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Matthew Cottle
Matthew Cottle (born 16 February 1967) is an English film, stage, radio and television actor. Early life Cottle was born in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, and studied drama at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, graduating in 1990 with an Acting (RADA Diploma). Film Cottle appeared in Richard Attenborough's 1992 ''Chaplin (film), Chaplin'' (as Stan Laurel), and in David Jones' 1999 adaptation of ''A Christmas Carol (1999 film), A Christmas Carol''. Cottle also appeared in ''The Personal History of David Copperfield'' in 2019. Theatre Cottle's recent theatre work includes ''The Deep Blue Sea'' and ''The Chalk Garden'' at Chichester Festival Theatre, Wonderland at the Nottingham Playhouse, ''How the Other Half Loves'' at the Haymarket Theatre and the Duke of York's, ''Our Country's Good'', ''A Small Family Business'' ''The Habit of Art'' at the Royal National Theatre, National Theatre and ''Quartermaine's Terms'', directed by Richard Eyre, at Wyndham's Theatre. Cottle also appea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames ( ) is a town status in the United Kingdom, town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish on the River Thames, in the South Oxfordshire district, in Oxfordshire, England, northeast of Reading, Berkshire, Reading, west of Maidenhead, England, Maidenhead, southeast of Oxford and west of London (by road), near the tripoint of Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire. The population at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census was 12,186. History Henley does not appear in Domesday Book of 1086; often it is mistaken for ''Henlei'' in the book which is in Surrey. There is archaeological evidence of people residing in Henley since the second century as part of the Romano-British period. The first record of Henley as a substantial settlement is from 1179, when it is recorded that Henry II of England, King Henry II "had bought land for the making of buildings". King John of England, John granted the manor of Benson, Oxfordshire, Benson and the town and manor o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Comic Potential
''Comic Potential'' by Alan Ayckbourn is a romantic sci-fi comedy play. It is set in a TV studio in the foreseeable future, when low-cost androids (known as "actoids") have largely replaced actors. Background The play was Ayckbourn's second exploration into science fiction, the first being '' Henceforward...'' This play originated from the idea that the ability to laugh and the ability to fall in love are both characteristics that differentiate humans from androids, as both are illogical from an objective viewpoint, thus raising the question as to whether either of the actions in an android would be considered a malfunction. The comedy also explores the Pygmalion syndrome and competing desires for autonomy and certainty. Plot summary Idealistic young writer Adam Trainsmith meets Chandler Tate, a former director of classic comedies, who makes a living by directing a never-ending soap opera. The leading-role android makes a series of mistakes. Supporting role android JC-F31-33 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Game On (British TV Series)
''Game On'' is a British sitcom which ran for three series on BBC2 from 27 February 1995 to 6 February 1998. The central characters are three childhood friends from Herne Bay in Kent: laddish agoraphobe Matthew Malone (Ben Chaplin in the first series and Neil Stuke in the second and third), man-eater Amanda "Mandy" Wilkins ( Samantha Janus), and wimpish Martin Henson (Matthew Cottle). In their twenties, the trio move into and share a flat in Battersea, south-west London, which Matthew bought with his inheritance, and the series follows their lives as flatmates. Created and written by Andrew Davies and Bernadette Davis, and produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC, ''Game On'' was aimed at twenty-somethings, the same age group as the principal cast of the show. Production It was directed by John Stroud, produced by Sioned Wiliam and the BBC Television Head of Comedy Geoffrey Perkins, and executive produced by Denise O'Donohue on behalf of Hat Trick Productions for t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
British Sitcom
A British sitcom or a Britcom is a situational comedy programme produced for British television. British sitcoms have predominantly been recorded on studio sets, while some include an element of location filming. Live audiences and multi-cameras were first used in the US by Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball for their American show ''I Love Lucy'' in 1951 and the system was adopted in the UK. Several are made almost entirely on location (for example, '' Last of the Summer Wine'') and shown to a studio audience prior to final post-production to record genuine laughter. In contrast to the American team writing system, Ray Galton and Alan Simpson's huge successes were of such quality that they became the paradigm for British sitcom writing. By the time the television set had become a common part of home furnishing, sitcoms were significant expressions of everyday life and were often a window on the times of enormous social changes in the British class system and its conflicts and prejud ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
BBC Two
BBC Two is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matter, incorporating genres such as comedy, drama and documentaries. BBC Two has a remit "to broadcast highbrow, programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio channels, it is funded by the television licence, and is therefore free of commercial advertising. It is a comparatively well-funded Public broadcasting, public-service channel, regularly attaining a much higher audience share than most public-service channels worldwide. Originally styled BBC2, it was the third British television station to be launched (starting on 21 April 1964), and from 1 July 1967, Europe's first television channel to broadcast regularly in colour. It was envisaged as a home for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Windsors
