May 31, 2012

Scottish sculptor George Mark created a bust of David as The Doctor.  George has sculpted many public figures including one of former Labour Party Leader John Smith, which is on display at the Coatbridge Library in Scotland. The bust of David is 16" high and a foot wide and the medium is clay and glaze. The hand represents a Cyberman creeping up from behind and he is sitting on a plague that says 'Police Box'.

May 30, 2012

David appeared on Derren Brown's show Trick or Treat twice once as the guest on May 16, 2008 and the on the season two finale on June 6, 2008. Now since usually the guests are not celebrities this was unusual but even more unusual is the fact that Derren Brown also paints caricatures .  His portrait of David appeared in his coffee table book Portraits that was published in June 2009.

Derren had this to say about David in The Guardian, Octorber 17, 2010: “As I started to become known, well you learn a way of behaving. I think people either go one route of becoming real wankers [when they become famous], or they go another route that Stephen Fry and David Tennant embody, just being incredibly lovely."

May 29, 2012

Ukelilli is an American singer/songwriter who writes songs on her ukulele that have a comedy-folk feel to them.  She has written about Eddie Izzard, Derren Brown, Simon Pegg, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Doctor Who and many others.

Eddie, Derren and Simon have all commented on her tunes!

In addition to her Doctor Who song she also has written one about David Tennant.  She was invited to the UK in February 2012 to perform at Ukelear Meltdown, England's largest ukulele festival.

Oh David Tennant you are my muse for this song
Oh David Tennant I wish you were here to sing along
And though you aren't I hope one day you might respond
Oh David Tennant Oh David Tennant

Oh David Tennant I sang a song about Doctor Who
I had intended for it to be a song all about you
And when it wasn't I hasd to write you your own tune
Oh David Tennant Oh David Tennant

Oh David Tennant all of your roles they feed my fix
When I am despondent a little Blackpool does the trick
And I first fowned at your Touchstone back in '96
Oh David Tennant Oh David Tennant

(whistle)

Oh David Tennant I sang a song to you just now
And how I meant it just like a bride giving her vow
You are more splendid then the cosmos will allow
Oh David Tennant Oh David Tennant Oh David Tennant

A tribute to the man, the myth, the legend: the Doctor.

The Doctor is a man who is the last remaining Timelord,
He travels all through time and space
Defender of the human race.
He's from a place called Gallifrey, billions of miles and years away,
But his accent is a North English sort,
Well plenty of planets have a north.
His history's long and cloudy, he never seems to age, who is this doctor -- who?
Doctor who?

His spaceship is the Tardis and it looks like a '50s police call box,
Using Timelord technology,
Makes it roomier than it should be.
He travels alone at times, but fancies travel with a companion,
Who's usually female and frequently cute,
And single and witty and smart to boot.
But who is this doctor, he just goes by "The Doctor," he won't tell us his name, so WHO?
Doctor who?

(whistle solo)

Like all Timelords instead of dying the Doctor regenerates,
Bright lights shoot out of his hands and his face,
And voila the Doctor has been replaced.
And of all the different lives he's led, he keeps the same brain in his head,
More time than could ever be logically fact,
But all of his memories kept in tact.
He never asks for fame, and saves the world all the same, well I'd say that deserves a song, now, wouldn't you?
released 22 November 2009

You can see here perform both the Doctor Who and David Tennant songs in this video - the David Tennant song is at 2:44.

May 28, 2012

In March of 2007 performer and writer Emma Hutchins premiered her one woman show called Not Stalking David Tennant (aka Having It All) at the Woolwich Drama Festival.  Her website describes the show as "Comedy, tragedy and a bit of Butoh powerfully united to evoke four women’s joys, sorrows and frustrations as they struggled to tick all the boxes whilst desperately asking: ‘Money, career, family, looks, love…. you can’t have it all, can you?’"

The show was so well received that she performed it again for six shows as part of the Camden Fringe Festival, also in 2007.  She then updated the show to perform it at the 2008 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where she got rave reviews from  The Stage, The British Theatre Guide and many more.

She explains the title:

"While writing the play I was studying for a degree and doing a full time job. As a way of dealing with the pressure, I developed a minor league obsession with the actor David Tennant, purely as a distraction of course! When my friends found out that I had been researching his career on the net, tracking down his old work on DVD and travelling (once, just once) across the country to see him perform, they started to assail me with shouts of ‘Stalker!’ My response, ‘I am not stalking David Tennant!’ seemed to fall on deaf ears. My title and the final character are drawn from this experience and fellow Tennant fans will find much they can relate to in my show.’"

