Radio Times Interview

The new issue of the Radio Times, released on Tuesday 5th October, will feature an interview with David. See preview below:

Paul O'Grady Live

David will be a guest on Paul O'Grady Live on Friday 8th October at 9pm on ITV1.

Single Father Preview

A preview of Single Father can be seen in the new BBC Drama Autumn / Winter 2010 / 2011 showreel.
Episode one of Single Father airs on BBC One at 9pm on Sunday 10th October.

The Sarah Jane Adventures Series 3 DVD

The Complete Third Series of The Sarah Jane Adventures is released in the UK on DVD on 1st November 2010.

The series includes the story, The Wedding Of Sarah Jane Smith, which features the final scenes ever recorded by David as the Doctor.

You can pre order it for just £12.99 in our shop here.

US fans will get the DVD a little later with it being released there on 4th January 2011.

If you're in the USA you can pre order it for just $21.99 in our shop here.

Single Father To Air 10/10/10

The BBC Press Office have today confirmed that the first episode of Single Father will air at 9:00pm on Sunday 10th October on BBC One.
There are four episodes in the serial and each is an hour long.
Visit our Single Father section here for all the latest news, interviews, reviews, photos and more.

Meanwhile our friends over at LastBroadcast have a fab review of the first episode online - make sure you check it out here.

Single Father To Air Week 9 -15 October

The BBC have confirmed that the first episode of David's new four part series, Single Father, will air in the week of 9 - 15 October 2010. However they have still not specified a day or time for transmission.

The BBC Press Office says:

David Tennant and Suranne Jones star in Single Father, a touching yet humorous drama written by Mick Ford about finding love after heartbreak.
Dave and Rita are a devoted couple living in the midst of mess and mayhem with their children Lucy, Paul, Ewan and Evie. But everything changes in an instant when Rita is killed in a road accident. Suddenly, Dave, a photographer, faces an uncertain future and the seemingly impossible job of bringing up the kids alone.
Dave finds it hard to cope at first, but at least he has the love and support of friends and family especially Rita's best friend, schoolteacher Sarah, and her partner Matt.
Eldest daughter Lucy, Rita's child from a previous relationship whom Dave has brought up as his own, is particularly devastated – she's lost her mum and has never known who her real dad is.
When an education officer visits to tell Dave that Lucy has been playing truant from school, a new threat emerges for the family. As Dave and Rita weren't married, Dave realises that his guardianship of Lucy is hanging by a thread.
Eventually, in a bitter confrontation, Lucy rejects Dave, telling him she wants to find her real father. Dave is devastated and things are further complicated when she runs away from home.
In the panic that follows, Dave calls on Sarah to help with the kids so he can go in search of Lucy and he finally cracks under the emotional pressure. Sarah comforts Dave and, in their shared moment of grief over Rita's death, the friends grow closer.
This four-part relationship drama asks how soon is too soon to fall in love? With his children at the centre of his world, Dave worries about what will happen when they find out about his blossoming relationship with Sarah and whether he's betraying Rita's memory...
A Red Production for BBC One through BBC Scotland, Single Father is simulcast on the BBC HD channel – the BBC's High Definition channel, available through Freesat 108, Freeview 50, Sky 143 and Virgin 108.
Dave is played by David Tennant, Sarah by Suranne Jones, Rita by Laura Fraser, Lucy by Natasha Watson, Paul by Chris Hegarty, Ewan by Robert Dickson, Evie by Millie Innes and Matt by Warren Brown

SFX Sci Fi Awards 2011

David has been nominated in the Best Sci Fi Actor and Sexiest Male categories at the SFX Sci Fi Awards 2011 for his role in Doctor Who.
The regeneration from The End Of Time Part Two is also up for Best Death Scene!

You can vote for him online here.

