UK / 2016 / Comedy / English Language / 94 Minutes

UK / 2016 / Comedy / English Language / 94 minutes

“A FUN MYSTERY… BAWDY, RUDE AND TERRIBLY, TERRIBLY ENGLISH…” –Total Film

SYNOPSIS

Based on the seminal novel by Stephen Fry and directed by John Jencks (The Fold), THE HIPPOPOTAMUS tells the story of disgraced poet Ted Wallace (Roger Allam), who is summoned to Swafford Hall, the country manor of his friends Lord and Lady Logan (Matthew Modine and Fiona Shaw), to investigate a series of unexplained miracle healings.

Ted tracks down the perpetrator of the phenomena, fifteen-year-old David Logan (Tommy Knight), whose parents believe he has healing hands.

Unaware that David is using some unorthodox methods, the Logans are set on sharing their son’s gift with the world. With a poet’s passion for the truth, Ted hurries to debunk the miracles and save a young man from a lifetime of embarrassment.

Roger Allam (Lady in the Van, Endeavour) leads an all-star cast including Matthew Modine (Stranger Things, Full Metal Jacket), Fiona Shaw (Harry Potter), Emily Berrington (The White Queen, The Inbetweeners 2), Tim McInnerny (Notting Hill, Game of Thrones), Geraldine Sommerville (Harry Potter, My Week with Marilyn) and Tommy Knight (Victoria).

CAST BIOGRAPHIES

ROGER ALLAM stars as the disgruntled, cantankerous semi-famous poet Ted Wallace in the adaptation of Stephen Fry’s novel The Hippopotamus. In Roger’s illustrious career, he has starred in some of Britain’s best loved and most internationally recognized comedies. His comedic screen credits include his roles as Peter Mannion MP in The Thick of It (2007), Nicholas Hardiment in Tamara Drewe (2010), Thaddeus in The Angels’ Share (2012), and Rufus in The Lady in the Van (2015). Roger also played Douglas Richardson in the radio series Cabin Pressure (2008). His other screen credits include the roles of Lewis Prothero in V for Vendetta (2006), Robin Janvrin in The Queen (2006), Royalton in Speed Racer (2008) and Gordon Reece in The Iron Lady (2011). Roger is a three time Olivier Award winner; in 2002 he won the Olivier Award for Best Actor in Privates on Parade and in 2011 he won the Olivier Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Sir John Falstaff in Henry IV Parts 1 and 2. In 2000 Roger won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance as Henry Graves in the play Money. Roger was particularly beloved as Inspector Javert in the original London production of Les Misérables (1985). In 2012 Roger became a part of the infamous British television series Endeavour, from seasons 1-4, playing the part of Detective Inspector Fred Thursday.

MATTHEW MODINE plays the role of the stupendously rich and gregarious Lord Michael Logan in the adaptation of Stephen Fry’s novel The Hippopotamus. Modine has been referred to as “one of the best, most adaptable film actors of his generation” by legendary New York Times film critic Vincent Canby. He has worked with many of the film industry’s most acclaimed directors, including Oliver Stone, Sir Alan Parker, Stanley Kubrick, Robert Altman, Alan J. Pakula, John Schlesinger, Tony Richardson, Robert Falls, Sir Peter Hall, Abel Ferrara, Spike Lee, Tom DiCillo, Mike Figgis, Jonathan Demme and John Sayles. Currently, Modine co-stars in the hit Netflix series Stranger Things (2016). Later this year, he will co-star with Mandy Moore and Claire Holt in the thriller 47 Meters Down. Earlier this year, Modine co-starred in the film The Confirmation alongside Maria Bello and Clive Owen. He also directed the short- film Super Sex (2016), which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and continues to play at festivals across the country. In 2015, Modine co-starred with Jennifer Beals in the critically acclaimed TNT drama Proof. Throughout his career, Modine has been nominated for three Golden Globes and is the recipient of one (Altman’s Short Cuts). He is well remembered for the title character in Alan Parker’s Birdy (1984), which won the Cannes Film Festival’s Gran Prix Award, and for his iconic role as Private Joker in Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket (1987). His work in Alan Rudolph’s Equinox (1992) helped earn the film four Independent Spirit Award nominations, including Best Film and Best Actor. He is the recipient of a Venice Film Festival Volpi Cup and a Golden Lion Award. More recently, Matthew costarred in Christopher Nolan’s Batman epic Dark Knight Rises (2012). Modine has directed several distinguished short films including I Think I Thought (2008), Cowboy (2008), and To Kill an American (2008). Three of his short films, When I Was a Boy (1993), Smoking (1994), and Ecce Pirate (1997) debuted at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival.

