Showing posts with label events. Show all posts
Showing posts with label events. Show all posts

'Antigone'

Christopher Eccleston as Creon
2012
Previews from: 23 May
Opening Night: 30 May
Closing Night: 21 July (extended)
Play by Sophocles in a version by Don Taylor
Director: Polly Findlay
Role: Creon, King of Thebes
Venue: National Theatre, Olivier Theatre
Cast


Playtext (transl. by F. Storr) --- NT page (tickets available)

"Jodie Whittaker plays Antigone and Christopher Eccleston her uncle, Creon, in this thrilling contemporary staging of Sophocles' great drama.
Desperate to gain control over a city ravaged by war, Creon refuses to bury the body of Antigone's rebellious brother. Outraged, she defies him and Creon condemns the young woman to be buried alive." NT



Reactions:

• Press Night (May 30th) online and newspaper reviews (w/ pictures from the play)

• Blog Reviews:
Prof. Whitestick (blog, July 26), sueyuk (blog, July 17), Poly Gianniba (blog, July 5), Naima Khan (blog, July 5), Working Breakfast (Tumblr blog, July 4), Rachel Mariner (blog, Jun 26), Liz Gloyn (blog, Jun 21), TheRestrictedReviewer (blog, Jun 21), garethjames (blog, Jun 20), Louise (blog, Jun 19), Hugh Alford (blog, Jun 18), Unique Cafe (blog, Jun 18), TheRestrictedReviewer (blog, Jun 13), Webcowgirl (blog, Jun 13), West End Whingers (blog, Jun 12), nextdramaticstep (blog, Jun 12), Miranda's Island (blog, Jun 11), Lou Reviews (blog, Jun 11), alicelsmith (blog, Jun 11), Geoff Morley (blog, Jun 11), Red Reviews (Tumblr blog, Jun 10), neptunienne (Tumblr blog, Jun 9), nikkimusingsandthoughts (blog, Jun 9), Unrestricted Views (blog, Jun 9), Katie Toms (blog, Jun 5), GirlReporter (blog, Jun 5), Matt Trueman (blog, Jun 5), Everything Theatre (blog, Jun 4), byronic (Tumblr blog, Jun 3), PlatformPieces (blog, Jun 2), nick730 (blog, Jun 1), Edith Hall (blog, Jun 1), Jonathan Taylor, son of Don Taylor (blog, May 30), Dotty (blog, May 30), Mark Ronan (blog, May 30)

• Pre-Press Night Reviews:
A Civilian's Guide to the Theatre (blog, May 29), Jonathan Evens (blog, May 29), MissP (blog, May 28), Rachel (blog, May 25), Hamsterfur (Tumblr blog, May 24), Finn Pollard (blog, May 24), Eastendlass (blog, May 23), TheRestrictedReviewer (blog, May 23), Ian (blog, May 23)

• Radio Reviews:
Jun 15 The Arts Show, BBC Radio 2 - site - iPlayer 
Jun 2 Saturday Review, BBC Radio 4 - site - iPlayer
May 31 Front Row, BBC Radio 4 - site - iPlayer - download podcast (mp3; save target/link as)
May 30 Philip Dodd - Night Waves, BBC Radio 3 - site - iPlayer

• Marianne's review - July 18




Interviews:

• July 19 VIDEO National Theatre - In Conversation With Christopher Eccleston (streaming - video download, iTunes)
• May 16 The Telegraph - Christopher Eccleston interview: "This is why I became an actor"


Additional Materials:

• NT Discover Theatre Series - 'Antigone' - a collection of workpacks and videos on the subject of Greek Theatre, including interviews with the cast and clips from 'Antigone';
• LondonTheatre.co.uk - eleven production photos; 


News:

• Nov 25 London Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2012 - Winners - Winners include Soutra Gilmour, Best Design.

• Oct 29 London Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2012 - Longlist - Nominees include Polly Findlay, Best Director and Soutra Gilmour, Best Design.

• The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival: L065 Christopher Eccleston and Polly Findlay - They join us here to discuss this extraordinary production of a remarkable play, and why Sophocles' moral debate is timeless. Oct 7 - info and tickets.

• Jun 1 BBC News - Antigone: Four star reviews for Christopher Eccleston; WhatsOnStage - A chorus of approval for Findlay's Antigone. (review round-ups)

• AUDIO TheatreVoice - Director Polly Findlay explores the tragedy of Antigone.

• May 19 Loose Ends, BBC Radio 4 - Clive Anderson Attacks The Block with actress Jodie Whittaker, who's about to perform the title role of Antigone at London's National Theatre.

• May 9 'Antigone' rehearsal photos on National Theatre's Facebook page.


• Apr 10 'Antigone' rehearsals start today. (tweet; source)

• In Conversation With Christopher Eccleston - An afternoon interview, talking to Al Senter about his current role in 'Antigone' and his career, and answering your questions. July 19 - info and tickets.

• Director Polly Findlay will discuss her production of Sophocles' play on Jun 1 - info and tickets.