The first clip has the bit about David and the other longer clips show the 4 different women who are trying to have it all!

May 27, 2012

May 27, 2009 - David was filming his last stint dressed as The Doctor.  The Sarah Jane Adventures episode, The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith filmed at Court Colman Manor from May 27th - 29th and also on June 1st.

This is the location of the wedding itself and the scenes with David and the children in the time lock.

David's last lines ever as The Doctor were "You two with me, spit spot."  Spit spot is a reference to Mary Poppins, who says this several times in the movie to Michael and Jane.

The scene is with Clyde and Rani  and The Doctor about to run up the staircase.

In The Doctor's Timeline the wedding takes place before The End of Time The Trickster alludes to the Doctor's fate when he tells him the gate is waiting for him, meaning the Immortality Gate the Master uses to replicate himself.

 

May 26, 2012

On November 4, 2007 David appeared on stage at the Domminion Theatre as a special guest during a one night only special live Fast Show.  Like Johnny Depp before him he appeared as a customer of Ken and Kenneth's getting measured for a suit!

"'How are you, sir?' 'Out with a Lady, sir? 'Did you give her one, sir?' 'Oooh, SIR!' On Sunday night, on stage at the Dominion, David Tennant found himself hemmed in on either side by Ken and Kenneth, the prim but far from proper tailors from The Fast Show. For a few uproarious minutes, the actor gamely allowed himself to be purred over by the pair, who mined his day job as Doctor Who for every cheap innuendo going. 'It gets bigger once you're inside,' salivated Mark Williams, a propos, only vaguely, the Tardis, while Paul Whitehouse nestled closer in leering approval.

It was a nice you-had-to-be-there moment, specially concocted for the occasion: a one-off live event to mark the launch of a definitive DVD box-set of the series. Entirely in keeping with the show's reputation for having raised the game in sketch comedy, Tennant's cameo signalled that a considerable amount of effort had gone into turning a promotional tool into a classy night out." - The Daily Telegraph - November 6, 2007 Dominic Cavendish

You can see more pics here!

May 25, 2012

I decided to stick with Jo Whiley, David appeared on April 8, 2009:

 He talked about Planet of the Dead, the bus being crushed and reading The End of Time for the first time and having "a little cry".  He also mentioned that he was enjoying Lily Allen's new album and what it was like to have Peter Davison standing in "his" TARDIS.  Jo also did a bit with him where they were recommending other acting jobs he might like to do now that his stint as The Doctor was coming to an end.

At the end of the interview he reminded Jo that the last time he was there he was talking about the operation he had to repair his prolapsed disc and how intrigued she was about it all.  So he brought the container that had the matter that was removed from the inside of the disc.  He called likened it to "pork fat".  You can listen here.

May 24, 2012

On Christmas Day 2006 BBC Radio One's Jo Whiley had David as a guest on a three hour Christmas special broadcast.  Starting at 4:00 pm and running right up to the start of the broadcast of The Runaway Bride at 7:00 pm.

Jo went to Cardiff to see the set and also to meet the new companion, Freema Agyeman.  She took a picture of her in the Cyberleaders chair, with a Dalek and in the TARDIS.  She also took this picture clearly the crew had too much time on their hands that day!

This is a picture of her and David in the studio when he came in to record the interview.

He opened the show by introducing Fairytale of New York by The Pogues and the late Kirsty MacColl, as 'the best Christmas song ever'.

I could not agree more - I sometimes play it several times in a row when I'm in the car!!!! 

adad

May 23, 2012

Back in 2006 David was asked  if there was a film made of your life who would you like to portray you.

"Ooh that's difficult. I'd say Daniel Evans, he's a theatre actor, he's nothing like me at all obviously, but he's a brilliant actor."

Daniel played Danny Llewellyn in the Doctor Who episode The Christmas Invasion, he gets murdered by the Sycorax.  There are clips of that performance in his showreel. (That link has his CV as well)  He certainly has had a brilliant and award winning theatre career and was recently made the artistic director of the Sheffield Theatre.

May 22, 2012

Wouldn't we all love to see this come to pass!!!!

"...Tennant does admit to one D-list fantasy: Celebrity Stars In Their Eyes. "I'd like to be Jarvis Cocker; he's my karaoke favourite. It's very tempting, and I feel I could do that well. But you are in dangerous territory once you've done that. It's like opening Pandora's box."" - taken from The Guardian - January 1, 2005

I wonder if he would pick a Pulp song, since when this was written Jarvis didn't have a solo album back then, or if he would do a current tune!

