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Posted by dagi (U1942536) on Sunday, 20th December 2009
Hi all,
I'm relatively new to both The Archers and this message board.
One of the curious things I've noticed about the programme in the short time that I've been listening to it (only 2 years!) is that some "regular" characters appear for the duration of a single story line and then disappear for weeks if not months.
Recent noticeable absentees include:
1) Kathy
2) Alan
3) Kenton
4) Tom (although he's back over Xmas)
What are these actors doing between recordings?
Any other absentees from the main cast?
Allowing cast members to have long breaks, is may be a reason why the programme is so successful.
Apologies if this has been discussed recently before.
dagi
Sun, 20 Dec 2009 20:24 GMT, in reply to dagi in message 1
I don't have the concentration to be a big expert but most actors don't have a permanent contract with the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú and so they also work elsewhere. On stage, screen or radio.
I wondered the same thing about tv soap characters.
Are they on some kind of retainer so that they can come back at short notice and also so that they don't go working elsewhere on other soaps?
, in reply to message 3.
Posted by rosietonthemove (U2260932) on Monday, 21st December 2009
message 3
Not the Archers cast. None has a permanent contract
Mon, 21 Dec 2009 21:28 GMT, in reply to rosietonthemove in message 4
Hi Rosie
None has a permanent contracÂ
Am I remembering wrongly if I say that some "core" characters have a different sort of contract (David and Ruth for example)?
, in reply to message 5.
Posted by Mustafa Grumble (U8596785) on Monday, 21st December 2009
Mon, 21 Dec 2009 22:40 GMT, in reply to Peggy Monahan in message 5
FF doesn't need a special contract.
She's got the negatives of the incriminating photographs.
Otherwise Ruth would have been burned at the stake in the middle of the cricket pitch a long time ago.
Mon, 21 Dec 2009 22:43 GMT, in reply to Peggy Monahan in message 5
I'm no longer sure, since the prod team has done so much back-invention, but I'm pretty sure Norman Painting wrote that NOBODY was given a permanent contract.
, in reply to message 7.
Posted by matt2matt2002 (U2711409) on Tuesday, 22nd December 2009
So they receive fixed term contracts?
, in reply to message 8.
Posted by rosietonthemove (U2260932) on Tuesday, 22nd December 2009
Tue, 22 Dec 2009 09:19 GMT, in reply to matt2matt2002 in message 8
3 months, I thought.
, in reply to message 8.
Posted by Tayler Cresswell - Host (U14232848) on Tuesday, 22nd December 2009
So they receive fixed term contracts?Â
I can't comment on the length of contracts, but yes, the cast do do other work and storylines occasionally have to be tweaked when cast members aren't available.
, in reply to message 10.
Posted by Lady Macbeϯh - not without mustard (U550479) on Wednesday, 30th December 2009
Wed, 30 Dec 2009 18:44 GMT, in reply to Tayler Cresswell - Host in message 10
Actors, in general, are employed for the length of the job - in the case of TA that's the recording period. Now, a number of the 'actors' in TA aren't. They have other, non-acting jobs. Those who /are/ professional actors will have their availability checked via their agent and contracts negotiated/storylines written accordingly.
The case in TV soaps is very different and actors are often on long term exclusive contracts.
Think soap on a rope....
, in reply to message 11.
Posted by Peggy Monahan (U2254875) on Thursday, 31st December 2009
Thu, 31 Dec 2009 04:39 GMT, in reply to Lady Macbeth =}>>> (bearing (_) of festive cheer - anna worat) in message 11
Now, a number of the 'actors' in TA aren't. They have other, non-acting jobs.Â
Really? I didn't realise that. Who are they?
I am afraid a list would take too long. The answer is all of them, in some capacity.
, in reply to message 13.
Posted by Tayler Cresswell - Host (U14232848) on Thursday, 31st December 2009
They have other, non-acting jobs.Â
One example is the actor who plays Robert Snell, Graham Blockey, who is a fully qualified GP.
, in reply to message 15.
Posted by rosietonthemove (U2260932) on Thursday, 31st December 2009
message 15
And doesn't "Roy" Ian P. have a pub?
, in reply to message 16.
Posted by Lady Macbeϯh - not without mustard (U550479) on Thursday, 31st December 2009
Thu, 31 Dec 2009 11:38 GMT, in reply to rosietonthemove
I think Hayley is a teacher, FF is an interviewer - I've never heard her acting* anywhere other than TA
*No rude comments, please.
, in reply to message 17.
Posted by Peggy Monahan (U2254875) on Thursday, 31st December 2009
Thu, 31 Dec 2009 14:18 GMT, in reply to Lady Macbeth =}>>> (bearing (_) of festive cheer - anna worat) in message 17
I think Hayley is a teacher, FF is an interviewerÂ
From what I've read Lorraine Cody (Hayley) is a lecturer in drama and theatrical director as well, Ian Pepperell (Roy) started a pub in his thirties having been a full-time actor and doesn't rule out going back to acting full-time, Felicity Finch (Ruth) is a Radio 4 interviewer and presenter. Graham Blockey might be a qualified, or even practising, GP but he has also had other roles. So surely they are all professional actors with Equity cards?
Maybe I'm fussy but to say that they are not full-time actors is different from saying they are not professional actors.
<>
One worries that there might be partly qualified GPs floating around in a surgery near by......
None has a permanent contractÂ
A few years ago, when a group of mustardlanders visited Pebble Mill studios, we were informed that all the actors were freelance and that when they had other engagements they informed the Beeb, who then wrote the storylines around their availability. I believe that some actors have actually been changed for this reason, eg. Graham Seed was replaced by Nigel Caliburn when Graham became a regular in Crossroads.
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