• Feb 10 2012 Christopher Eccleston has been cast as Creon, King of Thebes in 'Antigone':
Desperate to gain control over a city ravaged by civil war, Creon refuses to bury the body of Antigone's rebellious brother. Outraged, she defies his edict. Creon condemns the young woman, his niece, to be buried alive.

He can't forbid me to love my brother. He has neither the right, nor the power, to do that.

The people daren't object but the prophet Teiresias warns that this tyranny will anger the gods: the rotting corpse is polluting the city.

There is no gag like terror, is there, gentlemen?

Creon hesitates and his fate is sealed.

The gods never move faster than when punishing men with the consequences of their own actions.

Cast:

Antigone - Jodie Whittaker
Creon - Christopher Eccleston
Eurydice - Zoë Aldrich
Teiresias - Jamie Ballard
Haemon - Luke Newberry
Messenger - Kobna Holdbrook-Smith
Soldier - Luke Norris
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Christopher Eccleston - Masterclass - Report

2011-7-23

Images by Stuart Allen / Masterclass TRH

Theatre Royal Haymarket, London, July 20
By Jen and Alex

The setting: Very ornate theatre; house lights were only slightly dimmed, so both sides could see each other. A chair (for Eccleston) and a side table (for a bottle of water) were set in the middle of the stage which had a nice false perspective background.
The audience: Mixed, but predominantly youthful – questions were asked by pupils, drama students, young professionals.

Christopher Eccleston started with a brief introduction, mentioning, not without some amusement, that he had just come back from South Africa where he filmed 'The Borrowers' and played Pod Clock, a role famously tackled by Ian Holm and Jim Broadbent – and that fact he was about to change. He was heading next to Newcastle and 'Song For Marion', to play Vanessa Redgrave and Terence Stamp's son. Then it's back to Manchester for 'The Fuse', a new political thriller for the BBC.

At this point Eccleston realised he didn't get acquainted with the audience. The very first question, how many of the attendees were actors, revealed they actually formed the majority – and he reacted by pretending to instantly flee the stage. There were also discovered a bunch of directors and writers. The latter made themselves more visible later when Eccleston was presented with a script of a project in development. Finally, there might not have been a notable number of teachers, but one of them was Steve Keating who once taught Eccleston.

From here on the audience was encouraged to ask questions, and this report will try to summarize the most important subjects raised, grouping them thematically rather than chronologically. Utterances are all paraphrased.

Throughout the talk Eccleston stressed the importance of his background and upbringing. Manchester has always stayed a touchstone for him, and his parents were not only his support, but also a perfect example of the intelligent TV viewer who is fully capable to select the truly worthwhile programmes, and the level of one's education is irrelevant.

Then, it is essential to stay true to yourself – sometimes even at the cost of secure future. Eccleston himself has been running his career not with the head, but with the heart – choosing roles he deemed important instead of those that could have allowed a steady progress. He admitted that especially at the start these relevant roles were working class and that cemented his image. He later wondered how come this country was still obsessed with class – too much is thought out instead of felt.

Leaving London's Central School of Speech and Drama he was equipped with what at that time seemed like questionable skills, idealism and not much confidence in himself. While later, in real-life environment, he found that the training did provide him the necessary tools, he still regretted he didn't make more of the standard routines, and he also wished he'd had learnt dance and music and not just concentrated solely on acting. He supposed he kept the idealism.

Speaking about difficulties experienced by young professionals – and he spent the first three years looking for an acting job – Eccleston provided two examples of different feedback. At one audition he honestly admitted the problems he'd been having and the casting director told him to look for something else. After another unsuccessful audition the director there said, "You may have some potential." The latter director was Ian Brown who sixteen years later contacted Eccleston and offered him Hamlet at the West Yorkshire Playhouse.

Eccleston said that both the negative and the positive comments stoked enough determination in him to carry on, and he suggested to seize what you can from the various feedback you would receive. Eventually the break came for Eccleston with the help of Phyllida Lloyd and then him being cast as the main character in 'Let Him Have It'.

Playing this film's protagonist Derek Bentley had a profound impact on Eccleston, both psychologically and physically. Bentley stayed with him for almost a year. Eccleston thought the film didn't take the best approach by showing that Bentley shouldn't have been hanged because he was simple and nice. Eccleston emphatically argued that the film would've been made much stronger by focusing on Bentley's reality (he had a mental age of a small child and severe epilepsy, was heavily medicated with unrefined drugs), acknowledging that he could have been ugly and violent, but still maintaining that he shouldn't have been hanged.

With 'Let Him Have It', Eccleston's career took a definite turn towards television and the big screen. He wished though he had done more theatre. When he was studying, his drama idols were Olivier, Gielgud and Richardson. They were for him the rock stars of their day and he read a lot about them. However, when it came to reality, the stories Eccleston wanted to tell were found on TV. Interestingly, while he had always preferred working on stage to screen, he didn't believe in improvisation without structure.