The 2010 Fundraiser

Thanks to all of you who emailed, tweeted etc suggesting charities that we could raise money for this year.
Each charity suggested was deserving and it was a tough choice to choose between any of them, but this year we have decided to go for the SPCA.
The SPCA is Scotland's Animal Welfare Charity and prevents cruelty to animals and encourages kindness and humanity in their treatment.
As an animal welfare charity, they receive no government or lottery funding and rely on public donations to continue their vital work rescuing and rehoming Scotland's abandoned, neglected and defenceless animals.
We hope that you will join in our fundraiser and donate to this wonderful cause.

Click here to view our fundraising page and please donate if you can.

You can watch a video about the SPCA, narrated by David below:

Dead Air Wins Audiobook Award

Dead Air has been named the 2010 Audiobook Of The Year, as voted for by visitors of the Audiobook Store.

The Doctor Who adventure was written by James Goss and was the final exclusive to audio story to feature the Tenth Doctor. The story was read by David Tennant.

James Goss told the Doctor Who News Page he wished to thank all the fans who voted for the story.

Thanks to www.doctorwhonews.com

Single Father - Character Biogs

Family Tree

Dave, played by David Tennant

Dave's a lovely bloke who adores Rita. He's a good dad to their three kids, an excellent step dad to Lucy and a great provider but, on the whole, he's happy to let Rita deal with the children and the home – which makes coping alone all the more difficult. Photographer Dave – in love with his dead partner, Rita – is loyal, loving, funny, confused, and embarking on a journey of discovery.

Sarah played by Suranne Jones

Rita's best friend, Sarah, is a teacher at the school where Rita works as a classroom assistant. Gorgeous, and always quick to smile, Sarah lives with partner Matt and seems happy. However, kids aren't on the agenda – yet. Devastated by Rita's death, Sarah is there for Dave as a friend whenever he needs help.

Rita played by Laura Fraser

Adopted by Beatty as a child, Rita had Lucy when she was still at college and met Dave two years later. Relationship-wise she gave Dave a run for his money – but he hung in there and, together, they've raised a family and made a good life together. Rita insists on strict rules for kids: no mobile phones, no computer games, no clothes with logos and no rubbish films, so her sudden death leaves a gaping hole in the family.

Tanya played by Sophie Kennedy Clark

Dave's 18-year-old daughter by his first marriage to Michelle, Tanya works with Dave in his photographic studio – which would be great except she's not that interested in the job. Single mother to three-year-old Samuel, Tanya hasn't grown up or taken on the full responsibility of motherhood yet. Constantly helped out by her mother and Rita, Dave only started being useful to Tanya a few years ago.

Anna played by Neve McIntosh

Dave's sister-in-law, Rita's adopted sister. Anna suffered when her mum adopted an older girl and never really recovered. Nosey, bossy, opinionated and unintentionally hilarious, Anna can't help but interfere in Dave and the children's lives after Rita's death. She means well but can be over-bearing – a fact her husband, Robin, knows all too well.

Matt played by Warren Brown

Sarah's long-term partner, Matt is younger than his girlfriend and not quite ready to settle down and have kids – which could prove problematic for the couple. But Matt's a good man and he does love Sarah. He notices when things start to change between them, only trouble is he just can't spot the cause.

Robin played by Mark Heap

Anna's husband and family solicitor, Robin seems like a hen-pecked husband – but appearances can be deceptive. On the surface, Robin and Dave seem worlds apart in personality and lifestyles but they're there for one another when needed.

Beatty played by Isla Blair

Rita's adopted mother, Beatty, is stranded by Rita's death and worried that further strains on the family may pull it apart.

Michelle played by Jenni Keenan Green

Dave's ex-wife, and mother to Tanya, tries to seize the opportunity to make herself part of Dave's life again when Rita dies. When that fails, there are glimpses of old tensions between Dave and Michelle not least because she's always fiercely protective of Tanya's position

Stuart played by Rupert Graves

Former college friend of Rita's, Stuart's past catches up with him following Rita's death and he is forced to face and disclose some powerful revelations.

The Kids

Lucy played by Natasha Watson

Rita's eldest daughter, Dave has brought 15-year-old Lucy up as his own. A complicated, interesting teenager – the death of her mother leaves her with a whole host of unanswered questions about her identity and she becomes determined to find her real father knowing that it hurts Dave.

