Inside No. 9 - Images



 

 



 

 

 

Local Hero - "Local Hero church to be turned into family home"

                                                                                                                                                                                    Scotsman.com

 

 

 

Lady of the Braes Church at Loch Ailort starred in the 1983 classic film Local Hero.

PIC: www.geograph.org/MJ Richardson.

 

The church that featured in classic Scottish film Local Hero is to be converted into a family home.

 

Lady of the Braes Roman Catholic Church sits in a spectacular hill-top location above Loch Ailort in Lochaber and served as a community rallying point in Bill Forsyth’s 1983 comedy drama.

                                         

The church’s new owners have lodged plans to convert the property into a house by creating a new floor inside. Rooflights and new window will also be added.

 

Highland Council is currently dealing with the planning application for Lady of the Braes, a category B listed building, which is now included on the Buildings at Risk register.

 

Local Hero“Built to serve the now deserted townships of Ardnish and Polnish, this lone monument to the former inhabitants of the empty landscape has a poignant significance,” an entry on the register said.

 

The church, built in 1872, features in key scenes in the film about an American oil firm’s bid to buy over a Highland village and build an oil refinery. The village hotelier, chartered accountant and spokesman Gordon Urquhart, played by Denis Lawson, features in the film addressing villagers from the pulpit at Lady of the Braes.

 

In the film, the church overlooks the beach but in reality Lady of the Braes sits next to the main A830 to Mallaig.

 

Beach scenes were shot at Camusdarach Beach in Morar with one of the houses overlooking the shire disguised as the church using a plastic façade.

Pictures - Scotland Highland Games - Crieff, Perth, Perthshire

Denis Lawson - Games Chieftain - Crieff Highland Games 2006 | by FotoFling Scotland

 

Denis Lawson - Games Chieftain | by FotoFling Scotland 2006

 

 

Chief Jim McGregor and Actor Denis Lawson pictured in Crieff 2017.

Picture: Phil Hannah.

 





Picture: Phil Hannah. Carol McGregor and Denis Lawson 2017



 

Picture: Phil Hannah. Ewan McGregor and Denis Lawson 2017

 

 



 

 

 Keywords: Ewan McGregor, Carol McGregor, Scotland, Scottish, Kilt

 

Article - "Crieff highland games risks losing thousands of pounds with bridge closure"

Feb 16, 2019

Busy Crieff Highland Games.

The Highland Gathering in August draws thousands of tourists each year but the games’ chairman fears the huge event could fall victim to SGN’s proposed eight-week road closure to replace old gas mains on the Crieff to Muthill road.

Ian Stewart, chairman of the Crieff Highland Gathering, believes the gas company intend to do the work over the summer holidays, ending just before the event, but that any scheduling delays could cost the games thousands of pounds if they run on to Sunday August 19.

The Crieff gathering markets itself as Scotland’s premier highland games and boasts a Hollywood star as one of its former chieftains with Ewen McGregor taking on the role in 2001, followed by his dad in 2017.

Local Hero star Denis Lawson was also appointed chieftain for the 2006 games.

Mr Stewart said: “Several thousand people come to Crieff for the Highland Gathering and the majority of our visitors come from the south, which is on the other side of the bridge.

“Our main car park is also on the other side of the bridge with a shuttle bus taking people to the games, so that is a particular issue.

Chief Jim McGregor and Actor Denis Lawson pictured in Crieff 2017. Picture: Phil Hannah.

“If the bridge is closed then we could could instantly lose half our gate.

“Crieff Gathering costs us in the region of £70,000 to put on every year, if we struggle with the bridge being closed and several thousand people don’t get here then it’s a huge blow for us this year and next year.

“It’s a huge concern.”

SGN hosted a public consultation on the plans yesterday, which will be repeated today.

Mid Scotland and Fife Conservative MSP Liz Smith said: “Crieff is predominantly a tourist town and anything that could impact on events like the Highland Gathering is a major concern.

“Another issue I noted at Friday’s consultation event was that some residents are concerned over the impact on ambulance cover caused by the roadworks.”

“However, it was very encouraging to hear the depth of consultation taking place at Friday’s event and it was very clear that SGN have recognised the concerns of local residents.”

However Strathearn Conservative councillor Roz McCall hopes the community outcry may persuade SGN to push back the works until winter.

She said: “I attended yesterday’s consultation at Strathearn Community Campus in Crieff and SGN told me they are thinking about carrying out the roadworks in the winter, which would be ideal.

“This shows how important it is for local residents to attend these consultation events.”

Katie Lobban, SGN spokeswoman, said: “All of the feedback and information we receive will be seriously considered, and will help us in the planning process of our project.”

The public consultation continues today at Strathearn Community Campus from 9am until 4pm.