Looking back, he also questioned his complete, blinkering concentration on work, admitting that only recently he started combining working and living. Beside not forgetting to have a life, Eccleston advised those stuck in an empty period to just take a break, get away from it, take up something entirely different – and not spend the time contemplating how tough it is – which was what he tended to do. He mentioned several times that his job situation had always been 'feast or famine'. These days when he's without a project he said he turned to running, listening to music and reading. Prompted, he listed "If This Is A Man" by Primo Levi on holocaust, "My Traitor's Heart" by Rian Malan on apartheid, "An Evil Cradling" by Brian Keenan, a hostage's account, and insisted that those books inspired him positively, adding bemusedly that they were indeed all heavy reading.

When asked what era he would like to go back to in terms of drama, Eccleston selected the start of the 1960s with the old black and white kitchen sink dramas; Albert Finney in 'Saturday Night and Sunday Morning', Richard Harris in 'This Sporting Life', Tom Courtenay in 'The Loneliness of A Long Distance Runner'. Those working class dramas he'd have wanted to be in. Regarding American films, he thought their heyday was in the seventies ('The Conversation', 'Three Days of the Condor'), but the stories peddled now had ceased being relevant.

Christopher Eccleston gave a lot of advice for young actors, from sharing his opinion on some theoretic questions to explaining certain practical points.

For accents, he often used a voice coach (f. ex. Geordie dialect in 'Our Friends in the North') or alternatively asked a non-actor native speaker to record the lines for listening (but not a purposeful sit-down listening). It made it more interesting and prevented creation of false-sounding DIY accents. Eccleston was aware his Scottish in 'GI Joe' was much maligned and explained it sounded like it did because Stephen Sommers dismissed the realistic accent Eccleston suggested; also, the script was littered with Americanisms. So was American Scottish born.

From technical points, he explained how sometimes a film director actually preferred to have you distressed and unsatisfied with your own performance, using the 'off' takes to good effect; advised to trust the writer; not to dismiss your identity even if it's not exactly welcome; instead of focusing on yourself, work on the connection with the material.

Overall, according to Eccleston, when you are working, communication and generosity are key. He recommended to communicate with all parts of the production team, make use of collaborations with technical crews – their choices do influence you and your character. Second essential element is generosity. Eccleston claimed he didn't do or never would do method acting and said he didn't actually know what it was. He argued against over-reliance on technique – even if it gave amazing results. He explained that it could become a dangerous game with your own chemistry set, making you self absorbed in your own little world. In other words, if it's something that harms co-actors, it's worthless. Even if it was a hero of his practising it, he'd lose faith with him. One's performance should be about generosity.

Of actors who influenced him, Eccleston mentioned Peter Vaughan. He found Vaughan's long career and professionalism on set inspiring, and received the best advice from him when they were working together on 'Our Friends In The North': How to stay concentrated no matter the situation; to be punctual; to respect everyone on set. Eccleston was also fascinated by, among others, Simon Callow (who played Dickens in 'Doctor Who') and Sharon Horgan (Homily in 'The Borrowers') working on their own projects, such as writing scripts, whilst filming.

Eccleston also revealed he discovered that his telephone had been hacked into and that he was going to sue Rupert Murdoch and give him the boot. Not only for this, but for all the lies given out when the Hillsborough tragedy happened. Misleading representation of events in the press was also what marred his 'Doctor Who', he said, with journalists knowingly shifting the focus from the series actual unarguable success to his exit. He reiterated that the most important thing was that he did it, that it restarted the programme. Eccleston explained he left the show because he disagreed with the way things were being run, and once again stressed the importance of staying true to yourself.

While Eccleston didn't think he should be remembered in a particular way, he named two roles that were the most important in his life: Trevor Hicks in 'Hillsborough' (because of the cast and crew and the film's effect – hopefully there will be justice) and Hamlet (not successful, but huge role). Also Derek Bentley and the TV film 'Flesh and Blood' were extremely important. And Eccleston said he wouldn't retire – he could see himself enjoying being an old man playing theatre. Before that, he'd like to portray for example the former NUM leader Arthur Scargill because of the momentous change Britain went through in the mid 1980s. On stage he'd like to do more Shakespeare – or a musical.

Masterclass TRH after the talk video:


- - -

2011-6-28 New date - Wednesday 20 July (2:30 - 4:30pm)

Info & tickets

2011-5-29 Christopher Eccleston is lined up for one of the Theatre Royal Haymarket's Masterclass events (Q&A session).

Masterclass "aims to offer young people exceptional creative opportunities and experiences with leaders of the theatre industry. A year-round programme of talks, workshops, special projects and career advice is intended to give people insight into all aspects of theatre from writing and directing to acting and producing. Masterclass strives to provide all the events for free, so that people of all abilities, status and background can be inspired by and learn from masters of the craft."

Admission free to those 30 years of age or under (must be booked in advance). Paid tickets also available.

