From tragedy to triumph. Screenwriter Jemma Kennedy writes about recallibrating Captain Webb.
In his play Educating Rita, Willy Russell famously articulates the difference between the tragedy and the merely tragic. Any event, such as a tree falling and killing a man, may be called tragic, but a real tragedy is one in which the hero is doomed by his fatal flaw. Character, not just circumstance, drives him inexorably to his doom.
I thought about this a lot when writing Captain Webb – the titular character was the first man to swim the English Channel in 1875.
In his play Educating Rita, Willy Russell famously articulates the difference between the tragedy and the merely tragic. Any event, such as a tree falling and killing a man, may be called tragic, but a real tragedy is one in which the hero is doomed by his fatal flaw. Character, not just circumstance, drives him inexorably to his doom.
I thought about this a lot when writing Captain Webb – the titular character was the first man to swim the English Channel in 1875.
- 8/16/2015
- by Jemma Kennedy
- Pure Movies
When Luther returns for a new two-part special, he'll be without his faithful sidekick Justin Ripley for the first time.
Ripley was killed off in the BBC thriller's previous series - aired in 2013 - but Warren Brown, the actor who played him, has insisted he's happy to watch the new episodes as a fan.
"Luther's been a fantastic job for me," he told Digital Spy. "I've loved it from the beginning and made some great friends on it - Idris [Elba] and some of the other cast, and directors.
"Of course, I'd love to still be involved, but I was very happy leaving at that time and with such a great storyline that made such an impact, that Luther fans still talk about.
"Now I can watch this new series as a viewer, knowing nothing about it. I could've had access to the scripts, but I purposely wanted to watch it as a viewer.
Ripley was killed off in the BBC thriller's previous series - aired in 2013 - but Warren Brown, the actor who played him, has insisted he's happy to watch the new episodes as a fan.
"Luther's been a fantastic job for me," he told Digital Spy. "I've loved it from the beginning and made some great friends on it - Idris [Elba] and some of the other cast, and directors.
"Of course, I'd love to still be involved, but I was very happy leaving at that time and with such a great storyline that made such an impact, that Luther fans still talk about.
"Now I can watch this new series as a viewer, knowing nothing about it. I could've had access to the scripts, but I purposely wanted to watch it as a viewer.
- 8/14/2015
- Digital Spy
Warren Brown plays history's most famous swimmer in new movie Captain Webb - but he has a secret... he's scared of the sea.
The Luther star confessed to Digital Spy that he had to overcome his fear to play Matthew Webb - the first man to swim the English Channel unaided.
"I am effing petrified of the sea," he revealed. "I wasn't going to tell them, 'cos I wanted to do the job!
"I told them I used to be a lifeguard - and I was, but for a very short period of time, a long time ago, in a very small pool. It wasn't out at sea!
"I wasn't a huge fan of the sea - in some ways, it was facing a fear [making this movie] and rediscovering a love of swimming."
Captain Webb was shot on-location on the Channel and Brown spent extended periods of time in the water. He...
The Luther star confessed to Digital Spy that he had to overcome his fear to play Matthew Webb - the first man to swim the English Channel unaided.
"I am effing petrified of the sea," he revealed. "I wasn't going to tell them, 'cos I wanted to do the job!
"I told them I used to be a lifeguard - and I was, but for a very short period of time, a long time ago, in a very small pool. It wasn't out at sea!
"I wasn't a huge fan of the sea - in some ways, it was facing a fear [making this movie] and rediscovering a love of swimming."
Captain Webb was shot on-location on the Channel and Brown spent extended periods of time in the water. He...
- 8/14/2015
- Digital Spy
New images also released of the feature centred on the first person to successfully swim the English Channel.
Justin Hardy’s Captain Webb, which tells the story of the first man to successfully swim the English Channel in 1875, is set to be released in cinemas on August 14. Miramax handles worldwide TV distribution.