Paul played by Chris Hegarty

Paul is the protector of his mother's values – a role that seems to enable him to deal with Rita's death. The 11-year-old also has an instinct to look after Dave – and quietly starts finding comfort in religion.

Ewan played by Robert Dickson

Very angry at the loss of his mum, nine-year-old Ewan wants more attention from his dad – and will do anything to get it. Not thinking of the consequences…

Evie played by Millie Innes

Five-year-old Evie seems to bounce back more easily than the others. She has a strong sense of herself and her place in the family – and can take everyone by surprise. But is she socially sophisticated or a complete innocent?

Thanks to the BBC Press Office

Single Father - An Introduction

David Tennant and Suranne Jones star in Single Father, a touching yet humorous drama written by Mick Ford about finding love after heartbreak.
The series tells the story of Dave (David Tennant), a photographer facing the seemingly impossible job of bringing up four kids alone after the sudden death of his wife, Rita.
And things get even more complicated when he falls in love with his wife's best friend, Sarah (Suranne Jones). Single Father asks how soon is too soon to fall in love again?
Nicola Shindler, executive producer, Red Production Company, says: "From the first time Mick talked to me about the story of Single Father, I was gripped. It was beautiful, moving and funny and had all the truthful emotional stories that I want to see on British TV. It's basically a great story. I had been a fan of Mick's writing for many years and jumped at the opportunity to work with him.
"Working with David and Suranne was an additional delight. I'd worked with both actors before and am so pleased with their chemistry on screen. It's a tricky story to tell but it is not about grief or retrospection. It's about love and joy and moving on."
Anne Mensah, executive producer, BBC Scotland, adds: "It's been wonderful bringing David Tennant back to Scotland and in this beautiful production. Mick Ford's script shows the complexity, humour and sorrow involved in modern relationships.
"The truth in his writing is universal and I hope will touch the hearts of a wide audience. The performances from both David and Suranne are absolutely captivating and make this an extraordinary memorable piece of work."
Writer Mick Ford (William & Mary) explains his motivation and inspiration for writing such an emotional and touching drama:
"Single Father is about the mess of family life today and the seismic shocks that hit after a traffic accident robs Dave of the woman he adores and the mother of three of his children. Rita's the woman who runs the family and the woman who leaves behind a 15-year-old daughter from an earlier liaison.
"Dave really tries. He's not a useless dad – I didn't want to get into that. This is a man who can look after the kids and cook and clear up but the emotional and physical demands in the end are too great. Too much stamina is required – there's no hiding place until he's suddenly losing himself in his feelings for Rita's best friend, Sarah. But is it all too soon? "I think we have an instinct for decorum when it comes to how soon new relationships should blossom after certain events. Timing is everything and to go against that feels wrong and draws criticism.
"Consequently, Dave and Sarah feel all those things and can't be sure that what they're both feeling isn't just an over-riding need to escape from their current situations, rather than a pure, laudable, love that's simply out of synch with events.
"They both love Rita but they are also responding to each other out of a reflex that's sparked by need and a sudden opportunity to acknowledge and advance the attraction they feel towards each other.
"Single Father is a love story – or rather a collection of love stories – between Dave and Rita, Dave and Sarah and Dave and his kids – plus others!
"Through a gradual process anything extraneous to family life has been stripped from the Single Father story, so we end up with a pure relationship drama. There's no thriller elements, no bad people doing others down – it's just life happening and, to me, when that works, I love it.
"Statistics tell us single parents now look after 23 per cent of all children against 8 per cent back in the early Seventies when I started having children. But other things have changed, too. There are now more families formed by two people who already have children, coming together and having their own kids – which leads to a complex family set-up where the extended family can have branches springing off all over the place.
"I have five children and my eldest daughter was born while I was still at college. So, in other words, I've effectively been a parent all my adult life and it was a case of searching for a story that would allow me to tell this story.
"I was also interested in single parenting – I think it's an incredibly difficult way of life which presents all manner of dilemmas. Today, nearly a quarter of all children live in single parent families so writing about that appealed to me.
"From my own experience, when I separated, and subsequently became divorced, from my two daughters' mum back in the Eighties, I had joint custody and they lived with me half the time. This is not single parenting, because half the time they weren't with me and there were still two of us making decisions. But it gave me a taste of what it's like, of how hard it is and the dangers and pitfalls that appear if the adult begins to concentrate too much on their own needs.
"On the other hand, should a single parent sacrifice their own happiness to concentrate solely on the children? Because children, however much we love them, can be infuriating and insatiable for a parent's time and energy!
"I was delighted Single Father was filmed in Glasgow because seven years ago we took our three boys, aged three, seven and nine, to live on the Kintyre Peninsular for 15 months. It was in the middle of nowhere and Glasgow was where we came to get an occasional dose of city life – so I have a fondness for the place."Let me tell you something – most writers, when they see their work being filmed, have a crisis because it's not what they imagined. But straight away – and it is a rare experience, for me anyway – Single Father is exactly what I imagined, and more.
"Red Production Company and BBC Scotland have done a fantastic job in every department – from the production to the casting, the design to the direction and the editing – everything has served the process of capturing fantastic performances from all the actors.
"I'm certain viewers will get caught up in this story. They'll become attached to the family, to Dave and Sarah and the children. They'll want to know what's going to happen to them all. For me, Single Father captures the kind of family life I know and recognise."
Single Father is made by Red Production Company for BBC One through BBC Scotland.
Thanks to BBC Press Office.