- - -

Originally was to be held on June 24, but was postponed on June 16 with the following official explanation:
We're really disappointed to let you know that, due to circumstances beyond ours and Christopher Eccleston's control we've had to cancel next week's Masterclass.
Chris wanted us to pass on his dissappointment and has assured us we'll be able to find a new date for the Masterclass - hopefully in the near future.
We won't be carrying your booking over but will notify everyone who successfully booked a place of the new date as soon as we know and before we make it generally available. We will, of course, refund any over-30's tickets bought in advance.
Once again - our deepest apologies for any disappointment caused and we hope to see you soon.



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Christopher Eccleston Meets Wayne Rooney

2011-5-27 On the occasion of UEFA Champions League final match between Manchester United and Barcelona (19:45, Saturday, 28th of May), Christopher Eccleston interviewed Wayne Rooney for ITV. Watch it on their site (UK).



Additionally, Eccleston provided the traditional intro to the match at Wembley, the programme also included a cut-down version of the Rooney interview, with some 'behind the scenes' clips.

Video (youtube): intro --- interview with extras | More images

ITV.com:

Actor and die-hard Manchester United fan Christopher Eccleston says Wayne Rooney is primed for a big performance in Saturday's Champions League final - if his interview with the Manchester United striker is anything to go by.

The former Doctor Who and star of films including '28 Days Later', 'Gone in 60 Seconds' and 'Shallow Grave' met Rooney as part of a piece filmed exclusively for ITV ahead of Saturday's big match at Wembley. And Eccleston says that judging by Rooney's mood he could be United's matchwinner.

"He walked in looking supremely relaxed, confident about Saturday, radiating health," Eccleston told ITV.com "It was a really good sign - I think he's primed for a big game."

Having never met the England man before, and despite admitting that Paul Scholes ("the most complete player I've ever seen") is his favourite United star, Eccleston admitted he was blown away by the experience.

"It was one of the best days of my life," he said. "I meet actors all the time and they don't turn my head. But to meet a professional footballer of Wayne's calibre - it was one of the best experiences I've ever had."

Eccleston said he was particularly impressed by Rooney's composure under the media spotlight.

"Wayne does this a lot, he's an old hand at being interviewed. Twenty or thirty years ago footballers had no need to deal with the press, but these days they're constantly under the glare of the media.

"For him to handle questions with such ease was very impressive."

'A good feeling'

The 47-year-old actor was born into a Manchester United-supporting family in Salford, a mile from Old Trafford, and watched his first match just as Sir Matt Busby's great side began their slow decline.

He was barely a toddler when United last won the European Cup at Wembley, in 1968, sleeping through the game while his mother listened to the game on the radio. Over four decades on, Eccleston will be attendance for United's return to Wembley - and though he's unlikely to sleep this time, he says he will try to avoid pre-match nerves.

"The most nervous I ever got was in 1976 against Southampton [in the FA Cup Final], which we lost," he said. "I burst into tears and it made my dad cry. I got nervous and it broke my heart so I try not to get too worked up. I've actually got a good feeling - I'm very excited, it's going to be a great game."

Not that Eccleston isn't averse to a bit of emotion. Asked to predict the outcome of Saturday's final, he faultered. "What I would love is for Scholes to come on in the last 20 minutes and score the winner," he concluded.

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'In The Beginning'

2011-3-18
'In The Beginning' at Westminster Abbey
By Nick Payne with extracts from the KJV selected by The Revd Dr James Hawkey
With Nonso Anozie, Christopher Eccleston, Ralf Little, Michelle Terry, Miranda Raison, Andrew Woodall

Thursday, 24th March only
Book tickets

According to Lucy Howe, The Bush Theatre, "You will not know which actor will take you around until you arrive, however as you journey round the space you will encounter other actors on the way. So of the 20 or so actors in the Ensemble, audiences will encounter 8-9 performers in total."

Source and other images

Bush Theatre:
Exactly four hundred years ago, in 1611, a group of scholars gathered together in the Jerusalem Chamber at Westminster Abbey to finalise their translation of the King James Version of the Bible (KJV). Subsequent centuries have seen this book become one of the most significant works of literature in the English language. To celebrate the publication of this remarkable text, Westminster Abbey has teamed up with the Bush Theatre to create a unique, intimate and highly theatrical event.

In The Beginning will see audience members taken, in intimate groups, on an extraordinary journey round the Abbey – accessing areas that are rarely open to the public and at a time when it is usually closed to visitors. Each group will be led on a journey by one of the country's most exciting established or emerging actors. As you travel round the building, an ensemble of performers will read carefully chosen extracts from the KJV which will cast a fresh and surprising light on the Abbey itself. This one off event will be a uniquely exciting way to experience an historic place and an historic text.

Co-directed by Josie Rourke and Christopher Haydon, in conjunction with the Dean and Chapter of Westminster
BBC News article
Review from The Independent


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'The Shadow Line' - BAFTA Screening + Q&A

2011-3-16
Tuesday, 12 April, 20:30
Princess Anne Theatre, London

Book tickets

BAFTA:
"The Shadow Line, is a BBC Two landmark noir thriller written, produced and directed by Hugo Blick (Sensitive Skin, Marion And Geoff). BAFTA are pleased to screen the first episode of this seven part drama.

