Actor Spotlight - David Simeon (Alan Crich in Murrain) Part 2

 

Post-'Murrain' David returned to comedy with the role of Mr Mackenzie in the very first Fawlty Towers episode 'A Touch of Class' (19^th September 1975). During October 1975 he appeared in some sketches for The Dick Emery Show and would pop up in more sketches with the comedian the following year during the autumn of 1976.

David’s second Liver Birds role was as Earl in the episode 'Cry Please' (21^st November 1976). He then appeared in the comedy short training film Meetings, Bloody Meetings (1976), co-written and starring John Cleese. The film offered a light hearted demonstration of having effective business meetings. David appeared as a businessman joining fellow cast Robert Hardy, Timothy West and Julian Holloway amongst others. The film was produced and released by Cleese’s production company Video Arts. More comedy roles followed with his first appearance as Richard Woodford in the puzzlingly popular sitcom The Many Wives of Patrick starring Patrick Cargill as a man who has been married six times. Woodford appeared in the first season in 1976 and would continue to pop up in subsequent seasons in 1977 and 1978.  It was whilst working on the series that David met Elizabeth Counsell, who was playing Cargill’s sixth wife. The couple married the following year. Counsell also has a connection to the series Beasts, having supplied a voice over as the ill-fated Mrs Gibson in the episode 'During Barty’s Party'.

For the Roy Kinnear starring sitcom No Appointment Necessary he appeared as a doctor in the episode 'The French Connexion' (24^th June 1977) and he guested as Johnny Baxter in an episode of the Richard Briers / Michael Gambon sitcom The Other One. From 1978 until 1980 David would play the role of Doctor Hugh Evans in the medical soap opera Angels. The character would make irregular appearances during this period. During 1979 he appeared in Sykes ('The Drop-Out' – 5^th October 1979), and he was one of the regular cast for the irreverent sketch show End of Part One (1979 – 1980), for which he spoofed the presenter and raconteur Cyril Fletcher[1] as well as other personalities such as Frank Muir and Derek Batey.  For the BBC sitcom Rings on Their Fingers made a couple of appearances in the role of next door neighbour David during its second season in 1980.

As the new decade rolled out David drifted away from comedic roles and took on more straightforward drama roles such as the London Weekend Television romantic drama Two People (1979) in the recurring role of Mr Barton. He was a surveyor in the first episode (2^nd June 1980) of the children’s drama series The Latchkey Kid and had a small “cough and a spit” role in the British romantic drama film Sweet William (1980) which was headlined by Jenny Agutter and Sam Waterston. Back on television he took the role of Mr Blinkhorn in the role reversal comedy drama Vice Versa (1981), appeared as the sales rep Bobby Simpson in a few episodes of Coronation Street during December 1981 and was the regular character Philip Lassiter in The New Adventures of Lucky Jim (1982).

Whilst these roles tended to be in lighter dramas it was his role of David Farrell in the thirteen part drama series Jury where Simeon demonstrated his ability as a straight actor. Each of the jury members’ background stories are presented in individual episodes with Simeon’s character being the chairman of a chemical company struggling to overcome a severe financial crisis in his firm. The bank has given a deadline for the company to get new custom and orders and it is essential that Farrell is there to oversee the day to day affairs of the company. He asks the judge to release him from jury duty, but the judge refuses.

However, just as had been done with the role of Alan Crich in 'Murrain' this tended to be forgotten by directors and David soon returned to the lighter supporting roles he was more commonly known for; a comedic vicar in the mini-series Winter Sunlight (1984), Trevor in Relative Strangers (1985) and Gilman in the Call Me Mister episode 'Tour De Force' (12^th September 1986). The following day David appeared in an episode of Casualty, 'Hide and Seek' (13^th September 1986), in the role of Bob Bates.

