Sally Lindsay Interview - upcoming BBC Drama, Ordinary Lives

Sally Lindsay is one of the stars in the new BBC drama Ordinary Lives, we had a quick chat with Sally as filming ended.

Tell us about Ordinary Lies.
Ordinary Lies is a drama set in Warrington in a car showroom called JS Motors, about a group of people that work there including the mechanics, salesmen, PA, Head of Admin and company boss. It’s about their lives and how they all work together, but they’ve all got their own individual secret or lie that they are harbouring and therein lies the drama.

Tell us about your character, Kathy?
My character is called Kathy and she’s just approaching 40. She’s very happily married to Ralph and they have two grown-up children as they married pretty young. They’ve got a lovely house and she’s happy with her life. She’s worked at JS Motor’s since she was 17, so she doesn’t know anything else, but absolutely loves it. She’s in charge of everything and knows everybody’s business and is the office gossip! She knows where the skeletons are buried and her boss Mike, played by Max Beesley, literally can’t function without her.

We know every character has a lie – what is Kathy’s story?
Kathy is a very moral person; she’s always done the right things in life. She’s very happy in her life, but decides there’s something missing and therein the lie occurs. When she’s harbouring this lie, she sees something quite horrific that she shouldn’t which affects her greatly and the moral is what should she do about it? She feels she has to do the right thing, but there’s the dilemma.

Is Kathy someone that audiences will be able to relate to?
Kathy is very relatable on a human level; Ordinary Lies celebrates the normality of the British public, which is the beauty of it. We all have regular lives but sometimes things happen that make them irregular. I think the more normal Kathy is, the more brilliant the story is, as you don’t see it coming.

Kathy is a big dog lover. Was it fun working with the dogs?
Working with dogs proved to be a slight problem as I have a dog allergy! When I got the part I was told that I’d be working with a dog quite a lot so I got allergy tablets. It wasn’t a small dog either - it was like a grown man in a dog outfit, it was huge! We used to joke that he unzipped his costume and had a fag at lunchtime!

Had you ever worked with any of the other cast members before?
No, I hadn’t worked with any of them before, but I seemed to have such a lot in common with a lot of the cast. Michelle (Keegan) was on Coronation Street like me and Jo (Joyner) has twins like me, Max (Beesley) is a drummer and my husband has known him for years as he’s a drummer too. I’ve known Jason (Manford) since he was 17, I remember him doing stand-up but that was a long, long time ago. So I’ve known all these people but we’ve never actually physically worked together. Juliet May who I did my episode with was phenomenal – I’d work with her again tomorrow if I could – and she’s got twins!

There were five people who had twins on set!

Jason Manford Interview - upcoming BBC Ordinary Lives

We all tell little white lies everyday be it for self-protection, success or for love. But what happens when a spur-of-the-moment mistruth snowballs and begins to take over? Is it possible get away with it, or will the lie inevitably come undone to devastating effect? 

Set in a car showroom, Ordinary Lies is a compelling drama about how a simple lie can spiral out of control. With drama, tragedy, warmth and humour, each episode focuses on one of the colleagues and friends of JS Motors. From party-loving receptionists, Tracy (Michelle Keegan) and Viv (Cherelle Skeet) and ambitious company boss, Mike (Max Beesley) to enigmatic salesman, Pete (Mackenzie Crook) and mothering PA, Kathy (Sally Lindsay), each new and individual story questions just how well we know the people we work with.

We caught up with the stars of the show, first up Jason Manford.

Can you tell us a bit about Ordinary Lies?
The series is brilliant. Danny Brocklehurst is a top writer having done The Driver, Shameless and Clocking Off. The Production Company is brilliant; it’s Red Production Company who did Happy Valley and Last Tango In Halifax so it’s got a great pedigree to start with. And then to be on it with Mackenzie Crook, Max Beesley and the likes of Michelle Keegan, it’s a great cast! The stories are really fun; Ordinary Lies delves into those big lies that you tell that spiral out of control.

Tell us about your character, Marty?
Marty is about to get sacked, so he does the most ridiculous thing by panicking and telling his boss that his wife has died, which he totally makes up. It’s a big lie to tell, but there’s a slight relief after he tells it and he starts to enjoy it, which is a bit sick! The lie obviously unravels and you see the decline into the madness of the situation that he’s forced himself into. It was great to do; there are loads of funny bits in it but there are also some very heart-warming moments as well.