This screening will be followed by a Q&A with Hugo Blick (Writer and Director) and Christopher Eccleston (Actor)"

Post-screening articles:
• Ian Wylie
• Isle of Man News
• Beehive City
• Broadcast (alt see main TSL post)

More about 'The Shadow Line'

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'Hillsborough' Q&A - Video

2010-12-21 Christopher Eccleston q&a from Clapperboard Presents 'Hillsborough' screening at FACT, Liverpool, Dec 6. Videos from flasheartfilms.



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Report - 'Hillsborough' (Clapperboard Presents)

Report by Jen // FACT, Liverpool, 6th December 2010
See images courtesy of Clapperboard UK here & here
More info.

This was only my third viewing of Jimmy McGovern's 'Hillsborough'. Being a Nottingham Forest fan I feel I can share the grief and suffering that is still going on in Liverpool twenty-one years later. I still physically cry at certain key points of the drama which just focuses on three families, their backgrounds, the unfolding events at Sheffield and then dealing with the aftermath. Nothing, but nothing will take away the memory of those who perished on that Saturday in April 1989 or the lies, deceit and the cover up that marred serious investigations by the coroner at the time. It takes someone with a heart of stone not to feel moved or in the case with me well up in tears.

After the credits rolled, volunteers from the charity Clapperboard UK busily set up microphones and digital cameras to capture the Q&A session. Much thanks to Maureen Sinclair (Director of Clapperboard UK) who stepped in at the last minute because Professor Roger Shannon, Media Department of Edge Hill University, was apparently stranded in Birmingham. Mark Womack who also starred in 'Hillsborough' regrettably couldn't make it either, so it was just Christopher Eccleston on his own.

He didn't need any introduction and was quite happy to take his seat and start answering questions from anyone. Christopher firstly apologised for looking 'a bit messy'. He spent most of the morning doing a ten mile run only to get back home to find that his boiler had burst and that he couldn't have a shower, and tried to sort his hair out in the car to Liverpool to look a bit more presentable.

The radio microphone he was provided with was malfunctioning, and he then started to play around with it, pretending at one point he was Alvin Stardust. Those old enough to remember him gave a wry smile, the rest of the audience thought "Who's Alvin Stardust?" In the end Christopher didn't use a mic as there were so few of us (around 100-150), and he was loud enough to be heard at the back. He said that he hated using radio microphones.

There were the obvious questions put to him on the night, mainly regarding why he initially chose to do 'Hillsborough'. He also told about working with McGovern on the ITV show 'Cracker'. He answered the questions one after another, clearly, directly and at times brutally honestly. He said he still had a deep respect for the Hillsborough families twenty-one years later, that it had left an indelible mark on him. Playing Trevor Hicks was probably the best thing he'd done as an actor.

At the time of the tragedy he was at Bristol Old Vic in 'A Streetcar Named Desire', doing a matinee, and was watching the television in his dressing room - that was his professional début as an actor. The Sun in his view was not a newspaper and could be used for something else which made people laugh and applaud.

Christopher said he hated "instant celebrity" culture that's associated with reality television shows such as 'The X Factor' and 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here', and that building up a good body of work and craft was far more important. Another person commented that he had a lovely voice and that he had not lost his Salfordian dialect, to which he replied that when he spoke his poshest during the filming of 'Elizabeth', playing the Duke of Norfolk, his father said he sounded more like the Duke of Salford!

Christopher was asked how he chose acting above all else as a career. He wanted to be a central midfielder for Manchester United when he was young (a few boos!) but not everyone could be one could they? He got into acting purely by chance at the college where he was retaking his exams (and failed them). They were putting on a play and he fancied a girl who was a bit 'posher' than he was and who completely ignored him at the time.

While people perceived him as a good actor, he said, on a personal level he thought it's just the simple reason he'd chosen good scripts and firmly believed that he's absolutely nothing without a good one - he'd been turning down a lot recently.

He became very close friends with Trevor Hicks whom he portrayed in 'Hillsborough' (and was best man at his wedding). During the filming the families who were featured in it were invited on set and watched a few of the rehearsals too. There was no need to research the role because of that. He portrayed Trevor trying to appear "suited and booted" but in the end being left devastated by the loss of the women he loved: the two daughters and ultimately his first wife Jenny.

Christopher was genuinely pleased with the people who had shown up for the screening, though the auditorium was half empty. Liverpool FC that night were playing at Anfield (winning 3-0 against Aston Villa), and the last fortnight had seen some of the worst winter weather in over forty years. The closeness to Christmas also made it hard, disaster still being a sensitive subject to the people and the city of Liverpool.

A lot of people wanted to say thank you to Chris Eccleston personally, asked for photos and autographs. He thanked and clapped along with us all for coming (some of us had come some distance and battled through the snow and ice).