The film stars Warren Brown (Luther, Good Cop) in the lead role of Captain Webb, whilst Terry Mynott (The Mimic) plays Captain Paul Boyton, Webb’s Us rival who developed a rubber, kayak-like suit for his own crossing attempt.
Steve Oram (Sightseers) assumes the role of Webb’s eccentric trainer Professor Beckwith, whilst Hannah Tointon (The Inbetweeners), Georgia Maguire (Love me till Monday) and Tom Stourton (Horrible Histories) make up the principle cast.
British Sea Power provide the soundtrack.
Hardy said: “Captain Webb is a largely forgotten British hero. He attempted to swim the English Channel when the very idea was seen as beyond impossible...
Justin Hardy’s Captain Webb, which tells the story of the first man to successfully swim the English Channel in 1875, is set to be released in cinemas on August 14. Miramax handles worldwide TV distribution.
The film stars Warren Brown (Luther, Good Cop) in the lead role of Captain Webb, whilst Terry Mynott (The Mimic) plays Captain Paul Boyton, Webb’s Us rival who developed a rubber, kayak-like suit for his own crossing attempt.
Steve Oram (Sightseers) assumes the role of Webb’s eccentric trainer Professor Beckwith, whilst Hannah Tointon (The Inbetweeners), Georgia Maguire (Love me till Monday) and Tom Stourton (Horrible Histories) make up the principle cast.
British Sea Power provide the soundtrack.
Hardy said: “Captain Webb is a largely forgotten British hero. He attempted to swim the English Channel when the very idea was seen as beyond impossible...
- 7/2/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Steve Oram offered horror and laughs in equal measure as the homicidally angry Chris in Ben Wheatley’s Sightseers. For a future film, he’s planning to cut out even the dark comedy and focus solely on the horror, as he’s set to star in Its Walls Were Blood alongside Edward Hogg and Pollyanna McIntosh.Blood, a title that reads like the worst ever TripAdvisor hotel review, is planned as a portmanteau film with four stories set in the same house. The writer/directors – Sean Hogan, Paul Hyett, Tom Shankland and Paul Davis – will chronicle the haunted residence’s dark history from the 19th century to the present day.Conner Chapman, Ruth Bradley, Rosie Day, Sam Gittins, Scott Chambers and Belinda Stewart-Wilson make up the rest of the cast for the horror, which should be cranking its cameras later this year.Oram is also part of the cast for...
- 8/28/2014
- EmpireOnline
London’s biggest film export event returns with a new name and strong selection of upcoming titles.
This year’s London Screenings (June 23-26) marks the 11th edition of the capital’s biggest film export event and has been given a make-over for 2014.
It has dropped the previous title of the London UK Film Focus (Luff) and will introduce various new strands. But organisers are quick to point out this isn’t a case of reinventing the event - more of “buffing it up” after more than a decade.
“Everyone felt that after doing it for 10 years, maybe it was time for a bit of a facelift,” says Adrian Wootton, CEO of Film London, which organises the London Screenings.
The budget of around $330,000 is roughly the same as in previous years. The key difference is that the event, which generates an estimated $8m a year in international business for British films and sales agents, has secured...
This year’s London Screenings (June 23-26) marks the 11th edition of the capital’s biggest film export event and has been given a make-over for 2014.
It has dropped the previous title of the London UK Film Focus (Luff) and will introduce various new strands. But organisers are quick to point out this isn’t a case of reinventing the event - more of “buffing it up” after more than a decade.
“Everyone felt that after doing it for 10 years, maybe it was time for a bit of a facelift,” says Adrian Wootton, CEO of Film London, which organises the London Screenings.
The budget of around $330,000 is roughly the same as in previous years. The key difference is that the event, which generates an estimated $8m a year in international business for British films and sales agents, has secured...
- 6/23/2014
- by geoffrey@macnab.demon.co.uk (Geoffrey Macnab)
- ScreenDaily
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