Cast for To The Broad Shore

Neil Pearson plays Tony
Well-known to television audiences for numerous starring roles, most notably Drop the Dead Donkey and Between the Lines, Neil also works extensively in theatre. Most recently credits include the West End production of Closer and national tours of Tom Stoppard’s The Real Thing, Ronald Harwood’s Taking Sides. Neil was one of the judges in the original TV show The Play’s The Thing

Julie Riley plays Yvonne
Julie worked with director Noreen Kershaw, most recently on Road and Spring and Port Wine at Bolton Octagon. Recent screen credits include TV mini series of Lynda La Plante’s The Commander and for BBC, Vivienne Vyle & Casualty.

Peter Czajkowski plays Dr Brenner
Peter works in stage, screen and radio. Credits Include Hilary and Jackie, Holby City, Heartbeat, Men Behaving Badly; Don Quixote for BBC Radio
3. Peter is a trained drama teacher and works in North London

Thorston Mandarlay played taxi driver & ticket Inspector
German-born Thorston has been working as an actor for the past 18 years. Film & TV credits include Eastenders, The Inspector Lynley Mysteries and The Somme. He’s due to play Agent Zabranski in Ninja Assasin, James McTeigue’s new film. On stage he has played parts as diverse as Lefranc (Deathwatch), Lord Byron (Bloody Poetry), Newton (The Physicists), Mephisto (Faust I) as well as well as Shakespeare’s Macduff, Caliban & Oberon

Tania Carlin played receptionist / cleaner
After two seasons in repertory in Sidmouth, Tania’s favourite roles were Amanda in Private Lives and Annie in The Norman Conquests. Further credits include: Sarah in the UK premiere of Star Power (Players Theatre), Natasha in Three Sisters, (Cockpit Theatre) and Lady Macbeth (Theatre du Grand Lavoir, Paris. Being trilingual, Tania also work in Germany and France. She also works as a Health Kinesiologist.

Neil on performing in To The Broad Shore

My experiences with the radio version of this drama writing initiative was exactly what I got from the TV version – pleasure at witnessing the playwright’s gratification as his script was developed and produced by professionals. The writer got to see every possible avenue being pursued in order to realise his vision. He saw in practice how certain things he’d written worked and others didn’t and how he could collaborate with the team to make the adjustments. He experienced the great alchemy between the director and cast as they brought the script to life. Watching Andy Prendergast grow in confidence as he saw his play being produced was a great thing to watch.

As an actor, whether it’s TV, film or radio, once you have the script, you’ve got to go through the same process to deliver the required performance. What was really interesting about this project from the TV series through to the radio venture was the way in which the scripts eventually reached the actors. The most gratifying thing was the way in which the writers developed through out the entire process from time of launch in January 2006 through to the actual productions of the winning scripts both in TV and in radio.

Now that wasn’t necessarily what the Channel 4 commissioners wanted from this TV series – ultimately they were looking to unearth a star through this reality TV series, a writing star whose debut script, once produced and performed, would fill a West End theatre.

What The Play’s The Thing show found were three, possibly five people who weren’t sure before the show, if they could call themselves, or indeed be recognised as writers. Yet by the time the series concluded, the process had helped them convince themselves that they were indeed writers. All three finalists produced pieces that were fit to be produced. The fact that none of the three stage plays would fill a Shaftsbury Avenue theatre is no disgrace and no symptom for defeat. Those writers will continue to achieve and I wish that that kind of achievement was much more trumpeted through the final edit of the actual TV show.

Long may the development of new writers facilitated to create drama for all Channel 4 platforms continue. It should be a yearly occurrence to actively develop new writers and realise their works. Channel 4’s remit when it was set up 25 years ago was to provide an alternative … this kind of project is actively looking for alternatives and it really needs to be supported in a more sustainable way.

Julie on performing in To The Broad Shore

I’d worked with Noreen Kershaw before - in fact only a week or so before on Road & Spring & Port Wine at Bolton Octagon. Noreen’s a dream director for actors as she knows (having been an actor herself ) exactly what you're going through. She’s really clear about what she's looking for. Yet being her first radio, it was brilliant having John Dryden around. He understands the medium so well, he was able to give tips on positioning in order to gain the maximum effect from the voice.

Your voice is your only tool as an actor in radio. You may be throwing wonderful shapes with your body or making fascinating facial expressions but it counts for nothing. For half the play, my character can't even speak. She communicates with her breathing.

Though fairly exhausting trying to locate the type of breathing required, governed by the scene’s emotional pitch, playing Yvonne was an interesting experience and pretty emotional given the nature of what she was deciding to do. It was like going into another zone at times - almost other worldly.