May 21, 2012

Sticking to the favourite things theme this excerpt from  a 2006 article shows that David has, for the most part, great taste in music.  Beverly Craven - YIKES!

"In fact, it would take the Dr Who star to admit that he owns an album by, oohh, Beverley Craven, say, the gobsmackingly tedious singer-songwriter of whom the best that can be said is she is not Dido.  

'Actually, I have two Beverley albums,' blushes Tennant, his facial hair partially concealing his red cheeks. 'I have the eponymous one that I fall back on if I'm in a bad way, and I also have the album that came out after that. Love Scenes, I think it's called.' He hangs his head in shame. 'Now that is too Radio 2 even for me.'

Reborn, Tennant spent his teenage years in Paisley, where he was energised by Scotland's 'white boy soul groups', chief among them Love and Money and Hipsway. Later, he fell for fellow Scots Simple Minds' bloke-rock, which led him to, first, U2 then, strangely, the Housemartins. Crucially, Hull's finest were, like Tennant, socialists.

'That certainly helped, yeah,' he nods. 'But what particularly appealed to me about them was their punk sensibility. That and the fact that, you know, they made great tunes.'

Tunes are everything in Tennant's universe. Tunes are why he prefers Hard-Fi to the White Stripes; why Coldplay's album X&Y is far superior to Radiohead's recklessly adventurous Kid A; why Avril Lavigne is great and R&B is rubbish.

He has little reason to feel downcast today, having earlier received in the post the new albums by Morrissey, the Flaming Lips and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The Morrissey one, particularly, he has high hopes for, convinced as he is that the great man's solo sets are, by and large, better than his efforts with the Smiths. His favourite album, though, isn't Mozzer's Viva Hate but Sunshine on Leith by folk-pop pair the Proclaimers, the slightest mention of whom prompts superlatives galore. 

 'I proselytise about them whenever I can because they're a great band who are ignored by too many people,' he says. '[Little Britain's] Matt Lucas is a big fan, actually. It was very liberating finding someone who I could talk about them with because it was like a secret.'

As for Beverley Craven, Tennant's search for a fellow fan goes on.

'Now she is more of a guilty pleasure,' he concedes. 'But,' he adds, desperately trying to distance himself from her, belatedly aware that he has divulged too much, 'I haven't had a Beverley moment in some time, you know.'" - Paul Mardles - Observer Music Monthly - June 17, 2006

 

 

May 20, 2012

In an interview in 2003 David was asked his favourite co-stars:

"The three guys in this - Jim Broadbent, Adam Godley and Nigel Lindsay - are pretty hard to beat. I've worked with all three previously on different things, but we never had any scenes together so it's nice to have some now."

When he says 'in this' he is talking about the play Pillowman at The National.  Jim Broadbent was in the movie Bright Young Things with David, they appear on screen briefly together in the first scene you see David in the magic trick, however they do not interact with each other.  Adam Godley was in the RSC production of The General From America, he played Major Andre the man who persuaded Benedict Arnold to turn traidor.  David played Col. Hamilton who was loyal to General Washington and who would later become the USA's first Secretary of the Treasury and is on the $20, so you can see why they didn't have any scenes together!.  Nigel Lindsay was in the cast of Push Up, but that play was actually three playettes with two people in each.  David did his scene with Jacqueline Defferary.

May 19, 2012

David has expressed his love for the US TV series "The West Wing", in the interviews below he compares Russell's writing to the style of the show.

"And the way Russell writes both characters, there's an enjoyment of language and of thought colliding with each other faster than the speed of thinking. Which I've always liked. I like that kind of writing. I'm a big fan of "The West Wing," and the way Aaron Sorkin writes those people who can think and speak faster than the synapses can flash. I love characters who are clever and smart, and you have to run to catch up with. I think there's something very appealing and rather heroic in that. So it made sense that The Doctor should be like that, to me." - talking to Alan Sepinwall in an interview with nj.com

"I think that's very attractive to watch in a character, when they're plucking all these extraordinary thoughts down and you have to race to catch up, kind of like The West Wing. Russell's a lot like that himself.'" - from December 2005 article "Tennant's Extra"

He even got a chance to show off his knowledge of the show on the BBC special "The Ultimate West Wing Challenge" which aired July 28, 2006.  This is a link to a great copy of the show.  Rory Bremner was the host and the quiz pitted David Tennant and Stryker McGuire against Arabella Weir and Mark Oaten.  David and Stryker won!