FIONA SHAW plays doting mother and Lady of the Manor, Anne Logan, in the adaptation of Stephen Fry’s novel The Hippopotamus. As she said herself; this is the first time that she has been presented with such a nice character to play. Fiona is an Irish actress whose work has spanned across acting and directing for film, television and theater. Fiona is most well known for her dramatic performances as Dr. Eileen Cole in My Left Foot (1989), Ramona Linscott in The Black Dahlia (2006) and Petunia Dursley in five of the Harry Potter films (2001-2011). Some of her theatrical roles include: Young Woman in Machinal (1993), for which she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress, and Winnie in Happy Days (2007), for which she was nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play and the Olivier Award for Best Actress. Her title theater roles include her appearances in Electra (1988), and Medea (2000), for which she was nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play, and the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. Her television acting career is most notably exhibited by her featured role in the HBO series True Blood (2008).

EMILY BERRINGTON plays Jane Swann in The Hippopotamus; a brittle beauty whose intervention acts as the catalyst in the film. Emily’s acting career was preceded by an interest in politics. She then went on to win a place to study acting at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2009 and has not turned back. Emily’s film career was rooted with her performance as Clare in The Look of Love (2013). She then went on to play Allie in the Last Showing (2014). In the same year she landed her first leading film role as Kate in The Inbetweeners 2. She is best known for her performances as Jane Shore in the period drama The White Queen (2013), Stacey in the BBC sitcom Outnumbered (2014), Simone Al-Harazi in the thriller series 24: Live Another Day (2014), Niska in the Channel 4 and AMC TV series Humans (2015) and Margaret Kemble Gage in the TV miniseries Sons of Liberty (2014).

TIM MCINNERNY plays the flamboyant theater director Oliver Mills in the adaptation of Stephen Fry’s novel The Hippopotamus. Tim is an English actor who is well known for his many roles across film, television and theater. He is best known for his performance as Dustin Target in Eddie the Eagle; Dexter Fletcher’s 2016 biographical sports comedy drama. Tim’s earlier film roles include John Morgan in Wetherby (1985), Alonzo in 101 Dalmations (1996) and Max in Notting Hill (1999), where he played alongside Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts. His work in theater includes being cast alongside Anthony Hopkins in the satirical play Pravda (1985). Other performances include Dr. Frank-NFurter in the 1990 West End production of The Rocky Horror Show, and Lago in Othello at Shakespeare’s Globe in London (2007). He is famously known for his performances as Lord Percy Percy and Captain Darling in the Blackadder television series (1983-1999). He was a part of all four of the seasons playing alongside the likes of Stephen Fry and Rowan Atkinson in the fourth. Most recently Tim has joined the cast of the HBO series Game of Thrones as Lord Robett Glover (2016).

GERALDINE SOMERVILLE plays Jane Swann’s sharp-tongued mother – and our hero’s nemesis and former flame – Rebecca Logan, in the adaptation of Stephen Fry’s novel The Hippopotamus. Geraldine is an Irish-born actress whose career was kicked off with her performance as Detective Sergeant Jane Penhaligon in Cracker (1993-95), for which she was nominated for the 1995 BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress. Her film appearances include her roles as Lady Stockbridge in Gosford Park (2001) which went on to win multiple awards, Lady Jane Clark in my Week with Marilyn (2011), and Princess Antoinette of Monaco in Grace of Monaco (2014). In addition to this she is also well-known for playing Lily Potter in the Harry Potter film series (2001-2011). Geraldine’s theatre performances were most notable as Henriette d’Angleterre in Power (2003) at the National Theatre and Mary in Serenading Louis (2010) at the Donmar Theatre. In May 2007 she played the author Daphne du Maurier in the BBC drama Daphne. Other television roles include a leading role as Louisa, Countess of Manton in the 2012 ITV mini-series Titanic. In 2014 she played Sarah Griffin in the BBC One miniseries Quirke.

