the year An in-depth look at the filming of Doctor Who Series Four The media interest in the Doctor Who Series Four Press Launch A detailed account of the Hamlet rehearsal process Fans reactions each of the Doctor Who episodes plus the ratings that 3,000 fans gave each one All of David Tennant's TV and radio interviews during the year using his own words as much as possible The media articles that David had signed for another series of Doctor Who and then the reaction to him announcing that he would be leaving after the Specials The headlines that he used a real skull on stage during Hamlet and the little known fact that he continued using it during the London run too Whilst playing in Hamlet and Love's Labour's Lost David Tennant fitting in filming the Steven Poliakoff movie Glorious 39 David Tennant pulling out of Hamlet to have an operation on his back David returning to the stage on the night of the announcement of Matt Smith as the new Doctor.