Oh Vienna !

A few days ago, I posted an update about next month's Dr Who story, The Shadow Heart, in which Chase Masterson plays a character by the name of Vienna Salvatori - and in which I play a variety of diverse and (hopefully) interesting characters. As previously mentioned, there will be much more on that release in November.

However, in the meantime, Big Finish have just announced that Chase and Vienna are to have a story line of their own, which I must say, I find incredibly exciting and very good news indeed. Here's the gist of this morning's breaking news...

' Big Finish is delighted to announce that Chase Masterson, best known to science fiction fans for her role as Leeta in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, will be getting her own audio series as the impossibly glamorous bounty hunter Vienna Salvatori.'

Vienna makes her first appearance in the upcoming Doctor Who full cast audiobook The Shadow Heart, which stars Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor.

Titled simply Vienna, the new series launches with a pilot episode in February 2013 called The Memory Box, in which Vienna is on the run from the law, standing accused of murdering a rich industrialist – a crime she may or may not have committed. But is anything quite what it seems?

Chase Masterson says: "The Memory Box is a great romp. As with The Shadow Heart, writer Jonathan Morris takes us on a ride packed with twists and turns and farce - it's big fun.

“And Vienna is one of my favourite characters ever: the endearingly incorrigible killer we loved to hate in The Shadow Heart - completely unapologetic, even charming about her day job as a mercenary assassin. Plus, she usually manages to land on the side of justice. Vienna's quite a turn-on - I think you'll like her as much as I do."

So there we have it - more on this and other stories just as soon as they happen!

October update: Counter Measures

As autumn turns darker and even wetter, why would anyone feel the need to actually go out, especially when its much better to stay in and listen to this pod-cast recorded by Alex Fitch?

Counter Measures:
 
In the second of a pair of pod-casts about Doctor Who audio spin-offs, Alex Fitch talks to actor John Banks, producer David Richardson and director Ken Bentley about Counter Measures, a new Nigel Kneale influenced audio drama that continues the story of the supporting cast from Doctor Who: Remembrance of the Daleks.

Here's a link and some information relating to what's in store: Counter Measures Interview

PS: Apologies for 're-posting' this update. For reasons unknown, the last three October postings haven't shown up properly on internet searches. Indeed, the entire site listing vanished for a while, so I've re-posted to give search engines a chance to re-index the updates; fingers crossed that it'll work! 

Thrill of The Chase: Masterson Meets Doctor Who

Just how big is the universe I wonder - and how many others are actually out there? A quick internet search or an email to Professor Brian Cox would probably be a good place to start in answering such a question. All I know at the moment is that the Doctor Who universe recently collided with the Star Trek universe....  and the results will be available on CD & download next month!

In the meantime, Chase Masterson, Leeta in Star Trek: Deep Space 9, has written a fascinating article for the Star Trek web site about the two series and her forthcoming role as Vienna Salvatori in Dr Who: The Shadow Heart.


Here's the link: Chase Masterson Meets Doctor Who

Much more on this in November!

The Horus Heresy: Burden of Duty

Here's an update from The Black Library, which has come as a bit of a surprise. I last mentioned the trilogy of Horus Heresy stories in August and suggested then that the release schedule was a bit of a mystery. My guess now is that the information I had then about the CD version of this story was accurate and that it will be released in April 2013, although I hadn't realised that this mp3 version would be available for download now...

Having listened to the extract, my contribution seems to consist of possibly yelling a bit at the beginning (?), with the majority of the clip featuring Ramon (basso) and Toby (basso profundo). The artwork also seems to be the same as the image used for Grey Angel, although it's possible that neither will be used as the actual CD cover.

Anyway, here's a synopsis, a link to the clip and some artwork to look at: 


As the renegade forces of the Warmaster storm across the galaxy, a very different kind of war rages in the shadows of the Imperium – the Knights Errant, chosen of Malcador himself, move quietly in the dark places where others cannot. Battle-captain Nathaniel Garro makes his way to the Imperial Fists’ mighty starfort Phalanx, seeking out another kindred soul for his elite band of warriors.

The Black Library - Burden of Duty (mp3)

 
Performed by John Banks, Toby Longworth and Ramon Tikaram. 

