BIG FINISH ORIGINALS JEREMIAH BOURNE

with big memories would find themselves at a distinct advantage and might end up in control. “People like black cab drivers before satnav who had to take years to learn every single road in the town [London]. They called it ‘The Knowledge’. Well after a Digi meltdown, people like that might form an elite class that survives through its super-memory.” And now the series has taken shape. Jeremiah Bourne is a boy with a remarkable gift. He can travel in time. Not by using a time machine, Above: Sebastian Armesto or stepping through a dimensional portal. It just happens to him, as though by accident. One minute he’s in the present day, the next, he’s a hundred years in the past, standing in the London of 1910. Jeremiah has two questions; how did he get there – and how can he get back? On his quest for the answers, he enlists the help of Phyllis Stokes of The Society for Theosophical Research and her equally eccentric brother, Roger Allcot Standish, magistrate, spiritualist and dedicated BOURNEKenny Smith steps back in time nudist. He encounters the sadistic Mr and Mrs Grout and the ruthless as comedy hero Nigel Planer’s Ed Viney, thief, gang member and new series is finally realised… Above (l–r): Sophie Thompson, Nigel Planer, slitter of throats. And he arouses Sebastian Armesto, Tim Bentinck and Annette Badland the disapproval of Clementina Quentinbloom, the head of a home free for ‘Fallen Girls’, by befriending Daisy OR SEVERAL years Nigel been through various shapes and it. Jeremiah Bourne is funny sometimes you see someone and I IMAGINED A Wallace, a girl ahead of her time. Planer has had an idea forms. I wrote it originally as a and exciting and warm and… you think you remember their face? F sitting in the back of his book, but later felt it would be I kept coming back to the word “Well, in Jeremiah Bourne in Time TIME IN THE LTHOUGH BEST known mind. The actor, known for playing best suited to an audio drama. ‘delightful’. I found it absolutely we’ve taken that idea a bit further, FUTURE WHEN for his acting work, Nigel Neil in The Young Ones, Nicholas “I’ve worked for Big Finish a delightful. I suggested the project so Jeremiah accidentally transports A has several previous Craig: The Naked Actor and few times as an actor and always to Nicholas Briggs and Jason himself back in time as he starts THERE’S BEEN writing credits. David says: “Nigel Vorgenson in Doctor Who Live!, enjoyed it. I was working on The Haigh-Ellery (this was before to have memories that aren’t his. A DIGITAL asked if we had a script editor who had created a character who can First Men in the Moon for them, we had an officialBig Finish There’s no time machine involved. was especially good at plotting, as travel through time using only the and I mentioned it to David Originals range) and they liked And he doesn’t travel in space – just MELTDOWN he wanted some steering on that power of his mind. Richardson, the producer, who the idea and gave the thumbs up.” in time. He stays in exactly the same front. I thought of Jonathan Morris, And now, this fantasy picked up on it immediately.” Nigel continues: “I’m interested place, but finds himself… then! AND ALL DATA who was very keen to become comedy-drama has taken form David confirms: “We were in the idea of genetic memory, the “When I was younger, I used to be HAS BEEN LOST. involved, and then pretty much left in Jeremiah Bourne in Time, recording our audio adaptation possibility that things might have really good at remembering a lot of NIGEL PLANER Nigel and Jonny together to shape which is being released next of The First Men in the Moon last a sort of ‘morphic resonance’. The long numbers, like bank accounts the series into what it is now (which month as one of the new Big year, and had a quick break. Over freaky idea that it might be possible and passports etc, but now, with is delightful!).” Nigel adds: “I have Finish Originals range launched a cuppa in the green room, Nigel to have unconscious memories the advent of iTechnology, I don’t written a couple of radio plays earlier this year to celebrate the told me about this audio series of things you’ve never actually even think I know either of my future when there’s been a digital before so I’d had a bit of practice company’s 20th anniversary. he was writing, and asked if I’d experienced. You know what it’s sons’ mobile phone numbers meltdown and all data has been with audio drama, but I was very Nigel tells Vortex: “I’ve had be interested in reading it. like when you smell something because all I have to do is tap a lost. Or even two or three digital lucky with Big Finish to be working Jeremiah Bourne in Time in my “I asked him to email the scripts and it sets you off, and brings back screen. Well, for Jeremiah Bourne meltdowns, Digi 1, Digi 2 and Digi with script editor Jonny Morris. head for a few years now. It’s to me, which he did… and I loved memories from your childhood? Or in Time, I imagined a time in the 3. In those circumstances, people Jonny really knows how this kind of