In the BBC Radio series Chain Reaction where David was interviewed by Catherine Tate he talked about going to see Richard Schiff, who played Toby Ziegler on the show, in  in Underneath the Lintel.

You can listen to him tell it here:

Sat May 19 10;59;24 2012.mp3

May 18, 2012

OK OK  I know yesterday was really a Doctor Who fact!  Mia culpa!

David Tennant on Audrey Hepburn - AH so to speak:

 "..Although I've seen lots of her films and am a great admirer of what she does, the little shrine in my head is to Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly. I must have been in my late teens when I first saw Breakfast At Tiffany's (1961); I certainly fell in love with her so I must have been old enough to be having those sorts of feelings. She has such an iconic look: the little black dress, the cigarette holder and the coquettish grin.

It's a proper piece of good acting rather than the sort of slightly frothy romcom performance we often saw her do elsewhere. She brings that delicate, demure, butter-wouldn't-melt quality to every part, and suddenly she's playing this character who is quite dark and a bit of a loony. Yet she carries it off so assuredly you'd sell your children to get to spend some time with Holly Golightly, even though you're aware she'd be a highmaintenance nightmare. Hepburn makes her utterly alluring and fascinating. It's one of the great things about movies that we're allowed to indulge little fantasies about people that in life we would steer away from.

Audrey Hepburn was a proper movie star in a way we're not really allowed to have these days because they have to be so exposed, and we have to know everything about them. And she was probably the most beautiful woman who has ever lived, which always helps."

From the Sunday Herald May 22, 2005

May 17, 2012

The Doctor Who episode Midnight was filmed from November 27th - December 11th, 2007.  The entire episode was filmed at Upper Boat Studios except for the scenes with Donna at the spa.  They were filmed at Dylan's Health Spa at Celtic Manor Resort in Newport Wales.  In the photos below you can see that they digitally removed the actual ceiling for the dome that looks out to the planet's sky.

The Doctor uses both Molto Bene and Allons-Y in this episode, it is the first time that he also states that Allons-Y means 'Let's Go'.

Russell T. Davies wrote this episode, he was inspired by the annoying habit that children have of always repeating everything you say.  He also stated that he was inspired by the film Jeepers Creepers 2 which was on the TV at the time he was writing.  Part of the movie's plot is about a group of high school students trapped in a bus that is being menaced by a hideous creature.

Colin Morgan who plays Merlin in the BBC series of the same name appears in this episode as Jethro Cane.  Also appearing, as Professor Hobbes, is the actor David Troughton who is the son of the second Doctor Patrick Troughton.

This is the first time since 1975 that the TARDIS is not seen in an episode of Doctor Who.

We must not look at goblin men,
We must not buy their fruits:
Who knows upon what soil they fed
Their hungry thirsty roots?"

This snippet of poem recited in the episode comes from The Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti.  You can click on the title to read the whole poem.

The podcast commentary for the episode was done by Paul McFadden, the supervising sound editor, Julian Howarth, the sound recordist and Brin Thomas, second boom operator.  You can listen to their words about how difficult this episode was to record.

4.10 Midnight.mp3

May 16, 2012

A little bit of HP today - enjoy

"Barty Crouch JR ( David Tennant ) The 34-year-old Scot makes his Harry Potter debut as the son of Ministry Of Magic official Barty Crouch , who is played by Roger Lloyd Pack. Crouch Jr is an evil scheming wizard and the role, albeit a small one, is unlikely to win Tennant any fans among the young Harry Potter diehards.

"Doing Potter was great," says David. "It's a huge monster of a film, but also felt like a very friendly, creative place to be."" - The Daily Mail - November 11, 2005

 

"Even the evil Barty Crouch Jr is a great character. I was rather puzzled as to why I was so drawn to his weird creepiness, and why the main thing I liked about him was his leather jacket, until I logged on to the internet and found out that he is played by none other than David Tennant - soon to appear on our television screens as the new Doctor Who."  - The Sunday Telegraph - November 6, 2005

 

Why we are excited: It's darker and features new Doctor Who David Tennant , as Barty Crouch Junior. - The Daily Record - November 4, 2005
 

 

May 15, 2012

May 15, 1996 David was appearing on stage in Stratford, doing a matinee and an evening performance of As You Like It, his first role with the RSC as Touchstone.