2010-12-10


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'Hillsborough' - Screening and Q&A

2010-11-19 As promised almost a year ago, Clapperboard's 'Hillsborough' screening and q&a with Christopher Eccleston will take place Monday 6th December, 7:00pm @ FACT (88 Wood Street, L1 4DQ, Liverpool, UK).

Tickets: Picturehouse or FACT

Images from the event - also here --- Jen's report --- Videos

Sarah Kelly from Clapperboard UK told ATBN:
"The film was chosen by Chris himself. When we approach any of the artists who take part in Clapperboard Presents we ask them to pick their favourite film, and screen that. Chris is a great supporter of the work Clapperboard does with young people across the North West. We hope to work with him again in the future."
As per usual, the session will eventually be made available online: "The Clapperboard Presents Q&A's are always recorded and go on our website a few weeks later. We are also creating a DVD with all past Clapperboard Presents Q&A's which will be available to purchase shortly."

Clapperboard Presents:
Hillsborough, written by Jimmy McGovern, directed by Charles McDougall, starring Christopher Eccleston, is a dramatisation of the events that unfolded on 15th April 1989 and follows three Liverpudlian families before the match, during the tragedy and at the ensuing court battles which tried to decide who was to blame and what went wrong.
Christopher Eccleston plays the part of Trevor Hicks, whose story formed the focus of the script. Hicks lost two teenage daughters in the disaster and went on to campaign for safer stadia, as well as helping form the Hillsborough Families Support Group. It was reported by many newspapers that McGovern’s drama was an influencing factor in the set up of a new inquiry in 1997.

Actor Christopher Eccleston will participate in a Question and Answers session with the audience, chaired by Professor of Film Roger Shannon, Media Department Edge Hill University.

Income raised from Clapperboard Presents... will go toward the Clapperboard Youth Project. Tickets prices are £11 each with concessions £8 direct from FACT box office 08717 042063.

• Liverpool Echo November 30, 2010
A few months before it was first broadcast, 14 years ago, Christopher Eccleston told the ECHO of Jimmy McGovern's Hillsborough: "This will show what television is really for."

Today, as he looks forward to attending a special screening of the drama-documentary at Fact in Liverpool, followed by a question and answer session, he stands by that quote – and another one: "Hillsborough is the most important piece of work I’ve ever done and ever will do."

The families of those who died and the survivors may still be waiting for justice, but this 102 minutes of television had a major impact on the country.

Recalling its power, Christopher – who played Trevor Hicks, the then chairman of the Hillsborough Family Support, whose two daughters, Sarah, 19, and Victoria, 15, died in the 1989 disaster – says: "Beyond Merseyside, no one knew the truth about what happened at Hillsborough. People had swallowed the lies that the right-wing Press told, together with what the government and the police put out there.

"Jimmy wrote it to correct those lies and, most importantly, to allow the families to grieve – because the lies devastated and destroyed the grieving process."

Before he could take the part, Christopher had to speak to the man he was portraying: "I did feel a great deal of responsibility and the first thing I did was visit Trevor Hicks to get his blessing."

Christopher, who was Trevor's best man when he remarried, in March 2009, adds: "He has said to me since that he was initially sceptical about the whole enterprise. He gave me quite a rigorous interview – he wanted to know what my motives were for doing it. Then he gave me his blessing, I accepted the role and he gave me total access to his life and his experiences.

"All the actors met the Hillsborough Family Support Group, which was completely involved – they visited the set and gave us information and opened their hearts to us."

But despite the weight of responsibility, Christopher reveals: "In the build-up to its broadcast, I felt very confident because I knew there wasn't a word of untruth in the piece. Jimmy made sure of that because the lawyers were watching."

His fellow cast members included Ricky Tomlinson, Mark Womack and Annabelle Apsion. Did a strong bond and camaraderie develop between everyone, or is "camaraderie" the wrong word given the nature of the work? "It does sound like the wrong word, but everyone was on the same money and we had just one caravan on set for 15 women and one caravan for 15 men, so there were arms and legs coming out of the windows as everyone got dressed."

And although the actors were portraying the Hicks, Glover and Spearritt families, they and the drama-documentary, itself, were, of course, representing all 96 families, although Christopher says: "I know it was agonising for Jimmy that he couldn't tell every story. Jimmy is a sensitive bloke – that's why he's a writer."

After it was broadcast at 9pm on Thursday, December 5, 1996, Hillsborough was debated on phone-ins across the country – many callers said it was the first time they had been presented with the full truth about the disaster – and thrust back onto the news agenda as the government and South Yorkshire police came under new pressure.

But Christopher admits: "I'm not sure I expected the reaction it got – I'm not sure any of us did. I think I was surprised at the scale of it. I know Jimmy had something powerful to say but I was surprised, though heartened, at the strength of the reaction.

"It was doing two things – addressing the nation's conscience and demonstrating the power of television. There is a sense now that television has, largely, turned into an idiot box – and it certainly wasn't that when I was young."

But countless TV executives, motivated by the three Rs – ratings, ratings, ratings – have since gone down the reality show route, or, in ITV's case, as Christopher puts it: "Idiots in the jungle wearing bikinis and eating cockroaches."