It’s one of your first acting roles in TV drama. How did you find it?
It was great – Marty is the bloke who thinks he’s funny in the office. It’s true there is always that guy and if I hadn’t been a comedian, I probably would have ended up being that guy! So it’s a bit like Sliding Doors really – this could have been me!

Had you worked with Danny Brocklehurst before?
No, I had a bit part in Shameless years ago but never worked with him to this extent. I know him as we’re both Manchester based and everyone in Manchester who works on the television knows each other, but I’d wanted to work with him for a while, so it was a real privilege to be able to work with him on a script like this.

What was the atmosphere like on set – was there anyone you particularly bonded with?
I was really good friends with Sally Lindsay anyway. I think I asked her out when I was 17 actually and she was about 23 and obviously it never happened! I was very confident! I’ve known her a long time though and she’s brilliant. I’ve worked with Max (Beesley) a couple of times before and Mackenzie (Crook) and I are a similar age. Rebecca Callard plays a larger role in my episode and she was great to work with, along with Michelle Keegan, who was brilliant as well.

What do you think is so appealing about Ordinary Lies?
The enjoyment of watching this show is that you can see how a horrendous lie can end up. I think the audience will be shouting at the screen saying “what are you doing?!” What’s interesting about the script is that some of the lies are totally the person’s own fault, whilst some are lies that the characters had no option but to tell. There are a lot of sympathetic characters in there and although my character is a bit of an idiot, you do feel a bit sorry for him

Josh Warrington - We Are Leeds Bill announced

Josh Warrington as previously announced will face Dennis Tubieron in an official eliminator for the WBC World Featherweight title at the First Direct Arena in Leeds on April 11, live on Sky Sports.

Tyrone Nurse

Martin J Ward rematches Maxi Hughes in a British title eliminator, while Leeds man and British Light Heavyweight champ Bob Ajisafe also features.

Promising Huddersfield fighter Tyrone Nurse who won many plaudits last time out is also on the bill.

SCHEDULE

JOSH WARRINGTON VS  DENNIS TUBIERON 

12 x 3 mins vacant WBC International featherweight title & Official WBC World Featherweight title eliminator

WILLIE LIMOND VS  CHRIS JENKINS 

12 x 3 mins British Light Welterweight title

MARTIN J WARD VS  MAXI HUGHES 

10 x 3 mins British Super Featherweight title eliminator

ROCKY FIELDING VS  TBA 

10 x 3 mins Super Middleweight Contest

BOB AJISAFE VS  TBA 

8 x 3 mins Light Heavyweight Contest

JONO CARROLL VS  TBA 

6 x 3 mins Featerweight Contest

TYRONE NURSE VS  TBA 

6 x 3 mins Light Welterweight Contest

REECE CARTWRIGHT VS  TBA 

4 x 3 mins Middleweight Contest

EVENT TICKETS

Tickets for We Are Leeds now on general sale priced at £30, £40, £60 and £120 for VIP tickets.

£30, £40 and £60 tickets are available from the First Direct Arena on 0844 248 1585 and at firstdirectarena.com

VIP tickets priced at £120 are available exclusively from Matchroom Boxing on 01277 359900 and at matchroomboxing.com

Inside No9 Returns - What we know and a cast video!

Inside No 9 returns to BBC Two, with a host of well-known faces joining Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith in the second series of the critically acclaimed and award-winning BBC comedy.

Each story in the series will again be set in a different location, with completely new characters. From a sleeping-car on a French train to a Séance in a grand Victorian villa, and from a 17th century village witch trial to a volunteer call centre, this is an anthology of tales of the genuinely unexpected, where the ordinary and mundane rub shoulders with the extraordinary and macabre.

Daring to enter No 9 and experience its unexpected twists and turns in this series are Alice Lowe (Sightseers); Alison Steadman (Gavin & Stacey); Claire Skinner (Outnumbered); David Warner (Wallander); Jack Whitehall (Bad Education); Jane Horrocks (Trollied); Jim Howick (Horrible Histories); Julie Hesmondhalgh (Cucumber); Mark Benton (Waterloo Road); Michele Dotrice (Big School); Paul Kaye (Game of Thrones); Sheridan Smith (Mrs Biggs, Cilla) and Tom Riley (Da Vinci’s Demons).



