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Tag: Paul Mayhew-Archer

  • BBC One film to star Dame Judi Dench, Dustin Hoffman

    BBC One film to star Dame Judi Dench, Dustin Hoffman

    MUMBAI: Dame Judi Dench and Dustin Hoffman have been lined up to lead the cast of Roald Dahl’s Esio Trot, a 90-minute movie for Endor Productions and BBC One that is slated to begin filming next year in London.

    Roald Dahl’s Esio Trot revolves around Mr Hoppy, a retired bachelor who has a crush on his neighbor, Mrs Silver. The production, based on a children’s book, is being adapted by Richard Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer. It will be distributed by Red Arrow International.

    BBC One controller Charlotte Moore remarked: “It’s an honor to have Dame Judi Dench and Dustin Hoffman starring in this wonderful new adaptation. It’s absolutely stellar casting for one of the nation’s favorite children’s classics.”

    BBC controller for drama commissioning Ben Stephenson said: “An amazing cast and production team have come together to dramatise Roald Dahl’s wonderful, evergreen story. This film is a class act with a roll call of talent that only the BBC could assemble.”

    Producer Hilary Bevan Jones added: “To bring together two of the world’s favorite actors in Dame Judi and Dustin is a dream come true. Richard and Paul have captured the magic of Roald Dahl’s wonderful tale and I am thrilled that Dearbhla [Walsh] is to direct it.”

  • BBC launches College of Comedy

    BBC launches College of Comedy

    MUMBAI: Britain’s comedy writers are backing a new “BBC College of Comedy.” The scheme, which launches today (12 March), will take six writers and train them over a year by attaching them to sitcoms and sketch shows, giving each a mentor for original work, and running a series of masterclasses in all aspects of comedy writing.

    Among those endorsing the scheme are Dick Clement and Ian la Frenais, Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain, Bill Dare, Jeremy Dyson, Andy Hamilton, Armando Iannucci, Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, Paul Mayhew-Archer, David Mitchell and Robert Webb, Susan Nickson, Simon Nye, Ian Brown, James Hendrie and Ian Pattison.

    The scheme, which has financial support from BBC Worldwide, is designed for people who have already begun their careers, and can demonstrate some achievement, such as broadcast material, a script commission or performance of their work.

    Applicants are being invited to submit the first ten pages of a half-hour script, or six sketches by the closing date of 14 April. Twelve writers will be interviewed, and the successful six announced on 16 May. They will then be matched with productions, and guaranteed a script commission.

    They will also be given a mentor for original work, which will be showcased when the scheme ends in March 2009. There will be two residential workshops during the year, with sessions from leading writers, producers and directors.

    The scheme is being run by Micheál Jacob, formerly the BBC’s creative head of mainstream comedy and executive producer of My Family, Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps and The Smoking Room. He will combine running the college with developing and executive producing programmes.

    Jacob says, “We hope to find people who are going to make our team-written shows better, and also writers with original voices who can develop their own shows. We also hope that people will like the BBC enough to bring us their work in the future.”

    The scheme is the brainchild of BBC’s head of comedy, Mark Freeland.

    He added, “I’m really excited about the launch of the scheme. I hope that we can find creative writing talent from many places, unearthing origin and diverse comedy voices.”