Happy 40th Birthday to Aardman Animations ...

Aardman Animations voice actor SEAN CONNOLLY celebrates their 40th Birthday with some cherished friends ...

Today sees the 40th Anniversary of Aardman Animations, so I thought it would be fun to reflect on my own personal 16 year history with the Oscar Winning company ...

Well it all started in the new Millennia (2000) when I first worked with Aardman on their Claymation Cult Classic 'REX THE RUNT' when I was lucky to be asked to voice over 30 characters for it's second season ... Here's a little selection of the characters I played ..

Aardman Animations voice actor SEAN CONNOLLY looks back at where it all started with 'REX THE RUNT' in 2000 ...

There was then a 'small' hiatus until I was thrilled to be asked to provide about 10 human characters in the OSCAR-NOMINATED feature film 'SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE' ... Here's most of them!!

Aardman Animations voice actor SEAN CONNOLLY looks back at his involvement in the Oscar-Nominated 'SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE' ...

Then last year I was thrilled to return to AARDMAN to play ONLY ONE CHARACTER, rather than my normal host of characters!! This time it was to be the very first TV CHRISTMAS SPECIAL for 'SHAUN THE SHEEP' called 'THE FARMER'S LLAMAS' where I voiced HEAD LLAMA HECTOR ... It was transmitted on Boxing Day 2015 on BBC 1, quite an honour!!

Aardman Animations voice actor SEAN CONNOLLY remembers last Christmas' 'SHAUN THE SHEEP' special 'THE FARMER'S LLAMAS' ...

Some fantastic memories with AARDMAN over the years, let's hope there's some more, you never know. I've loved every minute of the ride so far!! 

Feature film 'BROKENHEAD' completes final stage of principle photography ...

Sean Connolly as Stefan in a scene from the feature film 'BROKENHEAD' ...

We were blessed with magnificent weather for the final phase of principle photography at Spurn Point on the Humber Estuary at the end of July ...

The cast on PHASE FOUR of 'BROKENHEAD' tripled with the additions of BARRETT ROBERTSON and IAN BROOKER, bringing their not inconsiderable talents to the film.

Filming at the base of the lighthouse at Spurn Point with actors Sean Connolly, Ian Brooker and Barrett Robertson with director and writer Steve Rainbow looking on ...

Director and writer of 'BROKENHEAD' Steve Rainbow on location at the Spurn Point Lighthouse ...

We weren't just filming at the lighthouse, much was done on the beach itself ... A VERY hot weekend, where umbrellas were definitely the order of the day!! Quite a back drop too as you can see!

Filming for 'BROKENHEAD' on the beach at Spurn Point, Humber Estuary ...

Once again the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust were an amazing support with their 'UNIMOG' multi-terrain vehicle to get the cast, crew, our kit and of course our boat over to the lighthouse. 

 

The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust's 'UNIMOG' vehicle being loaded for a days filming on 'BROKENHEAD' ...

A great weekend with extremely early starts but very much worth it. The actors and the great crew all pulled together to get through what was a punishing schedule ... An added bonus was, that I think I lost about half a stone in sweat, wearing a tea shirt, aran jumper and winter jacket in sweltering temperatures! Now to the edit!!

'SONTAR-HA!' : Sean Connolly is Sontaran Ensign Stipe in new BIG FINISH Box-set ...

The cover of one the adventures included in 'DOCTOR WHO: CLASSIC DOCTORS, NEW MONSTERS VOLUME 1' - 'THE SONTARAN ORDEAL'

OUT TODAY! Almost 10 years to the day that I first worked with BIG FINISH, comes the much anticipated release of 'DOCTOR WHO: CLASSIC DOCTORS, NEW MONSTERS VOLUME 1'...

Sontaran brethren; 'THE YOUNG ONES' actor Christopher Ryan and Sean Connolly ...