Next was another run of comedy appearances; a reporter in the Ever Decreasing Circles instalment 'Local Hero' (21^st September 1986), George in the forgotten BBC sitcom A Small Problem and Ernest in a couple of episodes of the Richard Wilson / Bernard Cribbins comedy series High and Dry in 1987. A pattern of a guest role in a popular drama series and lighter roles in comedy had begun to develop and this would represent the pattern of work for the actor over the coming years. Straight roles included Franklyn in the Boon episode 'Paper Mafia' (17^th November 1987), Fred Peters in Bust (1988), Inspector Carter in the play Cause Celebre (4^th May 1989), a priest in The Paradise Club episode 'Unfrocked in Babylon' (19^th September 1989) and Mr Plackett in the TV movie The Shell Seekers (3^rd December 1989). He also had a cameo as a Clerk of Court in the comedy film A Fish Called Wanda (1988) and a small role in the Minder episode 'Fiddler on the Hoof' (30^th January 1989). Comedy material during this period included a guest role in 'A Case of Mistaken Identity' (30^th October 1989), an episode of the Jim Davidson sitcom Home James, and a couple of appearances as policemen in two episodes of The New Statesman – 'Passport to Freedom' (20^th September 1987) and 'Who Shot Alan B’Stard?' (14^th January 1990).

During the 1990s he appeared as Reg Gurney in an episode of Making News ('Three Kinds of Poison' – 12^th February 1990), Wilding in a second season episode of the police drama The Chief, a small role as a rambler in the Screen One production 'Trust Me' (25^th October 1992), a police sergeant in an episode of London’s Burning and as Roughead in the Birds of a Feather episode 'The Front' (15^th November 1992). For the Robert Banks Stewart created series Moon and Son (1992) David played the recurring role of Ken Cave. He also made his first appearance in the police drama The Bill playing DI Graveson in the story 'Out of the Mouths' (2^nd March 1993).

David made his second appearance in the series Minder, playing an old friend of Arthur, in the episode 'Another Case of Van Blank' (13^th January 1994). His other TV appearances for 1994 included costume drama The House of Eliott and playing Mr Buckley in an episode of the children’s comedy series Woof! The following year he took guest roles in an episode of the comedy series Surgical Spirit and could be seen as an auctioneer in the Keeping Up Appearances episode 'The Country House Sale' (8^th October 1995). His biggest role of the year was playing the regular role of Mayor Alex Norton in the George Cole starring comedy drama An Independent Man (June and July 1995). David contented himself with occasional TV roles other the next few years, playing mainly authority figures. He was Detective Inspector Palmer in the Expert Witness story 'The Answer’s in the Soi'l (3^rd May 1996), Mr Mackenzie in an episode of The Grand (1997), a coroner’s officer in an episode of Roger Roger (1998), a nightclub owner in the Goodnight Sweetheart episode 'Mairzy Doats' (16^th March 1998) and a magistrate in the mini-series Berkeley Square (1998). He made his second appearance in Coronation Street, playing hospital consultant Doctor Gareth Bird, during July 1998.

Into the new century and David took the regular role of Ken Kennedy in two seasons of the drama series Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married (1999-2000). Smaller roles included a middle aged gent in the second episode of the saucy period drama Tipping the Velvet (2002), a prison officer in the Casualty instalment 'Lock Down' (24^th April 2004), a Defra official in an episode of Down to Earth and playing the role of Dougie in an episode of Eastenders transmitted 13^th October 2005. David recalled his role in Tipping the Velvet when I interviewed him. “That was absolutely disgusting! Diana Rigg’s daughter was in it and Diana told me she thought it was one the best scenes in the whole series. My original voice for the character was going to be based on Alistair Sims. I thought that’s the sort of voice this dirty old man would use. Unfortunately the director cut it down quite a bit.[2]”

His second appearance in The Bill was next, following his first appearance over a decade previously. For the storyline '262: Mexican Stand-Off' (18^th November 2004) he was cast in the role of Jack Gaunt. His other appearance for the year was in the short comedy film Almost (2004) playing the role of Rick. David’s final onscreen appearances to date are the dark comedy film short Eat Yourself Slim (2005) and episode of the daytime BBC drama series Doctors – Dream Time (24^th November 2005). In 2021 he recreated his role as newscaster Alistair Fergus for new linking material for extra features featured on the blu-ray release of the Doctor Who adventure 'The Daemons'.