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adventure story works, in combination with each other “It was great fun, and I think the structurally. He’s done a lot of that’s the tricky part of casting. end result is rather special. It’s very Doctor Who and other sci-fi “Anyway, that’s why there are lots colourful, vivid and funny, and a things. I listened and learned. of other actors who, regardless of little bit outrageous. There’s also “He also helped in terms of the their long and successful careers in a magical The Box of Delights stage directions. For example, TV, film and theatre, also happened quality to it. It’s such a strong idea you might write something like, to have starred in hit 1980s it has the potential to go even ‘Jeremiah’s in the room with ‘alternative comedy’ TV shows: Tim further. It could be a TV series or Phyllis Stokes’, so Jonny would Above (l–r): Sophie Thompson, Nigel Planer, McInnerny, Celia Imrie, Siobhan a film! There is certainly scope ask me, ‘How do we know that?’ Sebastian Armesto, Tim McInnerny and Helen Goldwyn Redmond, Christopher Ryan, for a second series. So I hope this It gets you thinking about how Annette Badland and so on. For the is just the beginning, and having you would convey the story only younger cast members, I sought developed such a good working through what people hear.” about Y at this point? Can we have out similarly fresh and quick- relationship with Nigel, it would Jonny says: “I was very thrilled, a reason why they don’t just do Z?’” witted minds with immaculate be nice to keep going!” Nigel because – obviously – I am a Jeremiah Bourne in Time has a massive fan of Nigel’s work, not cast that any radio play, theatre just The Young Ones and the production or TV show would be alternative comedy stuff, but his envious of. It features a host of Nicholas Craig shows. I even saw British acting greats, including JEREMIAH him in We Will Rock You. But once Celia Imrie, Tim McInnerny, the process began that was all put Christopher Ryan, Siobhan BOURNE aside, because working with Nigel Redmond and Sophie Thompson. was just like working with any Nigel says: “Casting was really RELEASED JULY 2018 other writer. He was extremely good fun. I was lucky to get a lot Download receptive to suggestions, even of mates interested in it. Sophie Extras Interviews when they meant more work, Above (l–r): Annette Badland Thompson, Chris Ryan, Tim and not at all precious. Nigel had and Tim Bentinck McInnerny, Celia Imrie. I’ve heard Director Barnaby Edwards already spent some time developing the first edits and they are just Cast Sebastian Armesto, phenomenal. They bring it off Nigel Planer, Sophie Thompson, EVERYBODY the page in a way that I could Tim McInnerny never have imagined. And some Above (l–r): Nigel Planer, Sophie Thompson, and Tim McInnerny JUST JOINED are playing multiple roles. IN. AND “Celia, for instance, who you would expect to be playing someone ‘You’re the boss’ and he let me comic timing, foremost among concludes: “I’m really hoping EVERYONE posh like Clementina Quentinbloom cast and direct and sound design them the gloriously mercurial people will like it – I’ve already WANTED TO (which she does brilliantly), is also everything as I wanted to – but he Sebastian Armesto who turns in a worked out a storyline for series playing old Mrs Tandy. Everybody was a wonderful sounding board superb central performance as our two. It won’t necessarily be set in BE THE VOICE just joined in. And everyone wanted and always happy to offer an reluctant time-traveller. I’ve known 1910 like the first series; there are OF DRYDEN to be the voice of Dryden the parrot. insightful suggestion when I was Seb for nearly two decades – before lots of other areas to explore. I’m We had a ‘best parrot’ competition, hovering between possibilities. we worked together on Doctor walking through Blackfriars right THE PARROT. but, you know, listening to the “In terms of casting I wanted Who TV episode Bad Wolf in 2005 now, which is where Jeremiah lives. NIGEL PLANER edit, I can’t tell who won!” actors who would ‘get’ the – and it was his voice I heard in my “The history comes up at you The titular character is played by brilliance of Nigel’s scripts: head as I first read the scripts. from everywhere. Some of these Sebastian Armesto, and director their humour, their pathos, “I know one shouldn’t have roads have been here for hundreds Barnaby Edwards says: “There’s their period quirkiness. I favourites, but this cast were really of years. There are bits of the city, the idea, he already had all the a special thrill to a new project. knew I wanted Nigel as the icy special. I can rarely remember still visible now, that are over a characters worked out and so on. You’re creating everything from Henry Davenant Hythe and he enjoying a recording more. And thousand years old – a wall here, My role was to use my extensive scratch – the feel of the story, its suggested Sophie Thompson I’m delighted to say that this a stone there. Blackfriars Bridge, audio-based sci-fi storytelling pacing, its tone, its characters, its (with whom I’d always wanted spirit of fun has translated into for instance, is over 250 years experience to pull it all together humour. You’re the one setting to work) for the eccentric the finished drama – the comedy old. The traffic I’m hearing today, into a strong, logical story. So I the precedents, determining the Phyllis, so I based the rest of and inventiveness of the cast would disappear, as I drift to, helped develop the plot and how rights and wrongs of this brave the casting on those two roles. effortlessly carry us through say, 400 years ago, and I can hear it approached the ‘rules’ of time new world. That’s simultaneously I often do this as it helps give this extraordinary time-hopping horses and carriages and street travel stories. After that, as Nigel exciting and daunting. an audio drama a unified – and rollercoaster of an adventure. vendors’ calls. We could go to the delivered the drafts, it was a normal “I’m delighted to say that Nigel unique – tone. There are plenty Here’s hoping we do a sequel!” 18th century, the 16th, the 15th…

Above: Nigel Planer script-editing process of checking, was a huge help all along the of great actors out there, but it’s Jeremiah Bourne in Time is a back to Roman times. There are ‘Wouldn’t character X be worried way. From the outset, he told me working out how they’ll operate four-hour release, and Jonny adds: so many opportunities.”

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