He adds: "Jimmy had just given ITV Cracker and they asked 'What do you want to do next?' He could have done anything, but he wanted to tell the truth about Hillsborough."

Five months after it was screened, Labour came to power and new Home Secretary Jack Straw ordered a "scrutiny of new evidence".

Christopher says: "The drama-documentary played a small part but, really, 90% of it was down to the efforts of the Hilsborough Family Support Group from 1989 onwards."

Regarding future prospects of justice for the families, he says: "I'd like to think it's inevitable but I don't want to jinx it."

And now, almost 14 years on from the original broadcast, Christopher is delighted to be heading to Fact next Monday for the special screening, with proceeds going to the Clapperboard Youth Project.

Clapperboard UK Ltd is a non-profit-making and charitable organisation which works with people aged from 12 to 19 to help bring creativity into their lives.

Christopher says: "It's a great project and when Clapperboard director Maureen Sinclair asked me to pick a piece of work I didn't want it to be about me. I thought it would be appropriate if it was something about Liverpool."
• From a recent article
TV & Satellite Week: What role are you proudest of?
Christopher Eccleston: Trevor Hicks in Hillsborough. My involvement fulfilled a dream, because I believed what we were doing had real weight and urgency, and needed to be made.
• The Mirror November 30, 1996 interview with Christopher Eccleston
For friends and family of those who died at Hillsborough, the agony lingered on long after images of the tragedy had faded. Christopher Eccleston, star of Cracker and Shallow Grave, understands the legacy of those harrowing events better than most. In Hillsborough, Chris plays Trevor Hicks, a dad who lost two teenage daughters in the crush. And while researching the role, he spent weeks talking to the bereaved father.

"I listened to Trevor's story and it was a privilege to spend as much time as I have with him," Chris says. "It is so important that Trevor and the rest of the family's stories are heard so that we can better understand what happened."

As soon as he read the script, Chris agreed to appear in the drama which tells the grim story of how 96 soccer fans were crushed to death at Sheffield Wednesday's ground in April 1989. Cracker writer Jimmy McGovern decided to pen the story when he was approached by families still struggling to come to terms with the aftermath of Hillsborough.

"When you put the part of Trevor together with the fact that it's a Jimmy McGovern script, it was a role which I really had to play," says Chris. "There were so many challenging scenes as an actor but I believe one of the toughest was when Trevor begs his wife, Jenni, to try and get on with what was left of their lives by washing some bedsheets.
"But she could not do it because they still held the scent of their dead daughters, and she was trying to cling to every single memory."

The pounds 1 million Granada special is a two-hour drama made by the company's drama and documentary departments. It is expected to spark anger from South Yorkshire police who snubbed an invitation to help with the production. McGovern was still working on the script when a court recently awarded pounds 1.2million to 14 police officers said to be "mentally scarred" by the tragedy. This encouraged him further to tell the families' side of Hillsborough.

His film focuses upon three families - the Glovers, the Hicks, and the Spearritts, who all lost loved ones. Key scenes of the build-up to the horrifying crush inside the Hillsborough ground were recreated on a piece of waste ground in Clayton, Manchester. To make it authentic, casting directors trawled Liverpool streets to sign up extras before bussing them to the location. But TV producers decided not to film the horrific scenes of people being crushed in pens.

The ghastly events have left a lasting impression on Chris who is currently unemployed thanks, he says, to a lack of quality scripts.

"There is so much dross around at the moment, I just don't want to work. I'd never take a role just for the sake of it," he says. "I'd prefer to wait for something else by McGovern.
"He's an outstanding writer. He's not controversial. He just tackles real issues."
Also, April 16, 1998:
TV writer Jimmy McGovern described the football tragedy's ninth anniversary as a "sad day". McGovern, who wrote the powerful drama-documentary Hillsborough, said: "It is sad for the families and sad for the country as a whole.
"The least you could expect from a Labour Government is to reopen the inquiry.
"It doesn't cost much commitment to social justice."
After yesterday's memorial service Hillsborough actor Christopher Eccleston said he felt privileged to have been asked to take part. He said that on hearing Jack Straw's Parliament statement in February he had been "disgusted" that there was to be no new inquiry into the disaster. Mr Eccleston added: "It was a disgraceful performance from a politician's point of view."

- - -
During the service candles were lit in front of the Kop by actors Scot Williams and Christopher Eccleston, who played Joe Glover and Trevor Hicks in the drama documentary Hillsborough. [...] A lesson was read by Charles McDougal, director of the programme.

Read more:
• Report from Jimmy McGovern Q&A at 2009 ScreenLit Festival
• Jimmy McGovern's article for The Guardian
• About the film at BFI's ScreenOnline

'Hillsborough' is available on DVD.

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Christopher Eccleston for Amnesty's Burma Campaign

[By Leo Cackett. Also see the photo at Enigma Images]

UPDATE Oct 12, 2011

Burma amnesty brings release of hundreds of prisoners, including about 200 political ones. Democratic Voice of Burma:
"Zarganar, a prominent comedian and vocal government critic, was among those released on Wednesday as part of a pardon of more than 6,300 prisoners by the new leadership, his family said."
Also BBC News article.


