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January 29, 2019  admin Comments are off 2019, Call The Midwife

Laura Main, Ben Bidwell & Paul Wellens

 

 

Joining Ian in the studio this week was Call The Midwife (of course!) actress Laura Main, who, as well as talking about the new series, may have accidentally signed herself up for a walking tour of the set. Also joining Ian and Nat was Ben Bidwell, part of The Naked Professors duo, a new mental health podcast. A surprise addition to the bill, Paul Wellens was on the phone to talk about Rugby League.

January 21, 2019  admin Comments are off 2019, Interview, Shrek

 

And Call The Midwife has become a festive blockbuster with last month’s special crowned the most-watched programme on Christmas Day for the first time, with viewing figures of 8.7 million.

Now the show’s loyal fans could well drive the stars to National Television Awards glory on Tuesday night when it’s nominated for best drama.

But actress Laura Main insists the cast never take success or their viewers for granted. Or, for that matter, their role in the show.

For a cosy 1960s period drama, the series is never afraid of giving viewers a start and the sudden departure of Charlotte Ritchie at the end of the last series was one of those moments when nurse Barbara Hereward died after contracting septicaemia.

Laura said: “We have a WhatsApp group that we are all on, from whatever series. You don’t get dropped just because you’re no longer in the programme. We’re all still friends.”

“I don’t want killed off yet,” she said.

“In fact, I don’t ever want killed off.

“Shelagh has changed over the years with the things she’s gotten to do. I’m so proud to be a part of it.

“Three more series were commissioned after series six and this is number eight, so we’ve got one more series anyway.”

Laura, 37, is grateful for the loyalty of the show’s “amazing” viewers.

“We were anxiously looking at the long list for ages and wondering if we’d make it, but they got us on to this shortlist,” she said.

“Call the Midwife did well from the opening series but it feels like it has even grown in popularity.

“They care passionately about the show and want to share that. Seeing we were the most-watched show on Christmas Day was almost humbling.

“We were genuinely excited and, really, you never lose that. We never take it for granted and the feelings the cast and crew have had since the first series has never changed. We all love it dearly.”

Two of TV’s longest-running dramas, Casualty and Doctor Who, provide the opposition, alongside Our Girl and Peaky Blinders.

Bodyguard, starring Richard Madden, and Killing Eve will do battle in the best new drama category.

Aberdeen-born Laura has been with the show since the start, initially as Sister Bernadette and now as Dr Turner’s wife, Shelagh.

A stylist has been on hand this week to help her choose the right outfit for the big night.

“I was talking about a beautiful ball gown I get to wear in one of the episodes,” revealed Laura.

“But it’s one thing having a costume designer dress you for a character and another going as yourself to something.

“It’s just nice to have a stylist helping me so I’m not doing it all on my own.

“They can be quite nerve-racking nights but at the same time you’re going along with your friends and it’s a celebration of your efforts over the year.”

Laura has kept busy with other projects away from Call the Midwife, including touring the UK as Princess Fiona in Shrek The Musical last year.

It meant, for the most part, less opportunity to get back to see her folks in Aberdeen.

“I just finished the tour last week in Leeds and my family came down to see it one last time,” added Laura. “They were there at the start when we opened in Edinburgh and I had two weeks when were in Aberdeen.

“Getting to stay with mum and dad was lovely but I was away at lot. Once I’ve got the NTAs out of the way I’ve told them I’m definitely coming up to hang out.”

The NTAs will be screened live on ITV on Tuesday. You can vote for your favourites at nationaltvawards.com

I love being in Call The Midwife so much… I just hope they don’t call in the undertaker, says Scots star Laura Main

December 22, 2018  admin Comments are off 2018, Shrek

 

The Shrek movies starring the larger the life ogre and his motley crew of mates grossed millions at the box office so it was hardly a massive shock that the stage version was such a hit in the West End.

Now the year-long UK tour is coming to an end for Shrek, Princess Fiona, Donkey and all the fairy tale character at Leeds Grand Theatre from Tuesday 18th December. Call the Midwife star Laura Main has fitted filming the smash hit BBC show around playing the feisty green princess.

“Shrek the Musical is very faithful to the first film and we are not seeing life beyond all the kids and the marriage, so just up to the happily ever after,” notes Laura,

“There are clever little nods to the other movies, so we have a song called The Travel Song where lots of puppets go by at the back of the stage, and at one point Donkey says ‘oh, look. It’s a cat wearing boots.’”

The cartoon antics of Shrek’s crew battling the evil Lord Farquaad and his minions naturally lends itself to the stage, with no expense spared to create some totally over the top costumes and sets. Laura also has to contend with changing colour too.