TOMMY KNIGHT stars as David Logan – the sparkly eyed, strikingly beautiful, yet woefully misguided teenager – in a breakthrough performance in the adaptation of Stephen Fry’s novel The Hippopotamus. Tommy is one of five siblings, all of whom act, and has established a strong slate for himself at the age of 23. In 2012 Tommy featured in a dark role playing alongside his half-sister in a UK independent horror film, A Suburban Fairytale. His acting career started in West End Theatre in 2001 with Deborah Warner’s production of Euripides’ Medea. He has since appeared in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (2002), The Snowman (2003), The Full Monty (2004) and the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Macbeth (2005). In addition to film and theatre Tommy has also been involved in numerous television roles including Luke Smith in The Sarah Jane Adventures (2007-2009), Kevin Chalk in Waterloo Road (2012) and Archibald Brodie in Victoria (2016). Other television performances include roles in The Impressionists (2006), Doctors (2006) and The Bill (2006 and 2009).

LYNE RENEE plays the snobbish French socialite, Valerie Richmonde, in the adaptation of Stephen Fry’s novel The Hippopotamus. She most recently was seen in a recurring role in the CBS series Madam Secretary and in the second season of the PBS series Mercy Street. Other recent TV roles include The Witch of Endor in the ABC biblical epic Of Kings and Prophets (2016) and Catherine Hooper in the ABC miniseries Madoff (2016). She also appeared in M. Night Shyamalan’s thriller Split (2017). Other features include Love at First Kill (2008), The Hessen Conspiracy (2009) and Here Lies (2014). Lyne soon will be seen in Noah Baumbach’s upcoming film The Meyerowitz Stories.

DEAN RIDGE plays the crisp and sincere Simon Logan in the adaptation of Steven Fry's novel The Hippopotamus. Dean graduated in 2015 from East 15 Acting School with a BA Honors degree. His roles at drama school include Angel Santiago in Living History (2013), Macduff in Macbeth (2014), Boxer in Animal Farm (2014) and Bobby Sands in The Blocks (2015). Since graduation his TV work includes the role of Tommy Hawkshaw in Doctors (2015) and Max in Cuckoo (2015). Film includes the role of Joshua in James Nunn's Eliminators (2016) and upcoming roles in Emmet Cummins’ The Lost Viking and Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk.

KEY TALENT

DIRECTOR, JOHN JENCKS

Fresh out of film school in LA, John moved back to the UK in 2008 to set up The Electric Shadow Company with Jay Taylor and Alexa Seligman. One of the first things they did was option Stephen Fry’s novel The Hippopotamus, which John had wanted to make as a film for over 10 years. Meanwhile, John won prizes for his comedy shorts, including the Shooting People Comedy Award for Go Away, Please! at LSFF (2010), and worked on developing his first feature film, The Fold (2014), which stars Catherine McCormack.

AUTHOR, STEPHEN FRY

Famously embarrassed to be described as one of Britain’s “national treasures,” Stephen Fry is a writer, actor, comedian and activist. His career began with the broadcasting of the Cambridge Footlights Revue (1981), which he wrote with friends including Hugh Laurie and Emma Thompson. His work as an actor spans three decades and includes such films as A Fish Called Wanda, Gosford Park, Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. He can currently be seen in the CBS primetime comedy series The Great Indoors. Stephen is a beloved broadcaster, his Twitter account is followed by 10.5 million people, and his many books have become international best-sellers. The Hippopotamus alone has sold over 11 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 15 languages.

SCREENWRITERS, TOM HODGSON & BLANCHE MCINTYRE

Tom Hodgson began his career as a development executive at David Heyman’s Heyday Films (Harry Potter) where he worked on films including Yes Man, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and Is Anybody There? He has several screenplays in development in the UK and US, including the screwball comedy Always on my Mind (the tale of an Indian Elvis impersonator in Las Vegas) for producer Stephen Evans (Henry V, The Madness of King George). Seve, a feature biopic of the legendary golfer Seve Ballesteros, was released theatrically in the UK and Spain in 2014. In addition to his film and TV work, Tom has written and produced content for brands including HTC and Red Bull. Tom was educated at Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge and Harvard University, where he was a Frank Knox Fellow. He is a member of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain and is represented by Georgina Gordon-Smith at United Agents London.