David Talks Single Father

What attracted you to Single Father?

First, and foremost, the script. It's just one of those scripts that arrived fully formed. The way it talks about family life and the way that Mick [Ford] draws the characters of the kids is just so beautifully done.
It's funny, true and clever. I've been fortunate to have experienced that a couple of times before but really it's so rare. When those gems arrive you just have to say 'yes' straightaway.

What is it about Mick Ford's script that makes Single Father "must watch" TV?

I think it's just surprisingly accessible - whether you have kids or not it's very recognisable. It feels very human and very real and the characters are so beautifully drawn in the script and I think we were extremely fortunate with the cast, which just means they've created this perfect little world. All the quirks of family life are there.

As the drama starts with a death, would you say it's a tear-jerker?

Because of the subject matter it's inevitably a very emotional piece. But what's beautiful about this script is how, at times, it's brutally unsentimental. Rather than seeing the characters weeping and wailing we catch up with them 10 weeks later, just as life is about to kick in.
We rejoin just as events are starting to return to "normal." It's a time when everyone's trying to move on but it's simply not that easy.Of course, it's about a mother of four children who dies in a road traffic accident, so naturally it's sad – but the way it's been written and directed you instantly feel part of this world where life happens, life goes on.

How would you describe Dave?

He's a loving bloke who's committed to his family and works hard. Life just happens to him in a way that none of us ever imagine it could. He's thrown into a situation he could never have conceived of and it's all just about coping and being a father.Dave has always relied on Rita to define his fathering and his parenting skills. So, when she dies, he's rudderless at first. He wasn't a bad father by any stretch of the imagination but he was a partner in the parenting and suddenly he's the sole carer. That's huge for him and so difficult to imagine how you'd cope with such a drastic change.

Is Dave shocked by his growing feelings for Sarah?

I think everything comes as a shock to Dave in this drama. He's put into the most shocking situation anyone can imagine when his wife dies suddenly.When viewers first meet him he's very much in the midst of life and then that life changes drastically. He doesn't know how to deal with Rita's death at first. Things get complicated for Dave when he starts to develop feelings for Sarah and then, of course, he discovers secrets from Rita's past.
He goes through these incredible sea changes of emotions very quickly. He's forced to keep up with his life, everything is outside his control. And all the time, of course, he's trying to be a good father trying to get it right but, true to life, he's tripped up by his own lack of objectivity.

Is this the first time you've worked with Suranne Jones?

