In 1973 Ricky Tomilinson was imprisoned for unlawful assembly and conspiracy when picketing for support in Britain’s first National Building Strike a year earlier. During the course of Ricky’s sentence when he refused to conform, wear prison clothing, work and suffered on hunger strike he met a sympathetic and wise prison governor who introduced prisoner Tomlinson to Tressell’s great novel.
Ricky was an immediate devotee recognising conditions and work practices in the book that reflected his own experiences. He credits The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists with changing his life and helping give articulation to his thoughts.
Photo: Andy Hollingworth
‘Ragged’, written by Andrew Lynch, Produced and Directed by Johnny Vegas stars Ricky as he is now with Stephen Walters playing younger Ricky of the 1970’s. Chris Fulford takes on multi-rolls representing many establishment figures Ricky came up against in prison and Philip Jackson plays the understanding, life changing Governor.
The half hour drama for Sky Arts Playhouse is the first independent programme for Johnny Vegas’s company Woolyback Productions and will be broadcast on June 6th 2013 @ 9:30pm.
Johnny Vegas has directed an All-Star video for Billy Bragg’s ‘Handyman Blues’ single.
Featuring Kevin Eldon, Ricky Grover, Phill Jupitus, Stewart Lee, Neil Morrissey, Ross Noble, Johnny Vegas and Samuel West plus a cameo appearance from Billy Bragg and filmed in a wickes D.I.Y store!
Johnny Vegas has directed and appeared in a video for Billy Bragg’s new single ‘Handyman Blues’ (released July 15 on Cooking Vinyl) with an all-star cast of comedians and actors who are Billy Bragg fans. Johnny, a lifelong fan of Billy’s songs, recently sought out the ‘The Bard Of Barking’ for help with some music for a drama he was directing called ‘Ragged’, featuring Ricky Tomlinson. As a thank you, Johnny offered to make a video of the song he loved on Bragg’s new CD ‘Tooth & Nail’. In the song ‘Handyman Blues’, Billy laments that he is useless at DIY, but suggests that he is creative in other ways. The video, produced by Beverley Dixon of Woolyback Productions, was filmed at the Wickes D.I.Y. store in Uxbridge.
Johnny says, “It’s not every day that you get to direct a video for a genuine icon, especially one as respected and admired as Billy is”.
TX Monday 24 December 2013 at 11.30am
& Monday 31 December 2013 at 11.30am
BBC R4
Wisha, wisha, wisha.
Playfulness, soundscape and oddity above the rustling leaves of Blyton’s Magic Faraway Tree.
In the centre of the Enchanted Wood is the Faraway Tree. Home to Moonface, Silky and Saucepan Man; its upper branches stretch into cloud-hosted dimensions of strange and magical lands.
In this two-part abridged adaptation of Enid Blyton’s classic children’s tale, BBC Radio 4 swoops voices from the world of entertainment into the mystical lands above.
Featuring Johnny Vegas, as Moonface, Nigel Planer as Saucepan and Lucy Beaumont (Winner of the BBC’s New Comedy Awards 2012) as Silky.
Narrator: Ronni Ancona
Rick: Billy Kennedy
Joe: Alex Clarke
Frannie: Nell Tiger Free
Beth: Tess Fontaine
Moonface: Johnny Vegas
Silky: Lucy Beaumont
Saucepan: Nigel Planer
Mother: Joanna Hall
Angry Pixie: Wayne Forrester
Written by Enid Blyton
Adapted for Radio by Andrew Lynch
Music composed and arranged by Phase Music
Directed by Johnny Vegas
Produced by Sally Harrison
A stellar cast of Hugh Bonneville, David Walliams, Sheridan Smith, Johnny Vegas and Pudsey the dog, star in this magical, heart-warming and funny tale, adapted from David Walliams’ best-selling children’s book.