Blanche McIntyre is a theatre director and a writer for stage and screen. Blanche was named Best Director at the 2013 TMA UK Theatre Awards for The Seagull, was the winner of the Critics’ Circle Award for Most Promising Newcomer and the Off West End Theatre Award for Best Director in 2012, and the inaugural winner of the Leverhulme Bursary for Emerging Theatre Directors in 2009. Blanche is an Associate Director at Nuffield and recently directed As You Like It at Shakespeare’s Globe. Her screenwriting credits include The Salamans, a 13-part TV series commissioned by Mike Wallis and The Hippopotamus for The Electric Shadow Company.

PRODUCER, JAY TAYLOR

Jay’s professional career began in 1996 in commercial production/ post-production companies such as Glassworks and Stark. He transitioned to multimedia teen brand Popworld, producing over 200 programs with musicians such as Beyoncé and Justin Timberlake. He subsequently assisted on productions for companies including The Weinstein Company and Working Title and set up The Electric Shadow Company with John Jencks and Alexa Seligman in 2008. Following the launch of ESF in February 2014, Jay serves as an executive or associate producer on many of the company’s investments.

PRODUCER, ALEXA SELIGMAN

Trained at the National Film and Television School, Alexa set up The Electric Shadow Company with John Jencks and Jay Taylor in 2008 and went on to develop their slate of features. Alexa is a producer of The Fold, which won Best Screenplay at the Women’s Independent Film Festival, as well as Electric Shadow’s comedy The Hippopotamus, adapted from the novel by Stephen Fry. She is an Executive Producer of Jackie & Ryan, The Blunderer and Swallows and Amazons and Associate Producer of The Trust. Alexa has a BA in Philosophy and Modern Languages from the University of Oxford.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, STEVE CLARK-HALL

From blockbusters such as Sherlock Holmes to indies like Calendar Girls and Set Fire the Stars, BAFTA winning British producer Steve Clark-Hall has an enviable career that spans 50 years. Recent credits include The Man From U.N.C.L.E, starring Henry Cavill, and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, starring Jude Law and Eric Bana. Clark-Hall also frequently speaks at London’s National Film and Television School and in 2014 received the Production Guild Mentor Award in recognition of his dedication to further enhancing the UK’s world-class crew through his mentoring of up-and-coming talent.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, CHRISTOPHER LITTLE

Literary agent Christopher Little is best known for discovering JK Rowling and selling the rights to her first novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and the six other titles in the Harry Potter series to publishers around the world. The Harry Potter series has been translated into over 70 languages and was adapted into one of the most successful film series of all time. Christopher also launched the career of Darren O’Shaughnessy (aka Darren Shan), author of over 30 books with 25 million copies sold worldwide. In a career spanning more than thirty years, Christopher’s particular skill has been building his authors’ careers on a global scale by developing relationships with film companies and publishers across the world. Film deals negotiated for his authors have included Palme d’Or and Oscar winning The Pianist by Wladyslaw Szpilman (dir. Roman Polanski), blockbuster Man on Fire by A J Quinnell (dir. Tony Scott, Fox 2000 Pictures) and the Harry Potter series (eight films by Warner Bros/David Heyman).

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY, ANGUS HUDSON BSC

Angus Hudson’s career began in 1981, when at just 17 he joined commercial production company Studio Lambert as a runner. Moving to the camera department, he learned his trade on films including The Fifth Element, Rob Roy and The Jackal. He worked extensively in India and Asia before returning to the UK to shoot British black comedy Cashback directed by Sean Ellis. Angus and Sean Ellis teamed up again for The Broken, which won the award for Best Cinematography at the Sitges International Film Festival. Angus went on to shoot the ambitious British thriller Last Passenger, starring Dougray Scott. In June 2015, he was invited to the British Society of Cinematographers.

PRODUCTION DESIGNER, STEPHANE COLLONGE

Stéphane Collonge studied Design at the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts Appliqués before moving to the UK where he completed his education at the National Film and Television School. Since graduating in 1998, Stéphane’s prolific work has included music videos, TV and commercials for clients such Nokia, Microsoft and Honda. His fiction work includes short film The Separation, which won 15 international awards, Lisa et le Pilote D'avion starring Eric Cantona, British indie My Brother the Devil and Bypass, from the acclaimed writer/director Duane Hopkins. Stéphane also has an ongoing collaboration with lauded British director Joanna Hogg, working with her on her films Archipelago and Exhibition. In 2002, wishing to share his knowledge and passion and to expand his professional network in France, he co-founded Cineaste.org, now the largest online community of French speaking filmmakers with over 52,000 members.