It is – a first for Suranne, unlike Laura Fraser, who plays my wife, Rita – we'd worked together twice before on Casanova and He Knew He Was Right. That proved to be quite a useful dynamic because Suranne was someone I knew less well who became a huge part of my life during filming and that's very much the way Dave and Sarah grow together.Suranne is so easy to be around – she's so lovely, easy and funny to spend time with. That all worked out rather well I thought.

Have you played a father before?

Not to this level, no. I've certainly not played a grandfather before which was a bit of a shock to the system!
I played a dad in Recovery years ago but,in Single Father I have lots of kids – Dave's got a brood of them. That was new for me and to work that closely for that length of time with so many kids was also new for me.

What was it like working with the kids?

We were so lucky to get the kids we got. I was slightly nervous of working with kids because it's such a huge part of the story – it was a full-on eight-week shooting schedule and I just wasn't sure how they'd react to that, never mind me!
But there was no need to worry, as the director [Sam Miller] took a great deal of care when casting and just got the most brilliant kids with a bellyful of individual personalities. Chris (who plays Paul) and Rob (who plays Ewan) really took to being brothers – one minute they were the best of mates, the next they were knocking lumps out of each other.
They wanted to do it, they got what it is to be on set, did everything that was asked of them and worked really hard putting the professionals to shame to be honest.

And is it true you went bowling with your "family" before the shoot started?

We did indeed. We all had such a laugh and threw ourselves into it from the off. It was a funny one because back at the beginning we were trying to fashion a family bond to try and make the drama feel as real as possible.
Instead of lengthy rehearsals on set, we just hung out and got to know each other bowling and playing football in the park.

Did you beat them at bowling?!

Well, it's not that I didn't win, you understand, they were given the bowling "bumpers" as help, which I thought was grossly unfair, quite frankly!
I told them I had been the Scottish Under-17 Bowling Champion just to unnerve them – but it didn't seem to work. But, at the end of the day, they had the bumpers to help them - not that I'm bitter, not that I'm being competitive against children. I wouldn't want you to think that!

How did you find working in Scotland again?

It's always great to be back in Glasgow. It's a lovely city – a great city. It's when I come back that I realise how fond of it I am. People are so friendly in Glasgow. So it was lovely to stay for an extended period during filming, not least because I managed to have access to the family.

Do you have any memorable moments from filming?

Well, they say never film with children and animals – I got both in one hit on Single Father! The children were easier to work with than the dog was, to be honest. In fairness, though, the dog was incredibly sweet, a lovely little creature. She didn't end up in all the scenes she might have done but it's not that she wasn't good at acting, you understand. But it's safe to say she didn't always do as she was told.

Beyond Single Father, what else are you working on?

I'm filming a vampire movie called Fright Night in New Mexico at the moment, which is a remake of the 1985 film.
I'm playing a character called Peter Vincent, who's a Las Vegas illusionist who also happens to be an expert on vampires. And, as well as some acting, I've spent a lot of time being sewn into very tight costumes!

With thanks to the BBC Press Office.

The Waters Of Mars Wins A Hugo

The 2009 episode of Doctor Who, The Waters Of Mars, has been named the Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form award at the Hugo Awards.
The episode was written by Russell T Davies and Phil Ford and starred David as the Tenth Doctor.
It beat off competition from two other Doctor Who episodes, The Next Doctor and Planet Of The Dead.
The full list of winners can be seen here.

Single Father Promo Photos

New images of Single Father have been released by the BBC. Many thanks to BlogtorWho for the photos above.

BlogtorWho also have promos from series 4 of the Sarah Jane Adventures up on the site here.

BBC Three Doctor Who Repeats

BBC Three begin repeating David's Doctor Who seasons from 11th September when they air The Christmas Invasion. Keep an eye on the diary at www.david-tennant.com for the full schedule.