Broken - Interview

 

New Tricks - Behind the Scenes Photos

Filming of the new TV series 'New Tricks' takes place in South London Featuring: Tamzin Outhwaite, Denis Lawson



Filming of the new TV series 'New Tricks' takes place in South London Featuring: Tamzin Outhwaite, Nicolas Lyndhurst, Denis Lawson, Larry Lamb



Stock Photo - Filming of the new TV series 'New Tricks' takes place in South London Featuring: Denis Lawson

Stock Photo - Filming of the new TV series 'New Tricks' takes place in South London Featuring: Tamzin Outhwaite, Nicolas Lyndhurst, Denis Lawson

Local Hero - "Where they are now? The stars of Scottish classic Local Hero"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where they are now? The stars of Scottish classic Local Hero

The Scotsman

Jan. 29, 2019

 

                                                                                                                                                                       

Peter Capaldi, Burt Lancaster, and Peter Riegert in a scene from Bill Forsyth's much-loved 1983 film Local Hero. Picture: Enigma/Goldcrest/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock

 

Bill Forsyth's Local Hero brought together Hollywood names and rising Scottish stars to tell the story of one small community’s struggle to outsmart a large American oil company and save their home.

 

Here we look at the stars of the 1983 cult classic, which is being adapted into a world premiere stage musical production at The Lyceum in Edinburgh, with both Bill Forsyth and Mark Knoplfer working their magic on the show.

 

Bill Forsyth's Local Hero brought together Hollywood names and rising Scottish stars to tell the story of one small community’s struggle to outsmart a large American oil company and save their home. Here we look at the stars of the 1983 cult classic, which is being adapted into a world premiere stage musical production at The Lyceum in Edinburgh, with both Bill Forsyth and Mark Knoplfer working their magic on the show. Jenny Seagrove. Picture: Getty Local Hero at the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh from 19 March – 4 May. Book your tickets now!

 

Peter Riegert - MacIntyre

 

Riegert went on to direct short films after his stint as oil tycoon MacIntyre with his work ‘By Courier’ - a story of a drifting relationship - nominated for an Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film in 2001.In recent times, he is possibly best known for his role as crooked New York state assemblyman Ronald Zellman in The Sopranos. One scene that is hard to shake shows him being beaten, half naked, with a belt by Tony Soprano as his mistress looks on. We preferred Riegert as Mac on the beach at Ferness collecting shells and opening himself up to the wonders of the universe. Fulton Mackay as Ben in Local Hero. Picture: Rex

 

 

Denis Lawson - Gordon Urquhart

 

Lawson is memorable as the smooth, smart and sexy landlord of the MacAskill Arms, but some fans will know the Crieff-born actor as ace rebel pilot Wedge Antilles in the original 1970s Star Wars trilogy. Others may know him as the maternal uncle of actor Ewan McGregor with the two working together on sci-fi drama Perfect Sense and short film Perfect Geometery in recent times. In 2006, his portrayal of John Jarndyce in a BBC production of Bleak House earned him an Emmy Nomination. He regularly appears on prime time television and recently appeared in Death in Paradise, Victoria and Marchlands. For many, it is the way he rallied a community in Local Hero that will endure. Lawson is also no stranger to the stage and has previously performed at the Royal Lyceum Theatre. He will be starring in ART at the King’s Theatre, Edinburgh which runs from 11th to 16th of February.

 

Peter Capaldi - Danny Oldsen

 

Capaldi needs little introduction as one of Scotland’s most high-profile actors but his part in Local Hero as Danny Oldsen, a young naive oil industry professional, was his first part. The scene in the film where Peter Capaldi runs over the beach - arms and legs swinging wildly - to catch a glimpse of the woman he admires does not fade. Other notable roles in the post-Local Hero years include transgender woman Vera Reynolds in Prime Suspect and Rory in the 1996 television version of Ian Banks’s The Crow Road. But his part as foul-mouthed spin doctor Malcolm Tucker in The Thick Of It set Capaldi apart with the actor collecting a string of awards - and likely a place in television history - for the comedy role. He is now known across the generations as the twelfth Dr. Who.

 

John Gordon Sinclair - Ricky

 

Sinclair was already a nation’s favourite when he turned up in Local Hero given his starring role in Gregory’s Girl, another Bill Forsyth classic, which screened two years earlier. He has numerous television and film credits to his name and recently appeared in World War Z alongside Brad Pitt as a Seal Commander. Sinclair moved to London in the early 1980s and now lives in Surrey with his wife, a GP, and children. Today, he is a successful crime writer and has had three novels published to much acclaim.