Christopher Eccleston (The Observer, Oct 3, 2010):
"Burma is a country of horrors. Torture is commonplace, dissent is not tolerated, and censorship is almost total. It is unbelievable that such regime can continue to exist. Take the case of popular comedian Zarganar. He is currently serving a 35-year prison sentence for criticising the junta's handling of the cyclone relief efforts in 2008. Nothing short of ridiculous. The global community needs to wake up and act as one to condemn the country's ruling military junta and their appalling human rights record."
The Observer gallery of the campaign.

From Enigma Images site:
Leading celebrities are being asked to join people from all over the world, including politicians and leading exiled Burmese activists, to stand in solidarity with Burma's former political prisoners to demand the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners currently incarcerated in Burma's notorious prisons.

Full details of the campaign can be seen on the Amnesty website
The campaign is based on the documentary project Even Though I'm Free I Am Not which can be viewed in full on this website

People are being asked to write the name on the palm of their hand of one of the 9 political prisoner cases that Amnesty International are highlighting. They will then have their photo taken and be able to stand in solidarity with Burma's former political prisoners who are leading this campaign.

The photographs will be collected and presented to the summit meeting of political leaders from Asia and Europe, in Brussels in October 2010 - the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). Amnesty will call on these leaders to press for freedom for Burma's political prisoners, and real human rights for Burma.
Amnesty UK:
Amnesty's action this year on Burma was inspired by the work of James Mackay, a London-based freelance documentary photographer who has photographed more than 160 former Burmese political prisoners now located all around the world - some still in Burma.

For the self-funded project, entitled 'Even Though I'm Free I Am Not', James is travelling around the world, including Burma, to photograph and interview former political prisoners who are coming together to raise awareness for their colleagues who remain in jail. He is working in collaboration with the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) and Democratic Voice of Burma.
Read about the photoshoot with Eccleston at Even Though I'm Free I Am Not blog.




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Chris Eccleston on Marc Riley's Show


2010-08-18 Eccleston is set to appear on Marc Riley radio programme (BBC 6 Music) this coming Tuesday, August the 24th. The show starts at 19:00 (UK) and is available to listen worldwide via the iPlayer.


From Marc Riley's gallery:

Tracklist:
Faces — Stay With Me [CE]
The Walkmen — Angela Surf City [MR]
Curtis Mayfield — People Get Ready [CE]
Smoke Fairies — Strange Moon Rising [MR]
Live - The Burns Unit — Trouble
The Smiths — How Soon Is Now [CE]
The Specials — Blank Expression [CE]
Live - The Burns Unit — Since We've Fallen Out
Paul Robeson — My Curly Headed Baby [CE]
Sparks — This Town Isn't Big Enough For Both of Us [CE]
I Am Kloot — Favourite Sky [CE]
Toots & The Maytals — 54-46 Was My Number [CE]
Live - The Burns Unit — All of This In Writing
June Tabor — Now I'm Easy [CE]
Bob Marley & The Wailers — Stir It Up [CE]
Aretha Franklin — Soul Serenade [CE]
Sweet — Blockbuster [CE]
Linton Kwesi Johnson — It Dread Inna Inglan [CE]
Euros Childs — Spin That Girl Around [MR]

From programme's page:
24/08/2010 Tuesday, 19:00 on BBC 6 Music:
An actor extraordinaire joins us this evening - Christopher Eccleston, plus live a live band are in the studio to provide musical magic - The Burns Unit ... a Scottish super group!!

Christopher Eccleston will be in the studio with Marc helping him choose the music for the show ... so if you're wondering what the ex Dr Who is into, musically, now's your chance to find out!!! There's bound to be some I Am Kloot and more than likely some Richard Hawley.

Christopher Eccleston is a Salford born lad and fab actor. He has appeared in hit TV shows Cracker, Our Friends In The North and Heroes. His film repertoire includes Shallow Grave, Elizabeth & The Others.

Interestingly he's only recently passed his driving test and can only drive an automatic car - so there.
BBC 6 Music publicity:
Christopher Eccleston joins Marc Riley this evening to co-present the show, which includes live musical magic from guest band The Burns Unit.

Christopher Eccleston pays a visit to Marc in the BBC 6 Music Manchester studios to co-present, sharing his musical choices and anecdotes.

Christopher is an award-winning actor whose career is as eclectic as they come – ranging from movies including Shallow Grave, to being the ninth incarnation of Doctor Who and a recent starring role in BBC Four's Lennon Naked, a drama which charted Lennon's transition from "Beatle John" to enduring and enigmatic icon. He has also starred in two videos for Mercury Prize-nominated band – and friends of Marc's show – I Am Kloot.

Marc and Chris's live band for the evening are Scottish "supergroup" The Burns Unit. [...]

Thanks to Jen for additional pics.

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