BBC Entertainment To Show Doctor Who

BBC Entertainment, formely BBC Prime, have announced that series three of Doctor Who will be showing on their Autumn schedule.
The station broadcasts across Europe and the Middle East.
Their press release follows:
Following on from the phenomenal success of the first two series that have taken British television by storm, the third installment of Doctor Who is full of new thrills, new laughs, new heartbreak and some terrifying new monsters. From the moment the Doctor (David Tennant) walks into the life of medical student Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman) he changes it forever. Together they find themselves travelling through time and space encountering extraordinary events, amazing worlds and faces both old and new. They come face to face with the ruthless Judoon, a vicious plasmavore and the Doctor's sworn enemies, the Daleks, who have been hiding in 1930s New York with a terrifying plan for humanity.

Fright Night Update

Filming for David's latest movie, Fright Night, is continuing across the US and the first photos of him in character as Peter Vincent the magician / vampire hunter have emerged.

Huge banners of David dressed as Peter were on display during filming earlier this week.

Fright Night opens on 7th October 2011.

Photo Credit: Shock Till You Drop.

New RSC Theatre To Open In November

Royal Shakespeare Theatre Reopens This Autumn

24 November 2010 - Royal Shakespeare and Swan Theatres reopen with preview events and activities
February 2011 - First plays on new Royal Shakespeare Theatre stage are King Lear and Romeo and Juliet performed by current long ensemble
April 2011 - London – RSC Ensemble premieres three new plays at Hampstead Theatre
April 2011 – Stratford-upon-Avon – Formal reopening of Royal Shakespeare Theatre with 50th Birthday Season of Shakespeare, classics and new plays

The Royal Shakespeare Company today announces its plans to reopen the Royal Shakespeare and Swan Theatres on time and on budget in November 2010, following a four year redevelopment as part of the £112.8 million Transformation project designed to bring actors and audiences closer together.
The Company will reopen its doors to the Royal Shakespeare and Swan Theatres from 24 November 2010, inviting people in to rediscover and explore the building, which will have a brand new 1,000 seat thrust stage auditorium, 36 metre high Tower, new exhibition spaces, new places to eat and drink, including Rooftop Restaurant and Riverside Café and terrace, restored 1930s features and improved public areas including the new Weston Square. Visitors will be able to take part in a series of preview events and activities which will help test the spaces, while throughout the opening period Matilda, A Musical plays at The Courtyard Theatre.
In February 2011, the current RSC ensemble will perform the first productions on the new Royal Shakespeare Theatre stage when they return from London's Roundhouse to revive King Lear and Romeo and Juliet, directed by RSC Associate Directors, David Farr and Rupert Goold. The company will also perform Artistic Director Michael Boyd's production of Antony and Cleopatra in the Swan Theatre and both Young People's Shakespeare productions of Hamlet and The Comedy of Errors, before going back to London to premiere three new plays at Hampstead Theatre which run from April to June 2011.
The RSC will celebrate its 50th birthday and formally reopen the theatres with new companies and a new season from April 2011. Further details will be announced in November 2010.