May 15, 1998 David was on stage at the Comedy Theatre appearing in The Real Inspector Hound and Black Comedy directed by Greg Doran, who also directed Hamlet and Loves Labours Lost.  The curtain went up at 7:30 pm, this is a copy of the ad from The Guardian that day.

May 14, 2012

Since I had to bring my car into the garage today I thought I'd give you a few car items!

On Top Gear David states his first car was a Ford Fiesta - which he had at least by 1994 since it's the car he drove to move from London to Scotland as he stated in this line from a 2005 interview.

"But he did land a role in another Scottish TV series, Takin' Over The Asylum. Through it, David met his agent, packed his bags and headed south in his Ford Fiesta."  

He then bought a Ford Escort - which he had in 2000, which is where this line of interview comes from, he is talking about cleaning of his RSC make-up and drive back to London.  The K Reg is from 92-93 however so he bought it used.

"Every Saturday night he wipes off the slap, gets into his red K-reg Ford Escort and drives . . ." 

He then had a Skoda Octavia Ambiente which he still owned at the taping of Top Gear but was in the process of trading in to get the Prius he has now.

"If the nice, down-to-earth-guy bit is an act, I must say, it's a very good one. He still drives his modest old Skoda. "People are amazed that I've got a Skoda. Next time, I'll want something with ethics that I'm more comfortable with, you know, the eco thing. I'm waiting for someone to bring out something that will run on, I don't know, cornflakes." "

This quote is from an article from February 2007 so he was true to his word and did get an 'eco-thing' as he says.  So he is quite right when he says that it was not all John Barrowman's idea!

It was the Skoda that he was driving when he got his two speeding tickets on the M4 - "And twice he's been caught speeding down the M4 from Cardiff to London in his Skoda. "It's the best car I've ever had," he says. "It certainly doesn't need to be any faster.""

May 13, 2012

On this Mother's Day here in the US, a few quotes from Helen.

As a child David Tennant was already practising for his role as Doctor Who. Proud parents Sandy and Helen McDonald said he would run around the garden in a long multi-coloured scarf knitted by his gran, pretending to be the Time Lord.

Helen said: 'I'm sure it was the programme that triggered his interest in acting. Doctor Who was his childhood hero.'

The suggestion he might get that one 'Mr Darcy' scene to set female hearts fluttering up and down the country leaves his parents shaking their head in bewilderment.

'Who knows?' said mum Helen, laughing. 'David gets his share of female fans but he's never big-headed about it 'He's grateful for what he's managed to achieve as an actor.'
 

May 12, 2012

Oh the sacrifices we make for our friends!

"I never go to comedy venues. I hate clubs, I can't bear being in smoky atmospheres, I am not really a big drinker and I hate staying up late. Oh, yes, and I hate the theatre! I'm a real killjoy aren't I? The trouble is that I get distracted by the smallest thing, so for me to be captivated is very rare. Still, David Tennant , who is one of my oldest friends, is playing all these major roles with the RSC at the moment so I will be going to see him."

Arabella Weir in The Times - December 23, 2000

May 11, 2012

Variety review of Hamlet - August 11, 2008 - David Benedict

"Even without its leading man, the new Royal Shakespeare Company "Hamlet" would be a serious achievement. Designer Robert Jones holds "the mirror up to nature" with his elegantly spare mirrored back wall and floor, providing the perfect revealing, chilly arena for Gregory Doran's unusually tense and clear production. All of which comprises a perfect setting for David Tennant's galvanizingly taut lead performance. 

His lean, spry Hamlet exudes youthful vigor and romantic passion, but the characterization's hallmark is quick-witted intelligence, allowing Tennant to illumine conflicting ideas at a gripping pace.  

...the boyish-looking character' in a downstage cornel ill-at-ease in a dark suit and staring determinedly through his champagne flute to the floor, is Tennant's silently intent Hamlet.

His command of the language is highly distilled. Beautiful but empty savoring of poetry is replaced by unusually dynamic, energized phrasing. Tennant is not interested in slowing drama up to illustrate an image, he's showing what his character is up to at any given moment. His mind works very fast and he speaks at the speed of thought, keeping audiences absolutely tied to his shifting perspective on Hamlet's predicament."

May 10, 2012

On April 28, 2000 David got his first mention in the Los Angeles Times in a review of The Last September.

