Names to watch : Critics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland announce 2011 shortlist

Kate Dickie, David Birrell and David Greig feature on CATS 2011 shortlist

The Critics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland judges have announced the 2010-11 shortlists for Scotland's leading theatre awards, following an all-day meeting at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh.

A highlight of the Scottish theatre calendar, the CATS celebrates the actors, directors, playwrights and other theatre artists who have made the most significant contributions of the year.

Previous winners include actors David Tennant and Cara Kelly, works including Blackbird and Black Watch and companies Wee Stories to the National Theatre of Scotland.

Blythe Duff, star of STV's Taggart, is up for Best Female Actor for her role as Helen in David Harrower's Good with People, produced as part of the A Play Pie and A Pint series at Oran Mor, Glasgow. Her portrayal of a frustrated hotel receptionist who embarks on a strange relationship with a younger man earned her rave reviews when it opened in September last year.

Other nominations for Best Female Actor include rising star Gemma McElhinney for her performance as Duck in David Greig's The Monster in the Hall, which was produced as part of the Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival.

David Birrell is up for Best Male Actor for his enigmatic performance as Sweeney Todd at the Dundee Rep, which received 5 star reviews virtually across the board, but he faces tough competition from Ian Smith, Peter Forbes and Alex Ferns.

Meanwhile, Dundee's Rep Theatre and The Traverse Theatre Company in Edinburgh have much to celebrate as they are in the running for five awards each, just behind the National Theatre of Scotland and Edinburgh's Royal Lyceum, who both appear in six categories.

The winners will be announced at the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, on Sunday 12 June and tickets for the awards ceremony can be purchased now.

See the full list of nominations at The List

Weekly schedule for Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

Mo 5/16: Robot skeleton sidekick Geoff Peterson, Simon Helberg
Tu 5/17: Betty White, Patton Oswalt
We 5/18: Julie Andrews, Little Big Town
Th 5/19: Tony Shalhoub, Sloane Crosley
Fr 5/20: Carrie Fisher

Mo 5/23: Jack Black, Rampage Jackson
Tu 5/24: Courtney Cox, Carrot Top
We 5/25: Norm MacDonald, Julie McCarthy
Th 5/26: Seth Green, Lance Burton
Fr 5/27: Drew Carey

Aardman Animation’s ‘The Pirates, Band of Misfits’ casts David Tennant , Hugh Grant, Martin Freeman and more

Sony and Aardman Animation have teamed for a new 3D stop-motion animated film, called The Pirates! Band of Misfits, based in part on Gideon Defoe‘s book The Pirates! In an Adventure With Scientists. (Which is also the film’s title in the UK, I believe.) That isn’t news, but the first still, above, and the announcement of the full cast definitely is.
Aardman co-founder and Chicken Run co-director Peter Lord is directing the film, which is animated in the now-classic Aardman clay figure style, and he’s got Hugh Grant making his clay debut as the chap you see above.

The Pirates! Band of Misfits, in addition to Hugh Grant, will feature: Martin Freeman, David Tennant, Imelda Staunton, Jeremy Piven, Salma Hayek, Brian Blessed, Brendan Gleeson, Russell Tovey, and Ashley Jensen. That’s all via a press release, which also gives up this synopsis booty, complete with a rundown of who’s playing whom:

Hugh Grant, starring in his first animated role, is the luxuriantly bearded Pirate Captain – a boundlessly enthusiastic, if somewhat less-than-successful, terror of the High Seas. With a rag-tag crew at his side (Martin Freeman, Brendan Gleeson, Russell Tovey, and Ashley Jensen), and seemingly blind to the impossible odds stacked against him, the Captain has one dream: to beat his bitter rivals Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven) and Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek) to the much coveted Pirate Of The Year Award. It’s a quest that takes our heroes from the shores of exotic Blood Island to the foggy streets of Victorian London. Along the way they battle a diabolical queen (Imelda Staunton) and team up with a haplessly smitten young scientist (David Tennant), but never lose sight of what a pirate loves best: adventure!

Source, with more information: Slash Film

Theater Mania and This is Bristol carry the same story, with similar details.

Billy Connolly set to entertain kids with poetry readings on Disney Junior channel

DISNEY have asked Billy Connolly to read poetry to pre-school children.
The veteran comedian will read two pieces on their new channel, Disney Junior, this Sunday.
He is one of several celebrities such as Ashley Jensen, Catherine Tate and Simon Pegg who will take part in A Poem Is.
They will narrate poems on Disney Junior to iconic images from the firm's animation history.
Billy kicks off the series on Sunday at 10am when he reads Robert Louis Stevenson's My Shadow while a scene from Peter Pan is shown.
Later this month, he will read John Howard Payne's Home, Sweet Home to scenes with Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy.
It's a far cry from 1974 when a routine called The Crucifixion - where he likened the Last Supper to a drunken night out in Glasgow - was banned by radio stations.
Now a grandfather, 68, Billy has become a favourite in family films such as Gulliver's Travels and Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events.
He will star in Disney and Pixar's Scottish movie Brave, released next year.