RST Opening Activities:
The reopening will unfold over a four month period, and visitors will be able to enjoy the building from 9am to 7pm most days. The new Rooftop Restaurant with beautiful views of the River Avon, Stratford and the Warwickshire countryside will also be open during the evening, offering in-house catering for the first time.
People can book to go on theatre tours or take the lift to the viewing platform at the top of the new Tower from where you can see key Shakespeare landmarks: where he was born, where he went to school, where he lived and where he is buried. On the way down, visitors can view contemporary art exhibitions housed in the Tower walls. George Chakravarthi is the first artist to be commissioned and his installation Neither Here Nor There explores the tragedies in Shakespeare's text through hand-painted photographs, layered with drawing, text and multiple images.
The opening programme of events is directed and devised by RSC Chief Associate Director, Gregory Doran, and Director of Events and Exhibitions, Geraldine Collinge, and includes tours, exhibitions and activities designed to encourage people to explore the transformed building and participate in our work. Full details are listed in the appendices and in the reopening leaflet. They include:
Ghosts in the Walls – an auditory and sensory tour which evokes people's memories of the old theatre and celebrates this new chapter in the Company's life.
My RSC Gallery – tiny boxes of art hidden around the building waiting to be discovered when the theatres reopen. These are the culmination of a nationwide public competition, created by artist Luke Jerram, who asked people to submit miniature artworks inspired by Shakespeare, the RSC and the theatre.
Transformations – an exhibition which explores how the architects, Bennetts Associates, theatre designers, Charcoalblue, and construction managers, Mace, approached some of the major aspects of the transformation of the Royal Shakespeare and Swan Theatres, incorporating the best of the existing 1932 Elisabeth Scott Art Deco building with bold new architectural features.
'Why?' by Squidsoup – a digital sculpture in the new exhibition space, the PACCAR Room, which creates a web of words from the comments, questions and thoughts of RSC audiences on the relevance of Shakespeare today, sent by text message to a dedicated number.
Love is my Sin – distinguished RSC alumnus Peter Brook directs his own adaptations of Shakespeare's sonnets, performed by Natasha Parry and Michael Pennington, alongside music by Frank Krawcyk in the Swan Theatre.
Local amateur groups will be trying out the RSC stages with specially created pieces. The Bear Pit, Stratford's amateur arts umbrella organisation hosts Open House, a special variety evening on 12 December, curated by RSC Chief Associate Director Gregory Doran, which celebrates local creativity through songs, plays and dance. Over 200 singers from Stratford-upon-Avon and Huddersfield Choral Societies perform Handel's Messiah on 8 January to mark their joint 175th anniversaries, and Stratford Operatic Society presents Return to the Forbidden Planet on 9 January.
Young people will play a key role in the reopening period. School children from Stratford and some of the RSC's local Learning and Performance Network schools will work with the Company during the opening week to help other children to navigate round the building.
Over 300 young writers from the Black Country, inspired by the ghosts and spirits in Shakespeare, are collaborating with the RSC's artistic team to create ten new plays. Writing on Your Feet will be directed by RSC directors and performed on the Royal Shakespeare Theatre stage on 7 and 9 December by young actors from three acting colleges. Leading hip-hop artists and UK lyricists, including the cutting-edge wordsmith Polarbear are also working with RSC Voice Director, Cicely Berry, and the RSC's education team on Sound and Fury a site-specific performance around the building, culminating on the Swan Theatre stage on 8 December.
Throughout the winter, a series of one-off events, family activities, workshops for teachers and schools groups, alternative comedy, music, poetry, and one-man Shakespeare shows, including artists as diverse as Roger Rees, Barrie Rutter, Camille O'Sullivan and our poet in residence, Malika Booker, will start to bring the building back to life ready for the first full productions on the Royal Shakespeare and Swan Theatre stages in February 2011.
Full Productions in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre:
The Royal Shakespeare Theatre auditorium, with its new thrust stage, wrapping the audience around three sides, will open with its first full Shakespeare productions in February 2011, performing familiar productions to help fully test the auditorium and backstage facilities. The current long ensemble of actors revives RSC Associate Director, David Farr's King Lear, and RSC Associate Director, Rupert Goold's Romeo and Juliet, along with the Young People's Shakespeare The Comedy of Errors, produced in association with Told by an Idiot and directed by Paul Hunter.
Full productions in The Swan Theatre:
The ensemble will also reopen the Swan Theatre with a revival of the acclaimed Young People's Shakespeare version of Hamlet directed by Tarell Alvin McCraney and will re-visit Michael Boyd's production of Antony and Cleopatra on a bare stage in a bold and simple remix, which throws fresh light on this great, complex tragedy.
