Very proud! - TAYLA KOVACEVIC-EBONG wins Carleton Hobbs Bursary Award 2017 ...

Outside BBC Broadcasting House - Rose Bruford College's Carleton Hobbs Award team for 2017 was (from left to right) Daisy Adams, Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong, Jake Lampert and Henry Rundle ...

I can now announce the wonderful news that one of the students I helped coach from Rose Bruford College, has only gone and won one of this years CARLETON HOBBS BURSARY AWARDS ... MASSIVE CONGRATULATIONS to TAYLA KOVACEVIC-EBONG!! 

Alongside the wonderfully talented (Theatre Director, Radio Drama Producer, Acting Coach and Author) MARINA CALDERONE, I had the absolute pleasure of helping coach this year's competition entrants.

It's was a very successful competition for the whole team from ROSE BRUFORD, in particular of course for one the FIVE WINNERS - Tayla ... Not forgetting that HENRY RUNDLE also received a special commendation for one of his Solo Pieces, as well as being picked out for his noteworthy contribution across the whole competition. In addition TAYLA and JAKE LAMPERT also received special commendations for their Duologue piece. And finally TAYLA also received another commendation for one his Solo Pieces ... Well you can probably see a pattern developing here, no surprise then 'how' Tayla came by his terrific win ..!!

It's been a really enjoyable time helping the students take the first steps into the wonderful world of radio drama. Good luck to them all as they enter this crazy profession!! Listen out for Talya in the Autumn on your radios as he starts his FIVE MONTH CONTRACT with BBC RADIO DRAMA ... 

Drama students take to the mic at the BBC Radio Drama - Carelton Hobbs Bursary Award Competition 2017 ...

Third year students representing Rose Bruford College at this years BBC Radio Drama - Carelton Hobbs Bursary Award 2017 competition (from left to right) are Tayla Ebong, Henry Rundle, Jake Lampert and Daisy Adams with coach Sean Connolly ... 

I've had the great privilege helping coach this years BBC Radio Drama - Carelton Hobbs Bursary Award 2017 competition entrants from top drama school ROSE BRUFORD COLLEGE. Representing the school are the very talented foursome of; Tayla Ebong, Henry Rundle, Jake Lampert and Daisy Adams ... The competition takes place in London from today Monday 6th through to Thursday 9th March 2017.

What's the BBC Radio Carelton Hobbs Bursary competition I hear you ask ..? Well here's the official description from the BBC website:

"Named after one of Radio’s most distinguished actors, the Awards have been run by BBC Radio Drama for over 60 years. The bursary is aimed at students graduating from accredited UK drama schools and aims to create a cohort of distinctive and versatile radio voices for the BBC Radio Drama Company. Winning a Bursary offers a great opportunity for students to extending their training in a unique acting environment - one where they’ll work with the best actors and writers in the country on a wide range of contemporary and classic plays."

Rather wonderfully the winners of the competition land a FIVE MONTH CONTRACT with BBC RADIO DRAMA! What a great way to kick-start their career ...

Good luck to all the drama school students taking part in this years competition but especially those I've been working with at Rose Bruford.

"There's a green light coming!"

Saying goodbye to my first batch of Radio Drama students from BSA ... COMING SOON to a studio near you!

Actor and Voice Artist SEAN CONNOLLY with students from the Birmingham School of Acting (BSA) Group 1 - Year 2 BA (Hons) Radio Drama class 2016-2017.

It's been a very rewarding 5 months working with the Year 2 BA (Hons) Acting students at the BIRMINGHAM SCHOOL OF ACTING (BSA) exploring the joys and challenges of working in RADIO DRAMA.

Actor and Voice Artist SEAN CONNOLLY with students from the Birmingham School of Acting (BSA) Group 2 - Year 2 BA (Hons) Radio Drama class 2016-2017.

As mentioned in previous posts my time with the students has been particularly special being an ex-student of BSA myself , some THIRTY YEARS AGO!! Hopefully I've prepared them a little for the potential RADIO DRAMA part of their career ... Here's a montage of shots during a 'wild track' session (crowd scenes etc), great fun was had!!

I wish them all well, as they head for their third and final year, then into this 'crazy' business!!

Actor and Voice Artist SEAN CONNOLLY rehearsing students from the Birmingham School of Acting (BSA) in a RADIO DRAMA session ...

What does The Grim Reaper do in his spare time, it's NOT what you'd expect?

Grim from Dan Ebery on Vimeo.

A documentary filmmaker reveals the inner secrets of the fabled The Grim Reaper ...

WARNING! - THIS FILM CONTAINS SCENES INVOLVING MATURE LANGUAGE AND CONTENT - WELL WHAT DO YOU EXPECT, HE IS 'DEATH' AFTER ALL!!