EDITOR, JOHN RICHARDS

Welsh editor John Richards started his career at the BBC, editing a number of network documentaries before moving to fiction with S4C’s BAFTA winning adaptation of William Jones. John’s multi-award winning first feature was 1995’s Stonewall, a chronicle of the birth of the gay rights movement in Greenwich Village in 1969. Since then, John has worked on feature comedies including It’s a Boy Girl Thing and Little Black Book and TV series including Band of Brothers and Doctor Who. John has vast experience in dealing with visual effects, CGI, digital post production and all formats of film and digital cinematography. John has lived and worked all around the world, including New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Cape Town, Ireland, Romania, Hungary and Morocco.

EDITOR, ROBIN HILL

Robin Hill is an award-winning editor, writer and actor, known for his work on diverse TV and film projects. From the BAFTA-winning comedy Twenty Twelve to the hard-edged Kill List and the lush romanticism of TV’s Poldark, Robin’s career as an editor has spanned two decades. Since writing and starring in the cult indie feature Down Terrace, his latest screenplay is currently in development with Sony Pictures International.

MAKEUP DESIGNER, AILEEN SEATON

In a career spanning thirty years, veteran makeup designer Aileen Seaton has lent her talents to a broad range of projects, from period drama classics like Where Angels Fear to Tread starring Helena Bonham Carter to Hollywood blockbusters like The Mummy, via work with acclaimed directors such as Terrance Davies on his classic Distant Voices, Still Lives. Aileen has worked with myriad top actors, including Owen Wilson, Michelle Pfeiffer, John Cusack, Nicolas Cage and Rachel Weisz. Aileen has won two Primetime Emmys for her work on TV series Merlin and Gulliver’s Travels.

COSTUME DESIGNER, ANNIE HARDINGE

Top British Costume Designer Annie Hardinge has worked with a slew of A-list stars, including Kate Winslet, Hugh Jackman, Christopher Walken, Kirsten Dunst, Gillian Anderson and Sir Ian McKellen. With an enviable track record in hit comedies, her credits include Shaun of the Dead, Ali G Indahouse and Hot Fuzz alongside cult TV series Episodes, The IT Crowd and Ricky Gervais’s Extras. Twice BAFTA nominated, there is barely a British comedy star Hardinge hasn’t dressed; among them Olivia Coleman, Simon Pegg, Martin Freeman, Hugh Laurie, Tamsin Greig and Tom Hollander. Hardinge’s recent projects include Eddie the Eagle and The Hippopotamus, adapted from the novel by Stephen Fry – with whom, Hardinge has also worked.

MUSIC SUPERVISOR, VICKI WILLIAMS

Vicki Williams began her career at Working Title Films as music coordinator on the company’s hit comedies Hot Fuzz, Definitely Maybe and The Boat That Rocked. Since setting up on her own company, Vicki has brought her knowledge of music to comedies including Johnny English Reborn, Richard Curtis’s About Time, and Matthew Warchus’s BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated Pride. With over forty films behind her, among Vicki’s other credits are Ron Howard’s Rush, Danny Boyle’s Trance and BAFTA Outstanding British Film-winner Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy. In 2014, Vicki was nominated for Music Supervisor of the Year in Film at the Music Week Synch Awards.

COMPOSER, ANTONIO SANCHEZ

Four time Grammy Award winner Antonio Sanchez is considered one of the most prominent drummers, bandleaders and composers of his generation. Born in Mexico City in 1971, he started playing drums at the age of 5. Antonio pursued a degree in classical piano at the National Conservatory in Mexico and in 1993 he moved to Boston to enroll at Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory. Since his move to New York City in 1999, Antonio has become one of the most sought after drummers in the international jazz scene. His playing is featured in over a hundred albums and has performed and recorded with some of the biggest names in jazz including Chick Corea, Michael Brecker, Charlie Haden, Gary Burton and Toots Thielmans. Antonio has also released four critically acclaimed albums. In 2013 Antonio wrote the score for Alejandro Gonzales Iñarritu’s Birdman, winner of four Academy Awards including Best Picture. 12