This is one of the best reviews for the film that I've read. Here are some excerpts:

"'The Last September,' a luminous, piercing film from the Elizabeth Bowen novel, richly evokes a world of privilege on the verge of disintegration....Meanwhile, Lois is being pursued by Gerald ( David Tennant ), a deeply smitten British army captain, but as "The Troubles" escalate, Lois finds herself increasingly drawn to her childhood friend Peter (Gary Lydon), an Irish freedom fighter hiding in an old mill on her uncle's estate. 

Performances are impeccable in their inflections and nuances. There is a cold viciousness in the Naylors' obtuse snobbery that prevents you from caring what happens to them or to their way of life, and, of course, Gambon and Smith provide the couple with bleakly amusing shadings. Hawes is deft at expressing the occasional awkwardness and gaucheness of the likably naive but imaginative Lois. Tennant, Wilson, Birkin, Lydon and others lend faultless support, but the film's dazzler is Shaw, she of the unsettlingly direct gaze, undisguised intelligence and angular beauty--her features might be those of Mary Astor stylized by Modigliani.

John Bright's period costumes are as exquisite as they are accurate, and those for Shaw's Marda rightly look toward a sleeker future. The film's sense of time and place could not seem more authentic, thanks to painstaking production designer Caroline Amies, and Slawomir Idziak's lush, dark-hued camera work, which captures the beauty of this special world.

By the time this splendid film is over, not only do you understand how these Anglo-Irish aristocrats earned the enmity of both ordinary Irish people and the British military but also come to share this view." - Kevin Thomas 

May 9, 2012

Contemporary Theatre, Film & Television, Volume 75, January 2007 lists among David's credits a short film called One-Eyed Jacques.  He is not listed in the credits and the way the film is shot through the perspective of a lost glass eye, you don't really see faces very well.  If he is in this then he is the waiter, look at the long fingers on the hands and judge for yourself. (click here)

The film was shown on Channel Four as part of a series called Shooting Gallery, a six-part showcase for short films by new talent, introduced by Mark Kermode, and linked by a common theme each week.  Mark just recently interviewed David about his new film The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists.

The episode that One-Eyed Jacques was shown on September 26, 2002  and was called 'World Stories', the other films were Bullet in the Brain, Copyshop, Bus 44, Pourquoi...Pass Keu?, Palindrome, and Shifting Units.

The writer was Jonathan Romney and the director was  Richard Clark, he directed the Doctor Who episodes Gridlock and The Lazarus Experiment.  

The film, made in 2001, has a runtime of 3:18 and is subtitled.  The story is about a couple dining in a swanky Parisian eatery and Jacques takes out his glass eye to clean it and drops it on the floor and it does some exploring on its own.  The listed cast are Natalie Paris as Veronique, Alain Bourgouin as Jacques and James Oliver as the Voice.

It was shown at the Uppsala International Short Film Festival in Sweden on October 24, 2001 and on November 14, 2001 at the Brief Encounters Short Film Festival in Bristol.

May 8, 2012

David was in a short comedy in which a job centre trainee finds himself totally inept in his new position of quality controller at a skatebaord factory which aired on Channel Four on June 10, 1996 at 1:55.  The 20 minutes film is called Quality Control and it was aired a second time in February 1998.

I wish I had more info on this one -

May 7, 2012

The other film that is housed with the Scottish Screen Collection is called Spaces. Made in 1993 it tells the story of a young man's night shift in a car park in Edinburgh and the characters he meets over the course of the night: an older colleague with a troubled past, a bright young girl who uses the empty car park for her violin practice, and a young homeless boy.  The director, Steve Pang, stated that the film is trying to suggest the car park is a microcosm of society as a whole.

David plays Vinny, the attendant and the other four cast members are Colin Brown, Duncan, Daniel Byrne, Homeless Boy, Becky Baxter, the violinist Jane, and Mike Gibbin as the Kilted Drunk.  Mike was also the grip and assistant cameraman.

The film was A Stray Dog Film Company Production presented by First Reels and Napier University.

First Reels was a joint short film initiative from Scottish Screen (and its predecessor body the Scottish Film Council) and Scottish Television. First Reels was launched during 1991 by Scottish Film Council in response to a perceived need for small grants to help young and first time film-makers to make or complete their first film or video project. 

You can see a shot from the film here on a new website which has just launched, their aim is to get one photo of David from each of his works.

May 6, 2012

One of the films that can only be viewed at the Scottish Screen Collection is called Bite, which was released in 1997.  David plays Alistair Galbraith, a hitherto passive postman who tires of being a spectator in his own life and decides to take control.  When his wife, alison commits adultery on their wedding day and shortly after he is savaged by a ferocious dog - he hits rock bottom.  Unable to cope he is galvanised into action and in true anti-hero style sets out to take revenge on those who wronged him.  Through taking action Alistair is reborn. (synopsis from Scottish Screen Catalogue of Short Films 1993 - 1999)

Actually two dogs were used during the filming, Clint and Flipper.