Does he like his job?

Who does 'Grim' listen to on his iPod?

What is he afraid of?

Who or what is Bonnie?

Is he really an Aussie?

Find out the answers to these questions and much more by watching 'GRIM', a film by DAN EBERY ...

OUT NOW! PATHFINDER LEGENDS: Curse Of The Crimson Throne - Edge Of Anarchy ...

The cover of PATHFINDER LEGENDS: Curse Of The Crimson Throne - Edge Of Anarchy from BIG FINISH PRODUCTIONS ...

SEASON THREE of 'PATHFINDER LEGENDS' has just been released from BIG FINISH PRODUCTIONS ...

I'm thrilled to announce that I can be heard playing nobleman and expert swordsman VENCARLO ORSINI (left) in EPISODE ONE in the SEASON of SIX adventures called 'CURSE OF THE CRIMSON THRONE: EDGE OF ANARCHY'.

As you may know Pathfinder Legends is based on the role playing game (RPG) from PAIZO INC and is set in a fantasy world of magic and monsters much in the vein of 'Lord of the Rings' or 'Game of Thrones'. They are terrific adventures which really take you on quite a journey ...

Series 3 of 'PATHFINDERS LEGENDS' was directed by JOHN AINSWORTH and written by DAVID BRYHER and is produced by BIG FINISH for Paizo ...

EPISODE THREE entitled 'CURSE OF THE CRIMSON THRONE: ESCAPE FROM OLD KOVOSA' also features Vencarlo and is released NEXT MONTH ...

A FESTIVE REPEAT for SHAUN THE SHEEP and those Naughty Llamas!!

Voice Actor SEAN CONNOLLY celebrates as Aardman's 'SHAUN THE SHEEP: THE FARMER'S LLAMAS' gets a CHRISTMAS DAY REPEAT ...

Great NEWES! AARDMAN ANIMATION'S 'SHAUN THE SHEEP' Christmas Special 'THE FARMER'S LLAMAS' is to receive a second outing this Christmas.

Following on from last years smash screening on Boxing Day, I am delighted and more than a bit chuffed to announce that this year the half hour special gets the CHRISTMAS DAY slot on BBC 1 at 1.20PM just before the traditional 'TOP OF THE POPS' .. A wonderful time for all the family to enjoy once again the Lllama Drama centering on (below - from left to right) Fernando, Hector (played by yours truly) and Raul.

There is also another opportunity to see 'THE FARMER'S LLAMA'S' later on CHRISTMAS DAY at 5.40PM on CBBC ...

If you didn't get to see it last year then make sure you tune in on CHRISTMAS DAY. As I said last year ... 

REMEMBER A LLAMA IS NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS!!

"I think I was the only one I hadn't heard of!" - 'BOLLYWOOD JANE' gets a radio repeat ...

 JOANNE FROGGATT, SEAN CONNOLLY and KATHERINE DOW BLYTON some of the cast of AMANDA WHITTINGTON'S radio adaptation of 'BOLLYWOOD JANE' in 2007 ...

A lovely surprise to start the week ... BBC RADIO 4 EXTRA are repeating the 2008 radio adaptation of AMANDA WHITTINGTON'S successful stage play 'BOLLYWOOD JANE' ...

Amongst the cast are GOLDEN GLOBE WINNER and 'DOWNTON ABBEY' star JOANNE FROGGATT, 'EMMERDALE' actress KATHERINE DOW BLYTON, SACHA DHAWAN from 'IN THE CLUB' and 'MR SELFRIDGE' and 'CASUALTY' and 'STELLA' actor PAL ARON ... Quite the starry cast, I think I was the only one I hadn't heard of!!

PAL ARON and SACHA DHAWAN complete the cast of AMANDA WHIITINGTON'S radio play 'BOLLYWOOD JANE' ...

So when's it on ..? Well the first of the 5 EPISODES went out this afternoon on BBC RADIO 4 EXTRA but is instantly available on the BBC iPLAYER RADIO, the rest of the 15 MINUTE DRAMA instalments coming on Tuesday through to Friday of this week at 2.30PM and 2.30AM daily. There is also an Special OMNIBUS of ALL 5 EPISODES on SUNDAY 27TH NOVEMBER @ 6AM & 1PM, then MONDAY 28TH NOVEMBER @ 1AM. So .. no excuse not to give a listen.

I play MAC, a six foot plus - well meaning builder in the drama ('anything' is possible in radio drama!). I have very happy memories of the recordings back in 2007. Original air date was in 2008.

Director was KATE CHAPMAN ...