David will be appearing at the Nigel Kneale Centenary Celebration at Crouch End Cinema on 23rd April, 2022 to introduce a screening of 'Murrain'.

---

[1] His performance is made even more amusing once you understand that Fletcher was one of his tutors at drama school

[2] David Simeon interview with author, 24^th February 2019

Charity Auction for Red Cross Ukraine

 

My friend Johnny Mains has organised a charity auction in aid of Red Cross Ukraine. There are loads of rare items from authors, actors and artists including a signed script for an episode of Inside No9, Peter Wyngarde's rings and props from the recent version of The Mezzotint among many others. I've donated my rare edition of Nigel Kneale's Tomato Cain book. To bid on this and other items please follow the link below.

https://willyousendadinghyplease.blogspot.com/2022/02/ukraine-genre-auction.html?fbclid=IwAR0S2VHiklKbJMI_BITzze6daHsljmNWXVdtO624uVCN1BWwcnDiZLQ2K08

BFI Nigel Kneale Season

The BFI have announced details of their celebration of Nigel Kneale, entitled Nightmares and Daydreams, to mark his centenary year. 

Screenings will take place throughout April with showings of such work as The Year of the Sex Olympics, First Men in the Moon and The Abominable Snowman. There will also be a reading of his missing Out of the Unknown episode The Chopper as well as a presentation of his chilling BBC version of 1984 complete with a discussion on the legacy of his work. Full details are here 

Tomato Cain To Be Reprinted

 
Kneale's long out of print collection of short stories, Tomato Cain, will be reprinted in July 2022 by Comma Press.

The book, which won the 1950 Somerset Maugham Award, is Kneale's only collection of short stories and has been highly sort after by collector and fans for many decades. Now, thanks to Andy Murray working in conjunction with Comma Press, the book will see a new imprint that collects together stories from both the UK and US editions for the first time ever. 

For further details and to pre-order a copy go to https://commapress.co.uk/books/tomato-cain-and-other-stories

Actor Spotlight - David Simeon (Alan Crich in Murrain) Part 1

Sandy haired with an open, honest face David Simeon was a regular face on television during the 1970s and 1980s where he was comfortable and adept in both serious drama and comedy. Born in Chippenham, Wiltshire on 17^th May 1943 as David John Townsend the young Simeon first tasted the thrill of performing when he five years old and instructed to read from the Bible in front of his primary school. He auditioned for RADA, the Rose Bruford College and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Much to his surprise he was accepted for all three and eventually chose Guildhall to learn his craft following the advice of a drama tutor.

“Because of having asthma at the age of eight until the time I went to drama school, I knew how to project, because asthma… similar to Donald Sinden – who had exactly the same experience as me, when he got to drama school his inter-costal diaphragmatic muscles had been so overused as a result of asthma that he didn’t need to learn how to project his voice. What we both had to learn to do was actually to use the consonants: the lips, the teeth, the tip of the tongue, which is what I learnt at drama school.[1]”

David graduated in 1964 and found work in local rep in both his home county of Wiltshire as part of the Salisbury Playhouse Company and in Birmingham at the Alex Theatre. This was a solid training ground for the young actor where he had to learn how to quickly turn around and prepare for productions often on a weekly basis. David also adopted a new stage name for his work as an actor. 