The 6:58 film was directed by Brian Ross and written by Andrea Gibb, who also adapted the radio play Sunburst Finish that he recorded for Radio 4 in 1993. The film was sponsored by the Scottish film production fund, British Screen and Scottish Television in association  with the Scottish Arts Council National lottery fund.

The film was shown at the 1997 Edinburgh Film Festival.

Su Bainbridge and Stephanie Faurgier produced the film which was distributed by Tartan Films.

The rest of the cast:

Postmen - Frank Gallagher, Paul Hickie, Martin McCardie who appeared in an episode of Takin'Over the Asylum
Alison - Sharon Small - she appeared in the radio play The Order of Release with David
Sue - Paula Sorge

"Alastair is a postman whose happiness is far from pat. He's splitting up with his cheating shrew of a wife and the only thing taking an interest in him is a huge great German Shepherd on his round. It's bitches everywhere. Watching Alastair cope with the mutt and his wife's sudden desire to try again makes for a very pleasant few minutes. The story is a good one, the ending sharp.

David Tennant makes for a sympathetic leading man and Sharon Small shines as the wife, the bit-part posties are fine and the dog suitably scarey. Bite is nicely shot, with plenty of variation in camera movement, and Paddy Cunneen's soundtrack helps the action flow nicely.

To sum up, this Prime Cuts piece is nicely scripted, nicely acted, nicely filmed, nicely scored, but far better than plain nice. Not to be missed." review by Martin Gray for Eye for Film.com

Paddy Cunneen composed all of the music for the play Pillowman  in 2003 which starred David and Jim Broadbent.  He also co-wrote Sunburst Finish with the director of Bite Andrea Gibb.

May 5, 2012

Today's short film - Traffic Warden - was shown at the 2004 Edinburgh Film Festival in Cameo Cinema 1, on Friday, August 27, 2004 at 14:00. It was also shown at the 2005 Rushes Soho Shorts Festival in 2005.

The story was written by Teun Hilte and Donald Rice, Rice also directed the film. Rice also recently directed the film Cheerful Weather for the Wedding, which David's name was attached to for a time. (see the January 19th FOTD)  Cheerful Weather for the Wedding got it's US debut on April, 20 2012 at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City and they also screen two of Rice's shorts - I Am Bob and Traffic Warden!  The same place traffic Warden had it's North American premiere in April of 2004!

Donald Rice worked on the set of the film Bright Young Things so I think it could be assumed that is where he met David, Traffic Warden was his first foray into directing.

The film is 11 minutes long and stars Sophie Hunter as the object of the Traffic Warden's desire. The film begins on a busy street and ends in a fountain. "Traffic Warden proves once and for all that falling in love in London is even harder than finding a space to park your car."

What makes the story all the more interesting to watch is there is no dialogue -but you do have to watch for the various 'signs' along the way.

The rest of the cast:

David Crow - The Boyfriend

Morwenna Banks - The Mother

Peter Dunwell - Bus Conductor 

Sonny Brown - The Boy

Annabel Linney - The Girl

Michael Elles-Hill - The Dog Walker

Eva Rice - The Cyclist

John Woody  - The Dog!

Supporting cast: John Cornforth, Pete Maclaine, Sean Walsh, Emma Dingle, Bouges Macfarlane, Joceline Gabriel, Oliver Dungey, Damian Pitman, Daniel Charrington, Justin Gayner, Freddie Huntingdon,  and the children in the park were from the Sylvia Young Theatre School

The music was supplied by The Metropolitan Orchestra

You can trace David's footsteps here and you can watch this film all over the net but this site has an excellently clear copy.

And if you follow the credits all the way to the end you will see that "No goldfish were harmed in the making of this film" 

May 4, 2012

In 2001 David appeared with Kate Ashfield in a short film called Sweetnight Goodheart.  They would appear together again in 2002 in the BBC Radio 4 radio play called The Island and then again in the ITV movie Secret Smile.

In the film we get to watch Pete try to finish with Juliet but can't bear the idea of hurting her. To soften the blow, he cooks her a gourmet meal...and it doesn't really go as planned.


The film was written and directed by BAFTA award winner Dan Zeff who also directed the Doctor Who episode Love and Monsters.  You can watch the film here on Dan's website.