Source, and more information: Daily Record

Dougray Scott joins 'Last Passenger'

Dougray Scott has been cast as the lead role in "Last Passenger" a low-budget Brit train thriller that Pathe International is shopping to buyers in Cannes next week.

The $2 million pic, which is produced by Brit shingle NDF Intl., marks the debut feature for helmer Omid Nooshin. The story follows an overworked doctor trapped on a runaway train leaving London during the Christmas holidays.

Source, and more details: Variety

Weekly schedule for Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

Mo 5/9: Jeff Goldblum, Sarah Chalke
Tu 5/10: Kenneth Branagh, Edward Conlon
We 5/11: Tim Meadows, Colin Hay
Th 5/12: Mary Lynn Rajskub, Lawrence Block
Fr 5/13: Paul Reiser, Melissa McCarthy

Mo 5/16: Simon Helberg
Tu 5/17: Betty White, Patton Oswalt
We 5/18: Julie Andrews
Th 5/19: Tony Shalhoub
Fr 5/20: Carrie Fisher

Empire Magazine preview 'Fright Night'

Empire Magazine feature Fright Night in their June issue, out now in UK shops. The article includes an exclusive look at David Tennant as Peter Vincent.

More info at Empire Magazine

Robert Carlyle becomes a With Kids ambassador

The charity With Kids helps hundreds of disadvantaged children and families in the east end of Glasgow.

Robert Carlyle has become one of the With Kids Ambassadors. Below is Part 1 of 3 interview with Robert. In this video, he talks about why he still lives and works in Glasgow and what his worst and happiest childhood memories were.



Source, and more information: With Kids

Bunraku scheduled for release later this year

ARC Entertainment and Barry Gordon's XLrator Media has acquired U.S. distribution rights to the Snoot Entertainment’s Bunraku.

The martial arts film premiered at the 2010 Toronto Film Festival. Among its stars are Josh Hartnett, Ron Perlman, Demi Moore, Woody Harrelson, Kevin McKidd and Jordi Mollà as well as Japanese actors Gackt Camui and Shun Sugata.

Read more at The Wrap

ARC Entrainment and XLrator reps confirmed that they plan to release Bunraku later this year.

Source: Kevin McKidd Online

Similar details can also be found at HitFix

Goodnight Burbank introduces 30-minute format on Hulu

Goodnight Burbank will become the first ever web series to become a scripted half-hour comedy to debut on the internet.

It stars Laura Silverman, Dominic Monaghan and a host of familiar faces from TV including John Barrowman, Juliet Landau and Miracle Laurie. The first six episodes will be distributed on Hulu.

Read more at PRWeb

Torchwood: Miracle Day Unveils Second Official Teaser

Starz continues to tease with their new promo for Torchwood: Miracle Day, which offers no new footage but elaborates on the premise.



Source, and more info at Ugo

Movie stars will be taking over the Wells Cathedral

A multi-million pound blockbuster film will be shooting in Wells, Somerset, this week.

Jack the Giant Killer, a special effects showcase, is directed by Bryan Singer, who was also responsible for X-Men and produced The Usual Suspects. It features some of the biggest acting talents in the UK, including Ewan McGregor, Bill Nighy, and Ian McShane, as well as Nicholas Hoult in the title role.

Ewan McGregor is playing a giant-killing expert who leads his majesty's guards, while Bill Nighy and John Kassir are teaming up to play the two heads of the giants' leader.

Filming will take place at Wells Cathedral and in Cheddar at a number of secret and secluded locations around the village.

Read more at This is Somerset

Billy Connolly producing segment on Route 66

Scottish comedian, musician and actor Billy Connolly and three cameramen were in Pontiac on Monday, taping a segment on Old Route 66 that Connolly is producing and hopes to sell to Independent Television Authority. ITA is a United Kingdom public service network.

While in Pontiac, he filmed the Walldog murals and Bob Waldmire’s bus, and at the Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum. He planned to continue his trip along Route 66 to Atlanta on Monday afternoon, he said.

“Route 66 is the most famous road in the world,” said Connolly. He said he became interested in the Mother Road from the song, "(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66," which was composed in 1946 by American songwriter Bobby Troup.

Read more at Pontiac Daily Leader

Weekly schedule for Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

Mo 5/2: Mindy Kaling, Matt Lucas
Tu 5/3: Geoffrey Rush, Reese Waters, OK Go
We 5/4: John Waters, Pauley Perrette
Th 5/5: Juliette Lewis, Phil Rosenthal
Fr 5/6: Will Ferrell, Olivia Munn

Mo 5/9: TBA
Tu 5/10: Patton Oswalt
We 5/11: Tim Meadows, Colin Hay