“Well there was about twelve members of Equity all at the same time who had the name Townsend and I thought ‘I can’t possibly use that name, I’ve got to find something else.’ And then I discovered in my family tree that there was branch called the Simeon-Townsends and I thought that’s it, and that’s where the word Simeon came from. I thought that’s a good enough name and there is nobody else I can think of with it. Generally speaking it’s a Christian name.[2]”

His television debut was as the killer Frank Hudson in the first season of the BBC’s Sexton Blake (25^th September – 25^th December 1967) series starring Laurence Payne in the title role. Simeon cited his honest and open features as the reason he was cast as a murderer. 

“The reason they chose me I think was because I looked so innocent so obviously it couldn’t be him, and so in the end when it turns out he’s murdered his brother, his father and various other poor unfortunates he was the last person.[3]”

However the television roles didn’t come that quickly after this debut. It was another year before David would return to the medium with a supporting role as a police constable in 'The Dancing Men' (16^th September 1968), an episode of Peter Cushing’s TV interpretation of Sherlock Holmes for the BBC. 1969 was busier and saw David take on roles in both BBC and ITV series including playing a kitchen porter in 'Immature, Unsatisfactory Work' (2^nd May 1969), the fourth episode of the hard hitting ITV crime thriller Big Breadwinner Hog. He had a supporting role as a prisoner in 'A Question of Guilt' (16^th May 1969), an episode of the BBC forensic detective series The Expert. Further small roles for the year include playing a student in the police drama series Special Branch episode 'A New Face' (22^nd October 1969), portraying another student in 'Backlash' (27^th October 1969), an episode of short lived BBC science fiction series Counterstrike, and featuring as a ‘welfare man’ in an episode of The Doctors transmitted 24^th December 1969.

As a new decade began he undertook further small roles; a waiter in the ITV Playhouse instalment 'Rumour' (2^nd March 1970), a TV reporter in the Paul Temple storyline 'The Black Room' (3^rd May 1970) and a desk clerk in 'The Quickness of the Hand' (26^th May 1970), part of the BBC spy series Codename. His most recalled role for the year was as the UNIT soldier Private Latimer in the Jon Pertwee era Doctor Who adventure 'Inferno' (episode 1 – 9^th May and episode 3 – 23^rd May 1970). He also took his first cinema role, uncredited, as a post office clerk in the film Connecting Rooms (1970). 

Working on the film left a lasting impression on David. “I do look back and think I was so lucky to have met and worked all the wonderful people I did. I particularly remember working with Bette Davis. It was on a film Connecting Rooms. My casting agent said ‘David you’ve got to go down to Pinewood tomorrow, be there about 7:15am, they will show you all the stuff.’ I didn’t even know what I was doing. I got there and this American said ‘Mr Simeon I got ya script here. Would you like to go in a room and go through it and then we’ll take you and see Miss Davis.’ And I said ‘Sorry? Miss Davis?’ And he said ‘Yeah Miss Davis. Miss Bette Davis.’ And I thought ‘Bloody hell! What am I dong here!’

Most of the dialogue was mine. So I had about three quarters of an hour to try and learn it! Anyway then I was led to the caravan she had in the backlot and I was introduced and sat down. I don’t know what is was but then I suddenly said ‘Miss Davis do you mind if I have a cigarette?’ And she said ‘Honey if there’s one thing you should know about me is that I smoke like a haystack!’ and there she was in front of me with a huge great pile of them she’d already had that morning.

Anyway this was on April 1^st 1969 and we all know what happens on the first of April every year. There’s a picture of this in one of the books about Bette Davis though it doesn’t say it’s a still from the film Connecting Rooms. Anyway I chap is taking pictures of her and I’m stood just behind her thinking ‘this is odd. What’s going on?’ Anyway in this scene she’s lying in bed and there’s a knock at the door and all of a sudden and this man, who is the second assistant director, dressed up in space suit with a big potted plant.

