A1 VOX NEWS

Dragline: He was smiling... That's right. You know, that, that Luke smile of his. He had it on his face right to the very end. Hell, if they didn't know it 'fore, they could tell right then that they weren't a-gonna beat him. That old Luke smile. Oh, Luke. He was some boy. Cool Hand Luke. Hell, he's a natural-born world-shaker.

Ahhhhh – this is one of my fellas favourite films and demonstrates how some folks can keep getting back up on that horse, no matter how many times they have been whipped or ridiculed. An inspiring story, showing the strength of the human spirit.

Cool Hand Luke opened this weekend at the Aldwych Theatre London. It runs until 7^th January 2012 so I have given you plenty of warning to go see this beaut of a West end show, which has been directed by none other than our very own Mr Andrew Loudon. What a talented fellow he is!

For those of you that aren’t familiar with the tale, Cool Hand Luke is an American crime drama telling the story of Luke Jackson, a decorated World War II veteran who refuses to conform to life in a Florida prison camp and frequently tries to escape. The other inmates try to live vicariously through him. There's always one isn't there!

Starring Marc Warren (Hustle, Mad Dogs) as the charismatic rebel, Cool Hand Luke is the hard-hitting story of a true original. He'll play it real cool in the face of brutality. He'll always get back up after a beating. He'll eat fifty eggs in an hour, to win a bet. A man who won't conform no matter what it costs.

Marc is known for his British television roles as Danny Blue in Hustle, Dougie Raymond in The Vice and Dominic Foy in State of Play, but he won't have any problem with the American accent since he was also part of the starry cast in Stephen Spielberg's Band of Brothers playing an American Marine.

As Andy has been extremely busy with the show I haven’t had a chance to touch base with him as yet, so I would just like to take this opportunity to say all the best for the run Andy – we are sure – Hands Down… it is gonna be a cool success.

A1 GUESTS

It has been a bit Corrie V’s Eastenders when it comes to our guests this week.

The bubbly and vivaciuous Sally Lindsay came bounding into the studio, like an excitable northern banshee. This Stockport lass is best known for playing Shelley Unwin in Coronation Street.

She has been bessie mates with Peter Kay since she was twenty four and they have subsequently appeared together in Phoenix Nights and the video for the comic relief single “Is this the way to Amarillo”.

If any of you read the blog last month you will have seen the piece on Mark Radcliffe, well in a weird twist of showbiz fate Sally was a regular guest, and contributor, to the Radcliffe and Maconie Show on BBC Radio 2. Keep it Real, Keep it Northern eh.

As of this month Sally has joined the gaggle of women to become a permanent panelist on Loose Women, and she reckons she was born for the job:

‘I’m a mother, a step-mother, a sister – everything to do with being a woman, which is what Loose Women is all about’

Meanwhile Sally also reappears on our screens with another of her former Corrie buddies Angela Griffin in new series Mount Pleasant.

The show stars Sally as Mancunian lass Lisa and follows her as she navigates the highs and lows of life with her best friends and workmates. The show features an ensemble cast including Bobby Ball, Pauline Collins, Liza Tarbuck and Paula Wilcox. Sally says:

‘I’ll tell you why this show is new and different. Because you know what, it really isn’t grim up north….it seems to me the only portrayal we have ever seen is all flat caps and whippets and back-to-back terraces. I think this is a portrayal of life up North now, not for everyone, but life isn’t the same for everyone anywhere’

Hear, hear!

So it looks as though ‘our Sal’ is one busy lady at the mo, getting Loose, in a Pleasant way!

So from an Ex Corrie artist to an Ex Enders player.

Joel Beckett is probably best remembered for playing Jake Moon, Alfie Moons cousin. He ended up shooting his brother Danny dead (who was about to kill Phil and Grant), and left the series seven months later under very mysterious circumstances!

He also played Lee, Dawn’s fiancé, in Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s The Office.

Jake says that one of his career highlights was hanging out with Tom Hanks while filming for HBO’s world war two series Band of Brothers (which in another spooky A1 twist ,featured Marc Warren as blogged above!):

‘Working with Tom Hanks was incredible….he was such a nice guy’

Tom wrote all the actors a personal letter after filming and Joel remembers sharing a joke with the famous actor over a cup of tea and thinking ‘I just made Tom Hanks laugh!’

Oh to mix with A-List gentry!

Next week I will be delving into the life and times of Kevin Brownlow - filmmaker, film historian, television documentary-maker, author, and Academy Award recipient!!!! Blooming Heck, now there’s a CV and a half. We will also be finding out the latest from A1 Queen of Sass - Ms Joan Walker.

Until then enjoy this reprieve of glorious September sunshine!!!!!

An Autumnal good morrow to you all.

