'BATTLE LINES' nominated for 2 RTS Midlands Awards ...

Father & son; Sean Noone (Arthur Robertson)
  and Sean Connolly (Alf Robertson) 

Broadcast last November on FILM4, 'BATTLE LINES' is a powerful drama set during the First World War. It tells the dramatic story of a young deaf man's struggle to 'do his duty' when he is refused permission to join up because of his disability. I play Alf Robertson, father to deaf son Arthur (Sean Noone).

104 Films produced the film for the British Sign Language Broadcasting Trust (BSLBT) in association with Ark Media Productions. Location for filming was the Black Country Museum. Writer and Director is Julian Peedle-Calloo.

It is now available to watch online at the British Sign Language Broadcasting Trust website here.

The winners of the 2015 Awards will be announced at the Gala Dinner held on Thursday November 12th at the National Motorcycle Museum in Solihull.

'SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE' going Independent in New York!!

'SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE' hits an Independent Cinema in Brooklyn, New York!

An old drama school friend based in New York sent me this great picture from his local Independent Cinema in Brooklyn, the Cobble Hill Cinema, quite a famous one at that! If you look at the movie list, there seems to be a film for all tastes on offer!! Thanks Francis!

Catching 'SUNSTROKE' at Birmingham Rep ...

Poster for 'SUNSTROKE' at Birmingham Rep - 7th September 2015.

I spent an exhausting but ultimately very rewarding day at Birmingham Repertory Theatre yesterday courtesy of BOLD Text Playwrights. Together with actress Bharti Patel and director Jessica Dromgoole and the writers, we spent the day rehearsing 8 micro-plays for a script-in-hand performance in the evening at The Door at The Rep.

Sean Connolly rehearsing 'SUNSTROKE' at Birmingham Rep for the BOLD Text Playwrights - 7th September 2015.

The BOLD Text Playwrights collective consists of EIGHT playwrights: Helen Kelly, Tim Stimpson, Stephen Jackson, Sayan Kent, Vanessa Oakes, Julia Wright, Nicola Jones and Liz John.

Writer Helen Kelly (left corner) with actors Bharti Patel, Sean Connolly and director Jessica Dromgoole deep in rehearsal.

The plays we rehearsed and performed were as follows:

•             Seeing the World Part 1 (Helen Kelly)

•             Stateless (Tim Stimpson)

•             Oceans Apart (Stephen Jackson)

•             Here (Sayan Kent)

•             I’m Staying (Vanessa Oakes)

•             Sunstroke (Julia Wright)

•             The Trip (Nicola Jones)

•             Seeing the World Part 2 (Liz John)

All eight plays had the running theme of British holidaymakers caught up in various types of 'trouble abroad'. All the plays were poignant, also very different in their approach. The roles I had to play were also varied; a liberal sprinkling of Brummies, a mysterious Eastern European and a male stripper!! Oh I've missed theatre!! 

Happy 85th Birthday Sir Sean of Connery!!

I'd like to wish my 'almost' namesake a very Happy 85th Birthday. I was bought this fantastic picture for a birthday of my own and now it has pride of place in my corner office. 

My mother and father were 'courting' when they went to see Sean Connery's first Bond film 'DR NO' in 1962. When they had me in 1965 of course they decided to call me 'Sean', why not - their surname was Connolly?! Decades of jokes followed, during my school life and later in my professional life as an actor. Being a somewhat diminutive chap, a gem that was often used was "003 1/2"... as I came to the end of my training at drama school I was told my real name was so similar to that of the great man's that it would have to go before Equity Council to judge whether I could keep it as my stage name, fortunately they decided I could, phew! 

Through my 25 years plus of being an actor I have disappointed many a BBC receptionist, if they hadn't looked quite close enough at who they were actually expecting! I've had fan letters, telling me that I was their favourite James Bond and for a while a yearly invitation to contribute to a celebrity cookbook in aid of charity!! I've battled with Google (not an actual battle but a technical one!) to try and get it to recognise me as separate entity (from Billy Connolly too I might add!), hence the little comment on the About me bit of this Blog!

Nothing really bad has happened (so far!) and in truth it has also been a useful thing over the years with casting directors etc ... "Oh yeah, you're that bloke sounds a bit like Sean Connery"! Of course I have also been obliged to hone my Sean Connery impression over time and I am proud to report that I have been paid actual money to use it!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIR SEAN OF CONNERY, still the best Bond in my humble opinion!

Doctor Who Audio Covers & Vocal Samples - BIG FINISH.

Following my recent work with BIG FINISH PRODUCTIONS, I thought it might be fun to look back at some of the Audio Adventures I've been involved in so far. I'm really looking forward to seeing what the design guys at Big Finish are going to come up with for the individual cover of 'Doctor Who: Classic Doctors - New Monsters - The Sontaran Ordeal'.

From my SOUNDCLOUD site, here's some audio samples of my work with Big Finish. 

CBeebies TV Series 'LITTLE PRAIRIE DOGS' summer repeat.

I was delighted to see that 'LITTLE PRAIRIE DOGS', a series I voiced for the CBeebies Channel enjoyed a very recent TELEVISION REPEAT from July 27th to August 7th. I was only made aware of it a few days ago by a friend who has a suitably aged child. It has now finished it's telly run but the whole series is still available on the BBC's iPLAYER until early September.

Kate Sachs and Sean Connolly record voices for the CBeebies TV Series 'LITTLE PRAIRIE DOGS' ...

Wow five years certainly goes quickly, I have such fantastic memories of the recording sessions in a very snowy Bristol! Pictured above is yours truly and the wonderful KATE SACHS (daughter of Andrew) in mid-session!. I voiced all the male Prairie Dogs and Kate the female ones. It seems that the BBC repeat the series at least once a year, usually during the summer hols. Lovely to see it again.

Shaun the Sheep - A Collection of Mock Film Posters

To celebrate last weeks release of 'SHAUN THE SHEEP THE MOVIE' in the USA, here's a small collection of some of the brilliant Mock Film Posters, Aardman put out for the promotion of the film ...