''The Windsors'' is a British sitcom and parody of the British royal family, the House of Windsor. It was first broadcast on Channel 4 in April 2016 and stars Harry Enfield, Haydn Gwynne, Hugh Skinner, Louise Ford, Richard Goulding, Tom Durant-Pritchard, Kathryn Drysdale, Morgana Robinson, Ellie White, and Celeste Dring. Written by the co-creators of '' Star Stories'', Bert Tyler-Moore and George Jeffrie, ''The Windsors'' is a satirical portrayal of the British royal family. Following the death of Jeffrie from a heart attack in September 2020, Tyler-Moore became sole writer of the series. A fourth series was scheduled to film in late 2023, following the broadcast of a Coronation special episode earlier in the year. Production was suspended in early 2024. Synopsis ''The Windsors'' tells the story of the British royal family but re-imagined as a soap opera. Although the stories are completely fictional, they are inspired by real events. Cast Main * Harry Enfield as Pr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Southwark Playhouse
Southwark Playhouse is a theatre in London with two venues, both located between Borough and Elephant and Castle tube stations. History The Southwark Playhouse Theatre Company was founded in 1993 by Juliet Alderdice and Tom Wilson. They identified the need for a high quality accessible theatre which would also act as a major resource for the community. They leased a disused workshop in a then comparatively neglected part of Southwark and turned it into a flexible theatre space. The theatre quickly put down strong roots in Southwark, developing an innovative, free-at-source education programme. It has worked closely with teachers, Southwark Borough Council, businesses and government agencies to improve educational achievement and raise aspirations. This programme is in great demand and attracts substantial funding each year. Over the next fifteen years the theatre established itself as one of London's leading studio theatres, presenting high quality work by new and emerging t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orange Tree Theatre
The Orange Tree Theatre is a 180-seat theatre at 1 Clarence Street, Richmond in south-west London, which was built specifically as a theatre in the round. It is housed within a disused 1867 primary school, built in Victorian Gothic style. The theatre was founded in 1971 by its first artistic director, Sam Walters, and his actress wife Auriol Smith in a small room above the Orange Tree pub opposite the present building, which opened in 1991. Walters, the UK's longest-serving theatre director, retired from the Orange Tree Theatre in June 2014 and was succeeded as artistic director by Paul Miller, previously associate director at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. Tom Littler, previously artistic director at the Jermyn Street Theatre, took over from Miller in December 2022. The Orange Tree Theatre specialises in staging new plays and rediscovering classics. It has an education and participation programme that reaches over 10,000 people every year. Since 2014 the theatre h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Taking Steps
''Taking Steps'' is a 1979 farce by British playwright Alan Ayckbourn. It is set on three floors of an old and reputedly haunted house, with the stage arranged so that the stairs are flat and all three floors are on a single level (hence the play on words in the title). Characters There are six characters in the play: * Elizabeth: Former dancer, retired as a result of her marriage; now in perpetual indecision about whether to leave her husband; her effort to do so sets off much of the action in the play * Roland: Elizabeth's unappreciative husband; a businessman who is a major presence in the bucket industry; alcoholic * Mark: Elizabeth's brother, attempting to save his one-sided relationship to Kitty and fulfil his dream of opening a fishing tackle shop * Kitty: Arm-twisted into engagement with Mark; having left him at the altar once, she has been persuaded to come back to him after her arrest for suspected solicitation; feels trapped into always being part of other people's d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crucible Theatre
The Crucible Theatre, or simply The Crucible, is a theatre in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which opened in 1971. Its name refers to crucible steel, which was developed in Sheffield in 1740 and drove the industrialisation of the city. In addition to regular theatrical performances, the theatre also serves as a sports venue, having hosted the World Snooker Championship annually since 1977. The ''Guardian'' newspaper has called the Crucible the "spiritual home of snooker". The World Women's Snooker Championship and the World Seniors Championship have also been staged at the venue. In May 2022 plans were unveiled to build a new 3,000-seat venue nearby with a bridge connecting the two buildings. History The Crucible Theatre was built by M J Gleeson and opened in 1971. It replaced the Sheffield Repertory Theatre which was based in Townhead Street at the Sheffield Playhouse. In 1967 Colin George, the founding artistic director of the Crucible, recommended a thrust ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Racing Demon (play)
''Racing Demon'' is a 1990 play by English playwright David Hare. Part of a trio of plays about British institutions, it focuses on the Church of England, and tackles issues such as gay ordination, and the role of evangelism Evangelism, or witnessing, is the act of sharing the Christian gospel, the message and teachings of Jesus Christ. It is typically done with the intention of converting others to Christianity. Evangelism can take several forms, such as persona ... in inner-city communities. The play debuted at the National Theatre. Awards and nominations ; Awards * 1990 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play ; Nominations * 1996 Tony Award for Best Play References * External links * * {{OlivierAward Play 1976–2000 1990 plays Laurence Olivier Award–winning plays Plays by David Hare West End plays ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Neighbourhood Watch (Ayckbourn Play)
''Neighbourhood Watch'' is a 2011 play by Alan Ayckbourn. The play premiered on 13 September 2011 at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough. Plot The play centers around a brother and sister who innocently set up a Neighbourhood Watch group following petty crime from a nearby estate, only for the group to go out of control and become an authoritarian force controlling the lives of the people they are supposed to protect. Reception Critics were generally favourable with Michael Billington from ''The Guardian'' calling it "highly ambitious" and "biliously funny" while ''The Daily Telegraph'' and ''The Stage'' also gave it positive reviews. A performance starring Paul Lavers was held at the Gordon Craig Theatre in Stevenage Stevenage ( ) is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, about north of London. Stevenage is east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1(M), between Letchworth Garden City to the north and Welwyn Garden City to the south. In 1946, Stevenage w ... in M ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