They will be joined by a new production of The Tempest, a puppet version created by Little Angel Theatre, directed by their Artistic Director, Peter Glanville, and performance workshops of Shakespeare's poem The Rape of Lucrece, an RSC Studio production, directed by Elizabeth Freestone and including sung text by Camille O'Sullivan and music by Feargal Murray.
***
Michael Boyd said: “Thousands of people have played their part in transforming the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, and thousands more will join us for our opening programme, see the new spaces for themselves, and share the thrill of reopening with the Royal Shakespeare Company Ensemble.
“The experience of other major capital arts projects has led us to choose known and loved repertoire to open a new and untried theatre, but there are experiments too and new commissions in this programme, and a range of work from Peter Brook and Roger Rees to Tim Minchin and Camille O'Sullivan that reflects our invitation to new audiences as well as our welcome back to old friends.
“Our new home isn't just about brilliant brick work, inviting public spaces, and nearly trebling the number of ladies loos, though it has those. It's a miraculous marriage of the epic and the intimate, a shared space which celebrates the three dimensions that Hollywood aspires to and live performance has for free, and which enables the direct engagement between actor and audience demanded by Shakespeare's plays.”
RSC Executive Director Vikki Heywood said: “We are very proud to have delivered this new playhouse for Shakespeare on time and on budget and enormously grateful to everyone who has supported us, from the Arts Council and Advantage West Midlands to the more than 13,000 people from 55 countries who've contributed to our fundraising campaign.
“We hold our AGM on 10th September and in this year's Annual Report we take the opportunity to look back over a decade as we reach completion of the Transformation journey. During the last ten years, we have given over 11,609 performances, selling 6.3 million tickets.
“It is clear that the arts face a challenging time over the coming years, along with other publicly funded activities, but, like so many arts organisations, we work hard at a mixed economy, using public investment to leverage other sources of funding and to maintain affordable ticket prices. We can be sure our reopened theatres will play an important part in revitalising the local economy.
“Our new home in Stratford-upon-Avon stands at the gateway to one of the country's most thriving regions and we want to be an integral part of the life of Stratford and the West Midlands as well as a destination for visitors from all parts of the UK and the world. Our seven-day a week operation offers something for everyone, whether it's a cup of coffee and a trip up the Tower or a full Shakespeare production in our new auditorium, which promises to bring people much closer to the action than ever before. I look forward to welcoming people through our doors during our preview period.”
50th Birthday Season – April 2011
The RSC will celebrate its 50th birthday with a new ensemble of actors performing a new season of work from April 2011. Details of ‘RSC at 50' will be announced in November.
RSC returns to Hampstead – April 2011
Following the opening of the RST, the ensemble leaves Stratford-upon-Avon for the last time to premiere new work at Hampstead Theatre in April 2011, before taking the repertoire to New York in July 2011, where they will be presented by Lincoln Center Festival and Park Avenue Armory, in association with The Ohio State University.
At Hampstead, they will perform three previously announced new productions, Little Eagles, written by Rona Munro and directed by RSC Associate Director, Roxana Silbert, Silence, a devised piece by Filter and David Farr and directed by RSC Associate, David Farr, and American Trade by Tarell Alvin McCraney, directed by Jamie Lloyd.
These three RSC commissioned plays will be presented as part of A Season of World Premieres at Hampstead Theatre next spring, alongside three new Hampstead Theatre productions downstairs in the Michael Frayn Space. RSC Associate Director, Roxana Silbert, as season director for the RSC productions, said: “It's a privilege to be invited to return to Hampstead Theatre and be part of its future under the new Directorship of Edward Hall, and it's tremendously exciting to welcome the long ensemble to Hampstead, fresh from opening the newly transformed Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford. They bring their intimate experience of Shakespeare into dialogue with living playwrights to premiere three new plays which have been made for them and with them." Edward Hall, Hampstead Theatre's Artistic Director, said: “I am delighted to be creating A Season of World Premieres with the RSC and to be working so closely with Roxana Silbert on what will be a very exciting programme of new work at Hampstead Theatre. Six pieces of major new work over a ten week period…cause for celebration indeed.”
Further details on the Hampstead Season to be announced later in the autumn.
The RSC's Annual Report for 2009/10 will be presented at the Annual General Meeting, to be held at The Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, on 10 September 2010 at 4.00pm.

Visit The Royal Shakespeare Company's Website for more info.

Great TV Mistakes

There was a selection of Doctor Who clips, including some featuring David, shown on Great TV Mistakes earlier this week.
You can watch the clips above courtesy of Blogtor Who.
Visit Blogtor Who to see more clips including Backstage at the Doctor Who Proms.