To The Broad Shore is a beautifully crafted piece of writing - very gentle in its story-telling. As for Radio Drama on Channel 4 Radio, why not? There’s something completely different about Radio Drama - to perform within it and to experience listening to it, you end up a little bit like Yvonne, off in your own world!

Peter on performing in To The Broad Shore

Excellent - a great script, great cast and great director. Top professionals and a relaxed and creative atmosphere. I’ve worked in radio before and know what’s required technically for sound. Yet acting is acting. You still need to move to act, as if you’re in a visual production. Noreen Kershaw directed with this is mind and the production had a natural feel which I hope come across.

Playing the Swiss doctor who’s an expert in euthanasia, I had to get a subtle yet truthful accent. I figured he’d be educated and speak English with a hint of a Swiss accent. He was a sympathetic character who facilitates a painless death out of a sense of humanity, to alleviate suffering. It was diifficult subject which I had to deal with sensitively. The writer, Andy Prendergast did an amazing job; it’s a very moving. The use of the opera motif was inspired.

The studios that ‘boho’ charm and more importantly, several areas with different ambiances, which gave the production varied ‘locations’. Having worked with Noreen before on Heartbeat (for Yorkshire TV) where I played a Russian KGB agent who brings a chess prodigy to England. She is an actor’s director – very sensitive to what is required and always maintains a focused but relaxed atmosphere.

Radio drama’s a fanastic medium. It’s cheap to produce and ideal for new writers to cut their teeth with a professional team. May Channel 4 Radio be a renaissance for this new writing talent. The monopoly has been with the BBC who do a great job but Channel 4 will bring something edgier to the party. Let’s have mp3 players ending up with drama as well as music on them.

Thorston on performing in To The Broad Shore

Very satisfying. I’d never done a radio play before so I didn’t know what to expect.

I imagined it’d be like doing voiceovers, huddled over a microphone. But far from that. It felt more like a small film shoot without the camera. Enacting the various scenes in different locations, inside and outside the studio made it far more ‘real’ for me, even though we were all holding our scripts in our hands. Though we had external noises to deal with, the location seemed fine and the crew and cast were very nice and efficient. Noreen Kershaw certainly had a knack of making everyone feel totally at ease and enjoy themselves.

Having the writer, Andy Prendergast present was great help. I got to discuss some finer points of German with him regarding my characters. The quality of the script was outstanding given that it was Andy’s debut. Not only was it well structured and researched, but the dialogue was succinct and it flowed! A very rewarding experience, both personally and professionally. I’d certainly love to do it again.

Tania on performing in To The Broad Shore

This was my first job in Radio and it couldn’t have been a more enjoyable experience.

Working with Noreen Kershaw, the director, and John Dryden, the producer, didn’t feel like work at all. They were so enthusiastic and encouraging, and quick – seasoned pros!

Having the writer, Andy Prendergast, there was great too because it felt so special to bring “his baby” to life. Being a paediatrician we could ask him lots of medical questions and trust that the information was correct.

The biggest surprise was that we approached the recording process as if it was a proper stage production, complete with blocking and props. I’d expected us to stand around a microphone in a soundproof box. But there we were lying on beds, being wheeled around in wheelchairs, typing on computer keyboards.

As a newcomer to radio, I was anxious that I might be too easily recognizable as the same performer given that I was playing two parts. To help me get some variation for the two characters I brought different shoes and clothes. I was also conscious that I was being the typical nerdy newcomer over-reacting. Yet the shoes came in handy for the background noises and John Dryden actually noted that he liked the sound of my receptionist walking across the hall!

Weekly Rep prepared me for the quick scene changes. At first, the character was quite big and loud and I had to walk across the room with a trolley, humming, before speaking my English lines with a thick Swiss-German accent. Then, it dawned on Noreen and John that the cleaner would probably not know that Yvonne is English and maybe not speak good English herself, so I ended up talking in a mixture of German and English.

Another challenge was being asked to improvise three or four background conversations and in a Swiss-German accent! But we had such a relaxed and fun atmosphere that it was really easy to be creative.

To The Broad Shore is a little gem; beautifully written, well-structured, tactful and touching. The moment I found truly heart-breaking was after Yvonne’s death, when Doctor Brenner asks Tony in an after-thought to take the wheel chair with him – such a poignant moment of mixing the tragic and the mundane. It reminds us that while Tony is going through such a painful, life-changing situation, others, i.e. the staff, are doing their job and have to ensure smooth proceedings.

I have certainly caught the “Radio-Bug” now. The Radio Play’s The Thing is exciting entertainment with excellent writing and innovative recording processes which makes for audio drama that’s engaging and believable.

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