 

Christopher Rozycki - Viktor

 

The scene in Local Hero where Russian fisherman Viktor takes the mic at the ceilidh is one of the classic moments of the film with Christopher Rozycki radiating the film’s qualities of love, warmth and belonging. The actor was born in Poland and moved to London in the 1970s. After Local Hero, he became one of the founding characters of medical drama Casualty and played hospital porter Kuba during the first three series. He went on to roles in Truly Madly Deeply and then Downtown Abbey where he starred as Count Nikolai Rostov. Sadly, Rozycki died in April 2015 - but we’ll never forget Viktor’s Song.

 

Jenny Seagrove - Marina

 

Recently starring on the London stage in a six-month production of The Exorcist, Jenny Seagrove manages her long-running acting career with caring for abandoned horses. Her role as web-footed marine biologist Marina in Local Hero was her first big film role with Seagrove spending much time immersed in freezing west coast water for the part. From there she worked solidly in film, television and theatre and is well known for her playing lawyer Jo Mills in the long-running BBC drama series Judge John Deed. She set up The Mane Chance charity in 2011 after a friend ran out of money to feed her horses.Her partner is theatre producer and Everton chairman, Bill Kenwright.

 

Fulton Mackay - Ben

 

The fulcrum of Local Hero lies in character Ben, the wise beachcomber who lives on the sands held by his family for 400 years. The part was played memorably by Fulton Mackay, who at the time of the film was famous for his role as prison warder Mr Mackay in the sitcom Porridge. Paisley-born Mackay trained at RADA and then had a lengthy spell at Glasgow Citizen’s Theatre from 1949 to 1985.As well as Local Hero, he appeared in Defense of the Realm and Doing Time. He sadly died in London in 1987 - but the wisdom and wit of beachcomber Ben lives on.

 

Burt Lancaster - Felix Happer

 

One of the greatest actors in the classic Hollywood style, securing the services of Burt Lancaster to play oil tycoon Felix Happer was a major coup for director Bill Forsyth. The tough street kid from New York joined the circus and the army before settling on being an actor with hundreds of roles to his name. He was lauded for his part in The Birdman of Alcatraz and Atlantic City with his From Here to Eternity, where he makes love with Deborah Kerr on a Hawaiian beach amid the crashing waves, deemed to be one of the most romantic movies of all time. On the beach at Ferness in Local Hero, he is remembered for his meeting with Ben after which his plans to build a refinery grind to a halt. Lancaster died in 1991.

 

Local Hero at the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh from 19 March – 4 May. Book your tickets now!

ART - "INTERVIEW: Glorious Old Masters – The Cast Of Art"

British Theatre.com

Feb. 1, 2019

 

 

Glorious Old Masters – we talk to Nigel Havers, Stephen Tompkinson and Denis Lawson on the first day of rehearsals for the ART UK Tour.
 

Stephen Tompkinson, Nigel Havers and Denis Lawson in Art. Photo: Matt Crockett

ART UK TOUR SCHEDULE

Waiting to chat to Nigel Havers, Stephen Tompkinson and Denis Lawson on the first day of rehearsals for ART I overhear a waitress detailing the ingredients of the soup of the day. It occurs to me that the producers of Yasmina Reza’s award-winning play might have had a similar approach:  Take one of the most successful comedies of all time; cast three of our best-loved and most experienced stars and mix well with a talented director. Garnish with marketing and serve at some of the UK’s finest theatres. Voilà! One smash-hit. With a clutch of heavyweight credits between them, all three actors agree that ART is the theatrical equivalent of European white truffles.

“First of all, it’s very short. I’m very keen on short theatre,” twinkles Nigel, famous for roles in hit movies such as Chariots of Fire and A Passage to India and a plethora of primetime television shows including The Charmer, Coronation Street and Downton Abbey. Returning to ART with relish having done previous stints in the play (“740 performances, but not for a few years”) the dapper Mr Havers first saw the play at a preview at the Wyndham’s Theatre when it first opened. “As yet I have not found a better modern play,” he tells me. “It’s intellectual, witty and about things I understand, like friendship and art. For me, it’s an absolute godsend.”

Stephen (DCI Banks, Trollied, Wild at Heart, Drop the Dead Donkey and Ballykissangel) nods in agreement. “I also saw the first night at Wyndham’s and it was an incredible night. When I was offered the role of Ivan later in the run I jumped at it.  She [playwright Yasmina Reza] has beautifully observed this male friendship and it is constantly amusing. I haven’t done the play for 18 years but it is lovely to come back to.”

Nigel Havers and Denis Lawson in Art. Photo: Matt Crockett

He may not have been in the play before, but Denis (Bleak House, New Tricks and Star Wars) is nevertheless delighting in learning his lines. “I had seen it but had never read it and it is such a pleasure to dig into. The comedy is just wonderful,” he sighs.