He then proceeds to walk forward and present to her and she went bananas with laughter. Thank God! She went on and on and on. And this was a good thing as this meant the rest of the afternoons filming was going to be great. All of a sudden she’s just getting ready for the scene she was going to do with me and then they replay her laughter from upstairs off a recording and she just fell on the floor in front of me and rolled over and over cackling with laughter. She got up. She put her hands on my shoulders and said ‘I gotta tell you something. When I was young my father said to me I’ll give a dollar if you can laugh like a lady. I never got the dollar! She just laughed and laughed like a cackling drain and it just went on and on like that for ages. Eventually we got to my scene, which was in a post office, and suddenly I went wrong with the lines and we had to do it again. And she said ‘don’t worry I was an extra once.’ I’ve never ever forgotten that morning. She was a strange creature she really was.[4]”

 David popped up as the character Jumbo in 'Into the Dark' (10^th February 1971), an episode of the drama series A Family at War. He also appeared in the Comedy Playhouse episode 'The Importance of Being Hairy' (6^th May 1971). A second Doctor Who role was as the BBC TV reporter Alistair Fergus in the first episode of 'The Daemons' (22^nd May 1971). His final TV appearance for the year was as Don Walker in the Z Cars episode 'The Dirty Job Part 2' (5^th October 1971). He also made his second film appearance playing an estate agent in the crime thriller Freelance (1971) which starred Ian McShane.

The first television role for 1972 was in the Play for Today production 'Ackerman, Dougall and Harker' (10^th February 1972) as the character Davies. This was followed by a small role as a mechanic in the fifth instalment (1972) of a BBC version of The Moonstone. David’s first appearance in the sitcom The Liver Birds was in the episode 'Valentine’s Day' (7^th April 1972) in the role of Tony. He could be seen as an art gallery assistant in 'Mister Drake Reveals All' (27^th April 1972), an episode of the Arthur Lowe starring comedy drama It’s Murder but Is It Art? His final few roles TV for the year included Mr Dunkerley in the first instalment (31^st August 1972) of an adaptation of the H G Wells book Love and Mrs Lewisham and Flight Sergeant Bert May in 'For Better, For Worse' (4^th October 1972), an episode of the wartime drama series The Pathfinders.

David made his second appearance in an episode of Comedy Playhouse, with the more substantial role of Ian Hollis in 'Marry The Girls' (1^st February 1973). He continued in comedy with the role of Peter Mitchell in the sixth episode (22^nd October 1973) of the Leslie Phillips comedy vehicle Casanova 73. His biggest role of the year, in fact his biggest role to date, was as the regular character Detective Constable Mickey Finn in the ATV police drama series Hunter’s Walk. The character made his debut in the episode 'Local Knowledge' (11^th June 1973) and would continue to be a regular character in episodes until the final episode of the series, 'Kicking and Screaming' (24^th August 1976). It was on Hunter’s Walk that David would first meet director John Cooper and producer Nicholas Palmer who would later cast him in 'Murrain'. More comedy work came with the recurring role of Bruce in No Strings (4^th October – 8^th November 1974), a series which was headlined by Rita Tushingham and Keith Barron, and the sitcom Second Time Around in the episode 'Father to Be (or Not to Be)' (14^th February 1975). However, his most notable television role of the year was as the vet Alan Crich in the Against The Crowd play 'Murrain'.

Next time I will look at David's career post-Murrain...

---

[1] David Simeon interviewed by Kate Harris for the Theatre Archive Project, http://sounds.bl.uk (accessed 13^th January 2019)

[2] David Simeon interview with the author, 24^th February 2019

[3] ibid

[4] ibid

Actor Spotlights

The early draft of The Book of Beasts contained profiles of the actors and technicians involved with Murrain and Beasts. However, it soon became apparent that with these the book would have been over 800 pages in length, so it was decided to cut these in order to keep the page count to a more reasonable length. Instead of these being consigned to the waste basket I thought I might share some of these here starting with an overview of the Murrain actor David Simeon.