I play ambitious Sontaran ENSIGN STIPE alongside 'THE YOUNG ONE'S' star CHRISTOPHER RYAN playing Sontaran GENERAL STENK (see above) in the FOURTH ADVENTURE of the Box-Set called 'THE SONTARAN ORDEAL'.

The wonderful cast includes 'BLAKES 7's actress JOSETTE SIMON as SARANA TEEL and new era #DoctorWho Sontaran, DAN STARKEY as JASK with PAUL McGANN as the 8th DOCTOR ...

Director is BARNABY EDWARDS across all FOUR ADVENTURES in the BOX-SET and writer for 'THE SONTARAN ORDEAL' is ANDREW SMITH ...

For other posts about my work with BIG FINISH including that VERY FIRST ADVENTURE I recorded back on the 31st JULY 2006, called 'I, DAVROS', where I ended up playing the BIOLOGICAL FATHER of DAVROS, hence laying my claim to the title of 'GRANDFATHER OF THE DALEKS' ... please CLICK HERE ... It's been a great decade of mostly 'DOCTOR WHO' related work ... SONTAR-HA!

'AUGMENTAL' film teaser with Erica Nockalls is 'wonderful stuff' ..!!

Sean Connolly with Erica Nockalls, violinist, vocalist and songwriter from The Wonder Stuff, on the set of the 'proof-of-concept' teaser trailer for the feature film 'Augmental' ...

'AUGMENTAL' is the first feature being produced from the recently formed BFilm Micro, a Micro-Budget Digital Film Studio and Talent Development Hub based in Birmingham ...

#Augmental is directed by double BAFTA and RTS Award winner MICHAEL BAIG-CLIFFORD ... The story itself is still rather hush-hush but if the teaser is anything to go by, then we have quite a journey ahead of us all!! I can't divulge my particular role in the film quite yet but rest assured there will be more news to come ... Fantastic to work with the multi-talented ERICA NOCKALLS ... Exciting times!!

Erica Nockalls, Sean Connolly and 'Augmental' director Michael Baig-Clifford on set ...

Sean joins Glorious Ninth Sontaran Battle Fleet in new Big Finish audio adventure - 'SONTAR-HA!'

Great news! 'DOCTOR WHO: CLASSIC DOCTORS, NEW MONSTERS VOLUME 1' from BIG FINISH is COMING VERY SOON ... in fact THIS MONTH ...

The trailer has just been released for this FOUR ADVENTURE BOX SET featuring Classic Doctors; Peter Davison (5th Doctor), Colin Baker (6th Doctor), Sylvester McCoy (7th Doctor) and Paul McGann (8th Doctor) meeting New Era Monsters such as The Weeping Angels, The Judoon, The Sycorax and The Sontarans ...

I play a rather fiery (is there any other kind!), ambitious SONTARAN called ENSIGN STIPE in the FOURTH ADVENTURE of the Box-Set called 'Doctor Who: Classic Doctors - New Monsters - The Sontaran Ordeal'.

Director BARNABY EDWARDS has assembled an impressive cast to support PAUL McGANN'S 8th DOCTOR with 'THE YOUNG ONE'S' star CHRISTOPHER RYAN playing Sontaran GENERAL STENK, 'BLAKES 7's JOSETTE SIMON as SARANA TEEL and television's 'GO TO' 'DOCTOR WHO' Sontaran, DAN STARKEY as JASK ...

Click here to go to my previous post about 'The Sontaran Ordeal' ...

It has been written by 'THE FIRST SONTARANS' writer ANDREW SMITH, who remarkably, as a 19 year old also wrote the TOM BAKER (4th Doctor) 4-part television story 'FULL CIRCLE' back in 1980.

'FULL CIRCLE' featured LALLA WARD as ROMANA (above) and the very first appearance of MATTHEW WATERHOUSE as ADRIC (above) as well as THE MARSHMEN (below) ... 

So clearly 'The Sontaran Ordeal' has a very good pedigree with Andrew on writing duties. I can't wait to hear the outcome when it's released in a matter of weeks. "SONTAR-HA!"

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! 

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!!