Adapted by Walliams himself with Simon Nye, this 60-minute family comedy tells the story of lonely 12-year-old Chloe (Nell Tiger Free), who invites local tramp Mr Stink (Hugh Bonneville) and his dog Duchess (Pudsey) to hide out in her family’s garden shed.
Chloe also has to cope with an over-bearing mum (Sheridan Smith) who is more interested in her own political ambitions and her infatuation with the Prime Minister (David Walliams), than her daughter. ‘Perfect’ younger sister Annabelle (Isabella Blake-Thomas) and nasty girls at school also make Chloe’s life miserable. Chloe’s only allies are her put-upon dad (Johnny Vegas) who is harbouring a secret of his own, and newsagent Raj (Harish Patel).
But Chloe soon discovers she is not the only one harbouring a secret and there is certainly more to Mr Stink than meets the eye… or nose.
In addition to being broadcast in standard definition, Mr Stink will also be shown in 3D on the BBC HD channel; the first time the BBC has filmed a narrative programme in 3D.
Family comedy Mr Stink is being produced by BBC In-house Comedy Productions in association with David Walliams and his production company DEW Productions. It will be directed by Declan Lowney (Little Britain, Alan Partridge, Father Ted). It was adapted for television by David Walliams with Simon Nye (Men Behaving Badly, Just William, Dr Who). The Executive Producer is Mark Freeland, Head of BBC In-house Comedy and the Producer is Jo Sargent (Miranda, Absolutely Fabulous). It was commissioned for BBC One by Danny Cohen, Controller BBC One and Cheryl Taylor, out-going Controller, Comedy Commissioning.
BBC1 – Sunday 23rd December @ 6.30pm Repeated on Wednesday 26 December @ 4.20pm
The Cow That Almost Missed Christmas is a one-off animation giving a unique interpretation of the nativity story seen through the eyes of a cow called Marjorie. Marjorie is voiced by Isy Suttie, with Johnny Vegas providing the voice for a chicken called Brian.
Marjorie the cow lives in a run-down stable in the middle of Bethlehem. Nothing exciting ever happens in Bethlehem until now… there’s a census or something and there’s going to be some sort of street party – that’s what Marje has heard, anyway!
She heads into town in search of this party. Joined by a spangly leotard-wearing chicken called Brian they stop passers by but no-one seems to know where the party’s happening: not the herd of sheep who have been frogmarched into town by their shepherds who told them a new king was about to be born; not the donkey who just wants a rest after lugging his boss’s pregnant wife into town only to discover that they haven’t booked a hotel; and certainly not the camels who are being chased by Pontius Pilate’s horse guard looking for three star-gazing, wise astronomer blokes the camels have carried all the way from the eastern deserts.
Marje and Brian are fed up, lost and disappointed not to have found the party. But then Brian catches sight of the bright star the camels mentioned they were following. As they head onto the main street and into a very familiar square, they find the entire town quietly engrossed in a beautiful scene: the donkey, his carpenter boss and his wife, the three camels with their wise kings and a tiny new born baby with a little halo, quietly huddled into Marje and Brian’s family stable.
And the day ends with a cow and a chicken slightly stunned at the chosen venue – delighted they didn’t miss the party after all, but with the realization that the best place to be at Christmas is home.
The Cow That Almost Missed Christmas is a Baby Cow Animation/Komedia Entertainment production for CBeebies. Voice talent include Isy Suttie, Johnny Vegas, Miriam Margolyes, Nitin Ganatra, Simon Greenall and Daniel Laurence Taylor.
Adapted by Walliams himself with Simon Nye, this 60-minute family comedy tells the story of lonely 12-year-old Chloe (Nell Tiger Free), who invites local tramp Mr Stink (Hugh Bonneville) and his dog Duchess (Pudsey) to hide out in her family’s garden shed.
Marjorie the cow lives in a run-down stable in the middle of Bethlehem. Nothing exciting ever happens in Bethlehem until now… there’s a census or something and there’s going to be some sort of street party – that’s what Marje has heard, anyway!