Nigel Kneale Centenary Celebration

 

Nigel Kneale was born on 28th April 1922 and this year marks one hundred years since his birth. To celebrate this landmark a day long event is being staged at the Picturehouse in Crouch End, London on Saturday  23rd April.

The event will feature expert panelists and members of the cast and crew of various Kneale productions looking at his film and TV work and his influence and legacy. A packed day of events includes a live reading of his now missing from the archives 1952 radio play You Must Listen and screenings of several of Kneale's classic works. These include an episode of The Quatermass Experiment (1953) TV series, The Stone Tape (1972) introduced by star Jane Asher, Against the Crowd: Murrain (1975) introduced by David Simeon, Late Night Story: The Photograph (1978) and a rare showing of Hammer's Quatermass and the Pit (1967).

I will be there, as one of the guests on the panel From Taskerland to Ring Stone Round: Nigel Kneale in the 70s, and I feel very excited to appear alongside William Fowler and Una McCormack to discuss Kneale's output for the decade. Other panels will look at Kneale's time at the BBC, Kneale's film work and his legacy and influences on modern TV. It promises to be an exceptional day!

Further information and booking details can be found at https://www.nigelknealecentenary.com/

Horrified Magazine

 As well as writing the book I've also written several articles for Horrified Magazine. The website celebrates British horror in all it's many forms from TV series and films to books and original fiction. If you are a fan of horror you will be certain to find something of interest.

I've tended to concentrate on British anthology horror TV series and my first article for the website, Wait 'Til He's Hungry, concentrated on Beasts offering an episode by episode overview of the production. Other series I've written about for the website include Shadows of Fear (1970 - 1973), Scorpion Tales (1978), The Frighteners ( 1972 - 1973), Urban Gothic (2000 - 2001) and the obscure Siren Spirits (1994). I've also looked at the history of Britain's most controversial and violent comic Action, laughed along to the Steve Coogan comedy horror Dr Terrible's House of Horrible (2001) and been scared witless by the rabies drama The Mad Death (1983). 

The work of Nigel Kneale is also covered in articles on Murrain and the television version of Quatermass and the Pit. I recommend you do yourself a favour and have a browse of the website for these articles and other treats. 

BFI to Release Kneale's Legendary Adaptation of 1984 on Blu-ray and DVD

 

After several false starts the BFI will finally be releasing Nigel Kneale's BBC play adaptation of 1984 on dual format Blu-ray and DVD on 11th April, 2022.

The play broke new ground for television drama when it was first broadcast in 1954, and despite being one of the most requested commercial releases from the BBC archives, it has never been available in a commercial format before. However, just in time for Kneale's centenary, the release will feature both a standard and high definition version of the production and an array of special features.

Bergcast host Jon Dear together with Andy Murray and Toby Hadoke provide a commentary track and both Andy and Toby are in conversation in the featurette Nigel Kneale: Into the Unknown. This will attempt to unpick who Kneale was and why he is such an important figure in the history of television. A 25 minute excerpt from a 1965 edition of Late Night Line Up is also featured which features interviews with the cast and crew. The Ministry of Truth features Dick Fiddy and Oliver Wake dispelling some of the myths that have grown up around the production. 

The release will also come with a booklet containing new writing on the production from Oliver Wake and David Ryan.

To order click here

Indicator to release Connecting Rooms (1970) starring David Simeon

Bluray label Indicator will be releasing the film Connecting Rooms (1970) on 23rd May 2022. Directed by Frank Gollings and starring Bette Davis and Micheal Redgrave the movie was also the film debut of actor David Simeon who starred as the vet Crich in Kneale's 1975 play Murrain.

Murrain, which acted as a 'backdoor' pilot for the full series of Beasts, will also be covered in the book and David was gracious enough to allow me an interview. He discussed his role in the play as well as his career in general including his uncredited film debut in Connecting Rooms as a post office clerk. 