What we know about the first few episodes.. 

La Couchette

On board the sleeper from Paris to Bourg St. Maurice, a motley collection of passengers try to get a quiet night's sleep as the train makes its way across France. But as the sleeping compartment fills up, the chances of that begin to look highly unlikely. In Deuxième Classe, everyone can hear you scream...

La Couchette features Julie Hesmondhalgh (Coronation Street, Cucumber), Mark Benton (Waterloo Road), Jessica Gunning (Pride), and Jack Whitehall (Bad Education).

The 12 Days of Christine

Christine Clarke brings a new man back to her flat from a New Year's Eve party, and immediately her life starts to unravel. Who is the terrifying stranger that keeps appearing in the flat at night?

The 12 Days of Christine features Sheridan Smith as Christine Clarke and Tom Riley as Adam.

The Trial Of Elizabeth Gadge

Two of England's most notorious and feared witch-finders are summoned by Sir Andrew Pike to the unassuming village of Little Happens in order to try an old woman. Elizabeth Gadge stands accused of consorting with the Devil, most lewdly and on divers occasions. If she is found guilty, she will burn. It is very definitely the most exciting event in Little Happens since the business of the escaped cow.

The cast includes David Warner as Sir Andrew Pike, Ruth Sheen as Elizabeth Gadge, with Reece Shearsmith, Steve Pemberton, Paul Kaye, Jim Howick, Sinéad Matthews, and Trevor Cooper.

The remaining episodes in the series are Cold Comfort, set entirely in a volunteer call centre, Nana’s Party, which follows the story of a modern day family get-together and Séance Time, based in a grand Victorian villa.

Peter Kay stars in Cradle to Grave (BBC2)

Peter Kay and Lucy Speed (EastEnders, The Bill) are to star in upcoming comedy Cradle to Grave. The eight-part series is an adaptation of Danny Baker’s autobiography, Going To Sea In A Sieve. Set in 1974, the series follows the real-life events of Danny and his family.
Cradle To Grave is co-written by Jeff Pope and Danny Baker. It is due for broadcast on BBC Two later this year.

The regular cast includes Peter Kay as Danny’s father, Fred ‘Spud’ Baker, Lucy Speed as long-suffering wife Bet Baker, Laurie Kynaston as a young Danny and Alice Sykes and Frankie Wilson as Danny’s siblings Sharon and Michael.

Peter Kay told us “I am thrilled and honoured to be involved in a project of this scale. I've never known anything like it before, eight period half-hour episodes, shot as feature films and written to an extremely high standard by Danny Baker and Jeff Pope. It's an exciting time.”


Danny Baker also said “Well this is weird and there's no way around that. To see your life played out by actors is always going to be peculiar and also, frankly quite tremendous. I always knew these stories were thunderingly entertaining incidents and that I seemed to be hurtling through a particularly unpredictable, high-velocity life peopled by extraordinary characters. Now here they are. This will be a fantastic, rich voyage back to a boisterous often maligned era, true tales told large - a strong family in a magnificent working class community just getting on with life.”

In Cradle To Grave, 15-year-old Danny Baker is the guide through the ups and downs of life with the family. Fred ‘Spud’ Baker is a proud south London docker with a penchant for cheeky scheming. Wife Bet loves him deeply but longs for the family to go 'straight’ and play by the rules. With eldest daughter Sharon’s looming wedding, the docks facing closure, and Danny’s struggles to get closer to the opposite sex, times are tough.

Co-writer, Jeff Pope: "The most exciting part of this series is that it all happened. There is nothing funnier or more dramatic than real life and Danny and his family are a treasure trove of wonderful stories. To see Peter Kay take on a cockney character in 'Spud', Danny's late father, is terrifically exciting."

Lionel Richie - First Direct Arena 4/3/2015 - A Legend in Action

Lionel Richie is many peoples guilty pleasure, he is also one of those artist that can surprise the casual fan with their depth of catalogue.

