...events dear boy, events...

The Shadow Proclamation Convention, Middlesbrough 

 

Reluctant as I am to fan the flames of controversy surrounding yesterday afternoon's last minute cancellation of the Doctor Who Convention due to be held in Middlesbrough this weekend, it would nevertheless be remiss of me not to mention it at all. I know there are numerous disappointed fans who now find themselves significantly out of pocket, having paid not only for tickets to the event, but also potentially for travel and accommodation and who might well be wondering why the event was so abruptly terminated.

Regular visitors to this site will know that I usually mention forthcoming appearances, particularly at conventions, some time in advance of the actual event. In this instance, I never did, simply because the likelihood of actually attending had been looking increasingly uncertain. For the past several weeks, promises and assurances had been made by the organiser, all of which came to nought.

Without going into great detail, it became increasingly apparent yesterday that the assurances and guarantees required before travelling to Middlesbrough would not be met and regrettably, there seemed little alternative other than to withdraw from attending the convention. I believe other invited guests were having the same experience and came to the same conclusion.

I can only offer my apologies to those who, like me, were looking forward to what could have been a fun event.

 And now, I'm going to draw a line under the whole sorry saga; here it is...

_________________________________________________________________________________

On to other matters; I'm back in the studio over the next couple of months, working on some fabulous stories for Big Finish and I'm really looking forward to the releases throughout the next several months, in fact, all the way to Christmas and into the New Year! Something else I'm looking forward to in a few hours from now - can you guess?

...all for now, more just as soon as it happens!

There and back again...

'Home, home again. I like to be here when I can. When I come home cold and tired, it's good to warm my bones beside the fire.' *

Well, no need really to warm any bones at the moment, but it is good to be home again after my tour of duty in Nottingham with The Classic Thriller Season. A little r&r required over the next few days, after which, I have a couple of diary dates for upcoming events and recordings. As soon as things are confirmed, I'll post details here.

In the meantime, I've been listening to the latest collection of Avengers stories and enjoying them very much. I've mentioned how much I love The Avengers in several previous postings and so won't repeat myself now; I just find it so amazing to be involved in such an iconic series - yet another 'pinch myself' moment courtesy of Big Finish.

BF have been announcing forthcoming series box sets, some of which I'm taking part in. In order of release, with further details to appear nearer the time, Blake's 7: The Liberator Chronicles Volume 10 is scheduled for November. I'm playing Ragnus Lang in Andrew Smith's story Retribution and very much looking forward to listening to it. In December, there's a treat in store for fans of Sherlock Holmes when Jonathan Barnes' fabulous stories are brought to life in The Judgement of Sherlock Holmes. In my opinion, the scripts for this box set are simply stunning and beautifully and authentically written. Once again, I'm privileged to be playing Inspector Lestrade, who has quite a significant role in this arc of stories. Below is a fascinating 'making of' movie, which I hope you enjoy watching. I'm really very excited about this release - can't wait!

Sherlock Holmes had many secrets. This is the greatest of them.

Our knowledge of the life and career of Mr Sherlock Holmes is necessarily partial and inexact. Riddled with lacunae and ambiguities, its parameters are defined chiefly by what his friend and colleague, Dr John Watson, saw fit to record. One era in particular – those enigmatic years in which, believed dead at the Reichenbach Falls, the Great Detective roved the world incognito – has been shrouded in obscurity and doubt, the particulars of that time too terrible and too strange to be set down in full.

At least, that is, until now…

* * * * *

Tempting as it is to reveal more, for the time being I'll have to remain reasonably tight lipped about other releases in the pipeline - what do you mean, you don't like 'deferred gratification'? Me neither, but you'll thank me later for not spilling all the beans at once... hopefully!

...and finally; at the risk of falling into the '# ego' category of actors (or anyone else for that matter!) and as it's such a completely unique and unexpected occurrence, I couldn't let the moment pass without revealing this beautiful object, which had come all the way from America and was waiting for me in its presentation box when I arrived home in the wee small hours of Sunday morning:

With great thanks to Denise Daniels at the APA in New York and to Mia Jerva and Sylvia Uhl at The Crystal Cave in Chicago.

...more, just as soon as it happens!

* Pink Floyd: Dark Side of The Moon: Breathe Reprise

Theatre Royal, Nottingham

The end of our first week here in Nottingham and later today, the final two performances of The Ghost Train. This morning we had a run onstage of next week's play, The Shadow of The Ghost and so we have a few hours before the matinee at 5. Just wondering whether to leave the comfort of my dressing room to wander around the city for a while; the weather isn't too great (looks like rain) and a bit of a rest seems like a good idea. But I can't stay in the theatre all day; some fresh air and window shopping might wake me up a little.

There are some interesting events, releases and recordings coming up in the next few weeks, but more on those in a while; all for now!