“It’s very clever how they do the transformation especially because I have to go back and forth, unlike Shrek who spends the whole show as this green ogre. Steffan Harri who plays him has to get to work an hour and a quarter before the rest of us because he has all the make up to get on.

“For me I have to go from regular Fiona Princess to an ogre and then flip back. At the very end when I fully transform as a green ogre it is unbelievable how they do that because it is done in under one minute.

“I rush off stage and it’s like a pit stop with seven people around me. You have to be really calm, and it is very well choreographed with people from make-up, wigs, costume and sound then I’m back on as an ogre.”

As well as being an experienced musical theatre performer Laura is also a regular on the BBC period Drama Call the Midwife playing former nun Sister Bernadette who swapped her wimple for family life. Her filming commitments on Call the Midwife meant Laura dipped in and out of this mammoth tour as it criss-crossed the country.

“After season seven I went straight into rehearsals, did five months touring and then I started series eight,” says Laura who is looking forward to entertaining audiences in Leeds as the tour finally comes to an end.

“I did a bit of back and forth and sometimes came back into the tour for a venue or two. For Call the Midwife we do six months filming, and get two weeks holiday in the middle, but I was in Milton Keynes doing Shrek. I thought it would be quite scary having all that time away from the show but I’d done enough time onstage so it actually felt great.”

Predicting what will make a TV hit is a lottery and no-one could have foreseen a period drama about a group of midwives and nuns in London’s rundown East End would secure record audiences for BBC1. It might have a stellar cast packed with some of our nation’s greatest female actors, but Laura was unprepared for how quickly it won a place in the nation’s hearts.

“You could never have hoped or wished that it would have taken off in the way it has, and to get those huge viewing figures. Series nine is commissioned and even very, very experienced actors like Jenny Agutter, Pam Ferris and Judy Parfitt said you just never know. They say enjoy this girls because you can’t tell if something is going be something really special, and we all appreciate that.”

Shrek The Musical is at Leeds Grand Theatre from Tuesday 18th December to Sunday 6th January. To book www.leedsgrandtheatre.com or 0844 8482700

 

http://northwestend.co.uk/index.php/homepage/interviews/3732-shrek-and-princess-fiona-are-back-at-leeds-grand-theatre

December 22, 2018  admin Comments are off 2018, Christmas, Interview, Shrek, Video

December 22, 2018  admin Comments are off 2018, BTS, Call The Midwife, Video

Behind the scenes on the Call the Midwife Christmas Special: The photo shoot

In this exclusive behind-scenes footage…

Slået op af Call the MidwifeFredag den 21. december 2018

December 04, 2018  admin Comments are off 2018, Shrek

THIS is the magical moment a Hampshire schoolgirl battling cancer got the surprise of her life – when she came face to face with a princess.

 

 

Edith Coombes, aged five, who is being treated for leukaemia, thought she was visiting Southampton’s Mayflower Theatre to collect box office tickets to see the hit musical Shrek the Musical.

But she was completely overwhelmed when Princess Fiona – the leading lady of the hit show – made a special personal appearance and praised her for her bravery since falling ill.

Edith, a pupil at Berrywood School in Hedge End, compared dresses and talked tiaras and sparkly shoes with the princess – played by Call The Midwife actress Laura Main – and was also presented with a special Star Award from Cancer Research UK Kids and Teens in partnership with TK Maxx.

The youngster, who has been chosen to launch this year’s Hampshire campaign which honours the courage of all children battling cancer, was joined by big sister Eleanor and their parents Kathryn and Lewis for the surprise and were presented with VIP tickets for the show.

Princess Fiona told Edith: “It’s lovely to meet you. I’ve heard all about you and what a brave, brave girl you have been. I believe your sister Eleanor has been a great help too. I really hope you enjoy the show.”

Edith was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) in March, not long after starting in Year R at school and repeatedly coming down with what was initially thought to be a virus.

A bone marrow biopsy eventually confirmed it was cancer and Edith was admitted to hospital and began intensive chemotherapy.

Since then she has lost her long blonde hair and has had to have her head shaved twice. She’s also had repeated stays in hospital, undergoes regular lumbar punctures which require being put to sleep and will continue to receive treatment until May 2020.

She is also one of more than 2,600 children with ALL who are taking part in a clinical trial to see if it is possible to reduce side effects of current treatment and reduce the chance of relapse.

 

Mum Kathryn, 35, a teacher, said: “The treatment made her quite poorly to start with, but thankfully we have come through the harshest phase and Edith was keen to get back to school as soon as she was well enough.”

Dad Lewis added: “We are so proud of her, especially when we stop and think what she has been through and what is still to come. As parents you just have to get on with it. You see how brave Edith is and it makes you be brave too.”

 

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/17270955.princess-surprise-for-battling-five-year-old-edith/?ref=rss&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter






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