Let us bat away the putrid summer and embrace roaring fires, roast dinners and nestling into the sofa for DVD afternoons. May the cosy times begin!

I made it back in one piece from Estonia…..just - and truth be told it pretty much turned into a stag do with the my posse of ladies assuming the antler pose for many a piccie whilst yelling out the obligatory AWWOOOOGGGAAA. Essex and Slough girls on tour…not a pretty sight.

So back to your favourite studio - and as the children started trickling back to school this week it felt like a new term at A1 too.

With back to back bookings nearly every day, and a few new clients to welcome into the curriculum, it certainly feels like we have hit September running.

Long may it continue.

Maybe it is the fresh new outlook that is coming together to create the re-vamped A1 VOX premises.

This is me sitting in a now newly decorated and carpeted room. There are exciting times ahead and we will keep you updated with photos and information on A1 VOX’s version of Trinny and Susannah as we undergo our stylish transformation.

This week has seen a couple of beauties pass through the doors of A1.

First up was glamorous veteran actress Cherie Lunghi.

Cheri is probably familiar to some of you for Strictly Come Dancing, Casualty, Dalziel and Pascoe, Cutting It, The Inspector Lynley Mysteries and the sexy Kenco Coffee ads to name but a few.

Cherie looks incredible for her age (59) and so it came as no surprise to see her raunchy scenes in Adventures of a Call Girl, where she plays high class call girl Belle de Jour’s (Billie Piper’s) agent.

In one scene she is even tied up in military uniform for a bondage scene, but then Cherie is no stranger to peeling off for the camera. She made her name on TV throughout 1989-90 in the Manageress, which sees her character Gabriella Benson take over a top-flight football team.

Further back than that she was involved in a particularly steamy scene in John Boorman’s Excalibur (1981) in which she played Guinevere. Careful where you put that sword Lancelot!

Second to grace us with her natural flawless beauty was Zoe Lister.

Zoe’s first and only professional role to date has been the role of Zoe Carpenter in Hollyoaks. Yes folks she got to keep her own name to prevent her being a “moron” – her words not mine.

Zoe had more than her fair share of racy story lines during her stint with the teen angst soap, including falling for her best mate Sarah’s dad, Mike.

This relationship ended in tears though, after Zoe slept with Sarah following a drunken night out. Crikey!

Zoe then went on to fail her degree after using Mike’s work and passing it off as her own…..still with me?... and finally ended up in the slammer after Sarah’s girlfriend framed her for her murder.

Jeez Louise!

I can happily report that the real life Zoe is doing a lot better than her alter ego and even went on to win a British Soap Award in 2010 for the category of Spectacular Scene of the Year for “The Parachute Jump” in which poor Sarah looses her life.

She has also been nominated in the category of Sexiest Female and is indeed a very fair maiden to behold. We wish her luck with her career ‘post Hollyoaks’ and are sure that her Chester antics will put her in good stead for future roles.

A1 VOX NEWS

Mr Stephen Critchlow made a very welcome visit to A1 VOX this week.

He will be resuming his role in 39 Steps in October of this year so get yourselves down to The Criterion and see ‘our Critchy’ working his theatre-land magic! It doesn’t get better than this.

Lucy Petrie-Scott has been busy looking after her three boys throughout the summer, moving house and finalising architecture plans.

How does she do it all?!....I guess hubby Al Petrie is on hand….but wait.. ..no - she really is super mum, as Al has been racking up the acting credentials like Ralph Fiennes on speed dial.

Al will be playing the character of Felix Finch in the adaptation of the book, Cloud Atlas.

Cloud Atlas is a 2004 novel, and the third book by British author David Mitchell. It won the British Book Awards, Literary Fiction Award and the Richard and Judy Book of the Year award, and was short-listed for the 2004 Booker Prize, Nebula Award and Arthur C Clarke Award, amongst many others.

Sounds like a pretty nifty read I’d say.

The novel consists of six nested stories that take the reader from the remote South Pacific in the nineteenth century to a distant, post-apocalyptic future.

In 2009 it was announced that the Waschowski Siblings had bought the rights to the novel. Warner Bros will distribute the film in North America while Focus Features will handle international sales of the screen play written by writer/director Tom Tykwer.

On April 12, 2011 it was announced that Tom Hanks was to play the lead with Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, Susan Sarandon, and Ben Whishaw included as supporting cast. The movie which began production in Germany this summer, has a budget of $100 million, making it one of the most expensive German films ever.

Al has two non speaking parts, and two speaking parts, with non other than Tom Hanks and Halle Berry!!!!!!. The lucky cad.

I guess this means Lucy will have to shake something spectacular out of her closet come red carpet time. OOO the little minx - and here was me starting to feel sorry for her being left home alone!

And that, (as they say), is a wrap.