Since Lionel stepped forward from his position of saxophonist to become front man for the Commodores he has developed into one of the great showmen and kept the crowd in Leeds hugely entertained. His musical education segment – whereby he educates the younger ones in the crowd in how he can musically support you through a break up into a new relationship “when you’re in love and you want the world to know, who you gonna call – Lionel” leads us into a perfectly singalong Stuck On You.

We were promised All The Hits, All Night Long and promises weren’t broken. Easy (like Sunday Morning), Sail On, Three Times A Lady, all Commodores classics and all received last night like warmly welcome old friends and testing the vocal chords of the bottle of wine gaggles dotted around.

My Destiny started a run of huge hits that lit up the arena, as Say You Say Me prompted phones aloft, Dancing On The Ceiling had the whole place on its feet, Lionel offered temporary respite with the housewives favourite, Hello before delivering the killer blow with All Night Long

Returning to the stage for an encore, Lionel, now resplendent in white jacket spoke of the song he was most proud of… The USA For Africa song, We Are The World which he co-wrote with Michael Jackson. In another arms aloft moment, this closed the show to the audible surprise of the crowd.

Guilty pleasure maybe,but one I would happily repeat.

Lionel Played:



1.All Around the World
2.Penny Lover
3.Easy / My Love 
4.Ballerina Girl
5.Running With the Night
6.Truly
7.Still
8.Oh No
9.Stuck on You
10.Brick House / Fire
11.Three Times a Lady
12.Sail On
13.Lady (You Bring Me Up)
14.Endless Love
15.Just for You
16.Angel
17.Don't Stop the Music
18.My Destiny
19.Say You, Say Me
20.Dancing on the Ceiling
21.Hello
22.All Night Long (All Night)
Encore:
23.We Are the World

Uber Taxis - A real positive experience, and here have your first ride on us

We recently used Uber in Leeds on a very busy night (the Arena was chucking out) and we thought we would share our experience, maybe give you a guide as to how it works and because we are nice give you a free £10 credit to use towards your trip(s).

If you haven’t heard or experience Uber before, this is what its about.

Its an app that sits on your smartphone. You register  a debit or credit card with it and you are good to go.
 
So you are sat in a bar or restaurant, cinema, or at home and you need a taxi. Fire up the app, ensure you have your location or GPS service enabled and it finds where you are. Type in where you want to go and it gives you a quote. The quote can vary sometimes, ie. Give a range of £10-£12 for example (usually peak times) but in our experience its cheaper than any other taxi service we have used. 

On our last occasion there was a supplement to pay because it was busy and there was a lot of demand. In practice it meant that a journey that usually shows a range of £17-£20 actually showed at £19-£22. Our usual fare with other taxi companies is about £25. You can choose to accept the far shown or just come out of the app and have another drink, come back in twenty mins. The choice is yours.

The app also tells you how far away a car is…so assuming you are happy press request taxi. It will then confirm the car, the registration number and the name and picture of the driver. No more getting in the wrong cab or illegal cab!

So you have requested your cab and it says it will be here in 3 mins but you think maybe the map isn’t quite right or you have moved to another bar or just down the road. No problem you can press a tab to sms or phone the driver and tell him exactly where you are. This is what happened with us. The map actually had us on an adjacent street and as it was busy we wondered if he could find us so a quick sms, “we are outside KFC” and its sorted. Your app tracks where your car is so you should see it arrive.

Once the taxi arrives, you check it’s the car, the driver and off you go.

Arriving at your destination, that’s it, no fumbling for change or arguing over the fare, your app tells you how much it is and its deducted from the debit or credit card you added. You get an email receipt confirming your journey and cost. You can still tip your driver with cash if you want but we haven’t ever felt any pressure to do so.  

We see Uber as significantly increasing security for user and drivers. Drivers don’t carry cash so won’t be attacked for it, no runners, no arguing over fare. For the user, it’s cheaper, more convenient, generally far less waiting,  you know who is coming, when and in what, you can track the journey, it’s all recorded.

Now why not give it a go, and to sweeten the deal, once you have the app.. tap on promotions and add the code epi9g then apply, bingo, £10 credit to use in bits or against a larger fare.

For full disclosure, I will get a credit when you have your first journey, but give your own code to friends, give them a credit and you can reap the rewards when they start using Uber Taxis

Uber is currently operating in Birmingham, London, Leeds, Manchester, Wakefield and Dublin with more cities being added