Sean Connolly :: Actor & Voice Artist

Sean Connolly :: Actor & Voice Artist

Saturday 25 June 2016

Beyond the Mud! - "Cracked Glastonbury" music doc from 2004 ...



It seemed appropriate during Glastonbury weekend 2016 to share this fantastic film made by award-winning filmmaker MARK PRESSDEE and JAMES EASTOPE ...

You might recognise the ever so slightly Alan 'Fluff' Freeman style VOICE OVER ... "NOT 'ALF!"!!

Made back in 2004, it tells the story of Brummie band CRACKED ACTORS as they head to the Glastonbury Festival for the first time ... There's the usual stories of traffic cues, tent building and the now obligatory mud. There is also the fantastic soundtrack which really showcases the bands brilliant Ska/Reggae fusion brand of music.

It's a fantastic film, so glad to have been a part of it, well done to Mark and James! 

Wednesday 22 June 2016

Off to the seaside as BBC Radio Drama 'SKEGGY' gets a welcome repeat ...

Chris Thompson's touching radio play 'Skeggy' is repeated on BBC Radio 4 Extra

A radio play I recorded over fifteen years ago is receiving a very welcome repeat on BBC Radio 4 Extra ... 'SKEGGY' written by CHRIS THOMPSON and directed by PETER LESLIE WILD, tells the story of three couples having very different reasons for heading to the Lincolnshire seaside resort of Skegness. To listen to the 45 minute play on the BBC's Radio iPlayer CLICK HERE until July 22nd ...

The cast list for 'SKEGGY' is as follows:

Norman Bird is Charlie
Joyce Gibbs is Sheila
Sean Connolly is Dave
Susan Brooke is Marie
Laura Chambers is Lauren
Alison Carney is Jane
Tom Knight is Martin
Veda Warwick is Mrs Adams

Peter Leslie Wild assembled a really lovely cast for 'SKEGGY'. The extra special treat for me (apart from working with good friends) was the chance to work with the late British TV and Film legend NORMAN BIRD ...


You'd be hard pressed to name a popular television programme that he didn't appear in ... An extraordinary amount of film credits too over a career spanning over FOUR DECADES. The pictures above represent a small number of his screen appearances (from left to right) Bird in Cash on Demand (1961) with Peter Cushing, Eddie the Farmhand in the British classic 'Whistle Down the Wind' (1961), voicing Bilbo Baggins in the animated version of 'The Lord Of The Rings' (1978) and perhaps most famously he played farmer Mr Braithwaite in the classic television series 'Worzel Gummidge' (1979-81). But many will also remember his appearance as Mr. Arrad in the classic 'Waldorf Salad' episode of 'Fawlty Towers' ... 


Norman Bird was born on October 30th 1924 and sadly died on April 22th 2005 ... A quote from The Guardian obituary described him as "The man in the cardigan." and provided, as the Encyclopaedia of British Film put it, "a wonderful gallery of under-achievers"

It was privilege and an honour to spend a few days in his company!!

Friday 10 June 2016

Next generation of Voice Actors learn the tricks of the trade ...


Birmingham voice artist Sean Connolly with Year 12 Acting students from the Birmingham Ormiston Academy (BOA) ...

Over the last week I have had the privilege of working with the very talented Year 12 Acting Pathway students at BOA (Birmingham Ormiston Academy). I was invited to deliver a workshop/masterclass on 'Acting to Microphone' as part of their BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Performing Arts Acting.

We got through a fair bit of theory but the focus was really on the 'doing' .. They all had the opportunity to work with scripts from two very different areas/styles of audio drama, firstly a scene featuring the Horrobin family from BBC Radio 4's 'The Archers' and a scene from the Audio Adventures of Doctor Who from Big Finish ... I was particularly impressed with the level of performances from the students.

BOA students performing to the microphone during the 'Acting to Microphone' workshop ...

It's been a terrific week working with these energetic, committed young performers exploring the joys and challenges of voice acting.