Written by James Swallow & Directed by Ken Bentley

Online reviews & comments:

Garro

Rated 5 out of 5 by Mark-Anthony

Bought it and listened to it, I liked the 'twist' at the end, well done :) Toby Longworth does an excellent job when it comes to narrating, John Banks seems to have an affinity when it comes to voicing Librarians whilst Ramon Tikaram's voice was superb for Rogal Dorn. James Swallow has created an unforgettable character in Nathaniel Garro and together with John French's Grey Angel, Burden of Duty makes for a great listen.

The Acheron Pulse

It's tempting at the beginning of a new month, especially a new month which has a much anticipated Big Finish release - well, much anticipated by me at least - to think that things are 'back to normal'. Last month of course, there wasn't a BF release to talk about. But what constitutes 'normal'? For a freelance actor like me, there isn't really a 'normal', as anything could happen at any time or, as was the case in September, nothing could happen at any time. That's not strictly true of course, but after a very busy year so far, last month was a bit of a damp squib - damp indeed!

September therefore became a time to concentrate on putting out feelers and making applications in the hope that, at some point, more work would materialise as a result. I've always found work to be utterly addictive and there's never enough; however busy I am, I'm never busy enough, there's always more I could be doing and more I want to do.

Speaking of which, in last month's posting, I mentioned that my friend Rachel Illingworth was busy directing a new play, Boards, for this year's Off Cut Festival at The Riverside Studios and assisting on Women Laughing, which opens this week at The Old Red Lion in Islington.














In addition to those two productions (and holding down a regular job!) Rachel has also started work on another production at The ORL which starts rehearsals next week - a busy time indeed!
Details on this e-flyer > > >


I saw Boards last week and thought Rachel had done a fantastic job of directing her three young actors and getting the most out of an interesting and quirky script. I'm now very much looking forward to seeing the next two productions in her 'autumn season'.

And so, October is upon us and what's new?  

Doctor Who: The Acheron Pulse is what's new and here are the details: 

The planet Cawdor. Deep in the heart of the Drashani Empire.

The Doctor lands thirty years after the Succession of Blood brought Empress Cheni to the throne. For most of her reign there has been peace and prosperity. The Empire flourished. But five years ago, the War came. And nothing was ever the same again. Now the Drashani are at war with the mysterious alien race known as the Wrath, led by the Warlord Tenebris.  As more and more planets fall to their advance events are rushing to a head.

What exactly does Tenebris want? What is the secret of the Wrath's weapon, the terrifying Acheron Pulse? As the Doctor races to save an Empire, he may not like the answers he finds.

Colin Baker The Doctor                                     James Wilby Tenebris 

Joseph Kloska Dukhin           Jane Slavin Teesha  Chris Porter Vincol            John Banks Boritz  

Chook Sibtain Athrid             Carol Noakes Olerik
Kirsty Besterman 

Written By: Rick Briggs      Directed By: Ken Bentley

Nick Briggs        Colin Baker         James Wilby

Jason Haigh-Ellery    Jane Slavin    John Banks    Chris Porter

Once again, I had a hugely enjoyable time working on this production and I'm really looking forward to listening to it, not least because Moat Studios recording engineer supreme, Mr. Toby Hrycek-Robinson, has created the sound design and composed the music - a first in my experience and I can't wait to hear it.

I also thoroughly enjoyed working with such a distinguished company of actors. Headed by the brilliant Colin Baker, the cast also includes James Wilby, well known from numerous high profile film & television appearances and Jane Slavin, who, as well as being fantastically good at her job, was also wickedly funny throughout our time together.  Joseph Kloska was great fun to work with and is a vastly experienced voice actor; I was delighted to work with Chris and Chook again and equally delighted to work, for the first time, with Kirsty Besterman.

 

                 Colin                   James                   ... and Carol

It was a particular pleasure to work with Carol Noakes again - after a gap of twenty-five years! In 1987, we toured together in a stage production of  Much Ado About Nothing and became good pals. But the nature of the business meant that, after a while, we lost touch with each other and so it was just great to catch up with Carol and work with her again after so long. 

                                                                                                Having now mentioned just about everybody involved in the production, it would be unfair not to also congratulate Rick Briggs for such a fine script and to thank 'semi-mythical directing legend' Ken Bentley, who always creates such a wonderfully conducive working environment. What fun!

All for now - more news as it happens!