The rest of the cast :
Anthea - Diana Hardcastle
Colman - Cliff Parisi
Yasmin - Thusitha Jayasundera
Old Lady - Ann Queensberry
Saffy - Sian Reeves
Jane - Alex Kelly
Tom - Bruce MacKinnon
Dad - Barry McCarthy

The short was shown at the 2001 Edinburgh Film Festival and 45th Regus London Film Festival.

The 9:16 short was also shown on BBC 2 as part of  Ways to Leave Your Lover, a series of five films exploring the break-up of relationships.  The other films were Unscrew, Stag, Dog and Dumping Elaine and they aired Tuesday 25 March 2003, 11.20 pm-12.10 am

David Thompson, Head of BBC Films and Executive Producer said: "Ways To Leave Your Lover is a real testament to the wealth of talent at work in this country today, with each short demonstraing the diversity and individuality of the writers and directors involved in this project."  - from BBC Press Release

"Captivating..splendid acting, perfect timing, and a funny, clever, touching script by Dan Zeff, who also directed who also directed with panache...Best of all, there was an exquisite final twist, as it became clear that Juliet had known of Pete's true intention all along, but had cunningly outwitted him, and when he mumbled "I never actually proposed", she calmly replied "I never actually accepted". - The Evening Standard - Victor Lewis-Smith - March 26, 2003

"It's not you, it's me. We need to move on with our lives. We can still be friends.

If breaking up is hard to do then writing scripts about breaking up without resorting to the ghastly cliches and euphemisms of a relationship's final moments must be even harder. It is to their credit that the directors and writers of these five short films largely swerve the standard texts of lost love: there is no I Will Survive empowerment, no scenes in expensive restaurants as extras act scandalised. That is not to say that there are no pitfalls: . . .
Paradoxically, the most successful explorations of the subject keep things witty and urbane. Dan Zeff's cautionary tale Sweetnightgoodheart observes David Tennant's attempts to ditch his girlfriend (Kate Ashfield) spiral out of control." - The Sunday Times - Critics Choice - March 23 2003 - Victoria Segal

"The painful and often farcical circumstances surrounding relationship break-ups are explored in this collection of five short dramas from some of the UK's most talented writer/directors - Dan Zeff, Clara Glynn, Ian Iqbal Rashid, Andrea Arnold and Peter Lydon. The films - Sweetnightgoodheart , Unscrew, Stag, Dog and Dumping Elaine - have all won critical acclaim on the festival circuit, and each examines what happens to individuals at the moment people leave one another. Moving, surreal and viciously funny." - The Guardian - Pick of the Day - March 25, 2003 

"Ways to Leave Your Lover (BBC Two) was a collage of five short films about couples breaking up, or trying to break up. Some - Sweetnightgoodheart , starring Kate Ashfield and David Tennant, and written and directed by Dan Zeff; and Dumping Elaine, written and directed by Peter Lydon and starring Susan Lynch and Matthew Delamare -fizzed better within the constraints of a ten-minute slot than did some of the others. But all of these films underlined how much you can achieve in a cleverly distilled, doll's-house-size drama." - The Times - March 26, 2003 - Joe Joseph

May 3, 2012

To continue on with the short films theme  -In 2002 David appeared in a great little film called 9 1/2 Minutes which was directed, edited and written by Josh Appignanesi and Misha Manson-Smith.  The music was provided by Lotown who have done music for adverts for Virgin, Ford, Orange and lots more! 

The story is about A couple meeting on a blind date decide to experience an entire relationship in nine-and-a-half minutes. So you could say it is a time travel story!  And one more thing - if you take out the beginning and ending credits  - the run time is 9 and 1/2 minutes. (10:22 in total)

The film's production company Mercenary Films which, is Misha's company, has the film up on their site for your viewing pleasure. CLICK HERE>

Once you watch that you can check out the web page I made so you can follow in David's footsteps!

You will notice that the film playing at the movie theatre is Nine and 1/2 Minutes and when the couple is talking outside the theatre you can see a poster for the film in the window.

David stars in this short with Zoe Telford, they play Charlie and Heather and are the only people in the film except for a brief appearance by Marcus Markou as the popcorn vendor and Felicite Du Jeu as Saskia - Charlie's date at the end.

The film was shot digitally for £10,000 and was premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, was a finalist in the BBC Talent Awards and had a theatrical release supporting Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.

You can see Josh talk about the film and David in this video.