Winner of just about every prestigious theatre award going, ART tells the story of Serge, a divorced doctor who buys an abstract painting. Serge’s friend Marc is outraged that anyone would pay such a vast sum of money for a completely white canvas and dismisses it as tosh. Mutual friend Yvan tries to reconcile the pair, but before long finds himself in the line of fire. Laugh-out-loud funny, it is undoubtedly the exploration of friendship within the sparkling writing that gives ART truly universal appeal, so what, I ask, are the qualities Nigel, Stephen and Denis appreciate in their friends?
“Tolerance and malleability,” quips Stephen.

Denis ponders. With a mix of pride and affection, he eventually responds: “I still have friends from school. We see each other regularly and it is a wonderful thing to have friendships with people you have known since you were 11 or 12. We all have very different lives but our friendship is very easy. That’s special and I really value it.”

Nodding in agreement and smiling warmly, Stephen tells us he shares a birthday with one of his oldest friends. “We’re still very close and he’ll be along in Manchester.”

Nigel also still has strong links with friends from childhood. “It is a good feeling and they are like family in a way,” he observes.

But out on tour, the triumvirate will become their own family. How do they amuse themselves when they’re not performing?

“You arrive on Monday, so that’s taken care of, Tuesday usually includes some sort of publicity for the play, Wednesday is probably a matinee, Thursday you might visit a gallery, Friday you sleep in and then on Saturday you go home,” offers Nigel, explaining that even living out of a suitcase and being somewhere different every week has its own rhythm.

“I’ve not toured for a while but if there’s one of those hop-on-hop-off buses then I’ll be on it,” admits Stephen. “You learn all sorts and they’re very good for finding your bearings,” he insists.

Stephen Tompkinson, Nigel Havers and Denis Lawson in Art. Photo: Matt Crockett

Agreeing that there will be “a lot of epicurean feasting” along the way, eating out seems to be a popular cast activity, with all the towns and cities on the tour schedule getting the collective thumbs up for restaurants and pubs.
 
Twenty years since David Pugh & Dafydd Rogers first produced ART in the West End, the original post-London tour played for 78 weeks.  Aiming to break their own record, Pugh & Rogers have every faith that such a top-notch cast gives them every chance of success.
“It doesn’t date; it still feels fresh,” promises Denis.

“You’ll love it,” urges Stephen. “It’s not just a play about three men because it’s from a woman’s point of view.”

Finishing his espresso, Nigel adds: “And because it’s short you’ll be in the pub afterwards in time to order food.”

Before I leave I explain that my Nan is beyond excited that I’m meeting (in her words) ‘Silver Fox thespian royalty.’ They oblige with a selfie, giving Nan her own work of art to treasure.  As for me, I make a mental note to book tickets to see these glorious old masters in action sooner rather than later. I’ve a hunch that tickets will sell faster than a looted Rembrandt.

ART - "This Morning fans in hysterics as Holly Willoughby downs vodka cocktail – and admits it’s gone to her head!"

NOW Magazine
Jan. 29, 2019

Bit crazy for a Tuesday!

It all got a bit too much for Holly Willoughby on This Morning today as she burst into fits of giggles after drinking a vodka cocktail.


After explaining how to make the perfect martini, guest Denis Lawson gifted the tipple to the 37-year-old while they were live on air.

But, later as her co-host Phillip Schofield, 56, carried on chatting to Denis and Nigel Havers for the segment, it became clear that the drink had gone straight to Holly’s head as she began to giggle.

And after Denis had made four drinks for the group, it wasn’t just Holly who was feeling slightly tipsy either as Phil began giggling too.

‘That vodka has gone to my head,’ admitted Phillip and Holly agreed: ‘And mine!’

Clearly amused by Holly and Phil’s antics, fans couldn’t help but comment on how hilarious they were.

One wrote: ‘The start of this morning today was hilarious wow I love phil and holly,’ while another added: ‘After a stressful day yesterday… this morning Phil and Holly definitely brighten my day up. I can’t stop laughing with you 2 this morning.’

A third viewer chimed in: ‘Love it when Phil and Holly have a bit of a laugh #ThisMorning’

The hilarious TV duo were recently awarded for their hard work, after This Morning won the award for Best Daytime Show at the National Television Awards last week.

According to a showbiz insider, Holly left the bash early as she was ‘totally overwhelmed’ by the love she had received following the win and after losing out to Ant and Dec for the presenter gong.

‘Holly had a good cry with her husband Dan. She was totally overwhelmed by the outpouring of love from her This Morning crew after the ceremony,’ a show insider told The Sun.

 

‘They were all telling her how loved she is and how they couldn’t believe she didn’t win the gong,’ the source added.
Words by Becky Waldren.