“I do look back and think I was so lucky to have met and worked all the wonderful people I did. I particularly remember working with Bette Davis. It was on a film Connecting Rooms. My casting agent said ‘David you’ve got to go down to Pinewood tomorrow, be there about 7:15am, they will show you all the stuff.’ I didn’t even know what I was doing. I got there and this American said ‘Mr Simeon I got ya script here. Would you like to go in a room and go through it and then we’ll take you and see Miss Davis.’ And I said ‘Sorry? Miss Davis?’ And he said ‘Yeah Miss Davis. Miss Bette Davis.’ And I thought ‘Bloody hell! What am I doing here!’

Most of the dialogue was mine. So I had about three quarters of an hour to try and learn it! Anyway then I was led to the caravan she had in the backlot and I was introduced and sat down. I don’t know what is was but then I suddenly said ‘Miss Davis do you mind if I have a cigarette?’ And she said ‘Honey if there’s one thing you should know about me is that I smoke like a haystack!’ and there she was in front of me with a huge great pile of them she’d already had that morning.

Anyway this was on April 1^st 1969 and we all know what happens on the first of April every year. There’s a picture of this in one of the books about Bette Davis though it doesn’t say it’s a still from the film Connecting Rooms. Anyway one chap is taking pictures of her and I’m stood just behind her thinking ‘this is odd. What’s going on?’ Anyway in this scene she’s lying in bed and there’s a knock at the door and all of a sudden and this man, who is the second assistant director, dressed up in space suit with a big potted plant.

He then proceeds to walk forward and present to her and she went bananas with laughter. Thank God! She went on and on and on. And this was a good thing as this meant the rest of the afternoons filming was going to be great. All of a sudden she’s just getting ready for the scene she was going to do with me and then they replay her laughter from upstairs off a recording and she just fell on the floor in front of me and rolled over and over cackling with laughter. She got up. She put her hands on my shoulders and said ‘I gotta tell you something. When I was young my father said to me I’ll give a dollar if you can laugh like a lady. I never got the dollar! She just laughed and laughed like a cackling drain and it just went on and on like that for ages. Eventually we got to my scene, which was in a post office, and suddenly I went wrong with the lines and we had to do it again. And she said ‘don’t worry I was an extra once.’ I’ve never ever forgotten that morning. She was a strange creature she really was.[1]”

Indicator's publicity for the release is below.

When enigmatic school master James Wallraven (Michael Redgrave, Time Without Pity) rents a small room adjacent to Wanda's (Bette Davis, The Nanny), an ageing cellist, he soon realises that the privacy he seeks is clearly unattainable. From there begins a parade of revolving doors through which the occupants of this seedy West London boarding house – a sleazy young musician (Alexis Kanner, Goodbye Gemini), a snooping landlady (Kay Walsh, The Rainbow Jacket) – all seemingly stuck in purgatories of their own making, desperately attempt to find their place in a tainted society.

Featuring a pair of screen legends and based on the stage play The Cellist by Marion Hart, Connecting Rooms is presented on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK, and is accompanied by a wealth of archival extras, including a rare recording of Bette Davis in conversation, and two short films by director Franklin Gollings.

To purchase the film click here!

---

[1] David Simeon interview with the author, 24^th February 2019

What is the Book of Beasts?

Hi!

For the past few years I've been researching and writing a book about Nigel Kneale's 1976 ATV horror anthology series Beasts.

The book, which was written with the blessing of Nigel Kneale's estate, will look at the inspirations for the series in popular culture and mythology, and how they are reflected in the finished episodes. The series' journey from the written page to the small screen will also be documented with access to Kneale's original scripts, production documentation and interviews with the cast and crew. Details of three episodes that made it to script treatments, but were never produced, will also be included. 

With the book now in editing phase with the publisher it feels like now is the time to share some of the material that didn't make the cut, talk about how the book was written and general news about Kneale and his work. 

Unleash the beasts...