HE’S BACK WITH MORE FRONT RAKE RAKE HE’S BACK WITH MORE FRONT (8 x one hour TV series) Season 3 premieres Sunday 9 February 8.30pm SERIES SYNOPSIS Cleaver Greene languishes in prison Scarlet and David are torn between love surrounded by enemies – Cal McGregor, Col for each other and duties that make their and the Corella brothers, but also friends. affair impossible. David’s tenuous grip on Many former colleagues from Macquarie opposition leadership could not survive Street and the bench are also guests of Her exposure, and he is the only thing standing Majesty courtesy of corruption scandals. between media and mining magnate Tikki His cell-mate Mal fancies himself as more Wendon and her monstrous casino slated than a friend. A convicted murderer, he for prime harbourside land. However, Tikki watches Cleaver’s back – constantly. has an insurance plan involving a weak Cleaver even gets appearance work before government, an aggressive merchant the kangaroo court that metes out prison bank and former Attorney-General Cal justice. But he needs all his cunning and a McGregor as soon as he gets out of prison. dose of luck to avoid assaults, protect his friends and find a way to outwit an appeals Cleaver is better off not knowing Missy’s bench deliberately selected to keep him biopic is about to hit cinema screens with a locked away forever. surprise casting choice. Nor discover Kirsty Corella’s plans for him, or just how much Cleaver might not be so keen on freedom trouble can be caused by a pair of coke- if he knew what was happening in the fuelled rogue traders, or a sexy drug and outside world. Wendy has plans underway alcohol counsellor, or a Medicare scammer to start a new life with Roger, whose with a plate of special muffins. If Cleaver sports medicine practice is thriving. Fuzz knew the avalanche of disasters set to is making plans with his deeply Christian fall on his nearest and dearest, he would girlfriend Tara that will take him a long way probably prefer to stay inside. from his father both physically and morally. Scarlet has taken over Cleaver’s clients along with his assistant, Nicole, despite her being the mother of Barney’s love child. Scarlet, Barney and Nicole have formed an uneasy ménage – locked together by a challenge in Barney’s life that would rock Cleaver to the core – if he knew. CLEAVER RICHARD GREENE ROXBURGH He may be in a prison cell surrounded Award-winning actor Richard Roxburgh portrayal as the notorious Roger by enemies and at risk from his friends, has worked on stage and screen around Rogerson in the ABC’s controversial but Cleaver Greene has even more the world. His screen credits include miniseries Blue Murder. Also for the cause to be nervous about life on the Moulin Rouge, Van Helsing, Doing ABC he starred in the two-part drama outside. His family and friends are all Time for Patsy Cline, Stealth, Mission series The Silence, and in two series of moving on in ways that Cleaver would Impossible II, Oscar & Lucinda, Thank East of Everything. hate. Professionally, where he once God He Met Lizzie and Children of represented the bottom of the barrel, the Revolution. He is also notable Recently Richard appeared on stage who will want a lawyer who is more for his appearances in Ice, Legend of as the title character in Sydney Theatre ‘criminal’ than ‘barrister’? Fortunately The Guardians: The Owls Of Ga’hoole, Company’s phenomenally successful Cleaver is irrepressible, and in a state Matching Jack and James Cameron’s production of Chekov’s Uncle Vanya where corrupt land grabs, Royal action adventure film Sanctum. along with Cate Blanchett, Hugo Commissions and dodgy casinos are Richard’s debut film as a director, Weaving, Jacki Weaver and John commonplace, Cleaver could just be Romulus, My Father, starring Eric Bell. The play had a revival at the in the right place at the right time Bana, drew critical acclaim when it Kennedy Center in Washington in 2011 for heroics. Who else is so entwined was released in 2007. to rave reviews, and was remounted at with both sides of the criminal justice the Lincoln Center New York for Sydney system? Who else can snort coke Richard is most well known for his Theatre Company in 2012. Additional with bankers and bake muffins with brilliant performance as eccentric stage credits include Toy Symphony, fraudsters? Who else knows, down to barrister Cleaver Greene in ABC The Seagull, Hamlet (Company B) and the millimetre, the line between law and TV’s Rake which he co-created and Closer (Sydney Theatre Company). justice? And if Wendy is right, Cleaver is produced, and which earned him He recently appeared in the short not the primal cause of chaos after all, a TV Week Silver Logie for Most film Reunion opposite Cate Blanchett, he’s the canary in the coalmine, warning Outstanding Actor and the 2012 which screened as part of the feature us about the toxic sewage approaching. AACTA Award for Best Actor in a film collaboration The Turning, based When that hits the fan, it may be the Television Series. The series generated on Tim Winton’s short story collection bottom feeder who finds the path to international attention and screened of the same name. Richard is currently redemption. to US audiences on DirectTV. His starring alongside Hugo Weaving in work in the title role of Prime Minister Waiting for Godot for the STC. Bob Hawke in Channel 10’s telemovie Hawke earned Richard much acclaim, as did his award-winning electrifying BARNEY RUSSELL MEAGHER DYKSTRA Blameless, dependable Barney who Russell Dykstra has had a successful Theatre Critics award. Other shows devotes his life to making other career in film, television and theatre for Company B include Baby Teeth, people happy, is making everyone very spanning more than 20 years. He made Ray’s Tempest, The Underpants, The unhappy through no fault of his own. his feature film debut in the critically Laramie Project, Yibiyung and The Ham Struck by the nastiest of blows, Barney acclaimed Soft Fruit, for which he Funeral. His one-man show Children insists on getting out and making the received the 1999 AFI award for Best of the Devil toured nationally and most of life. His complicated home life Actor, and was nominated for a Film won him a Brisbane Theatre Critics’ with wife, children, mistress, love child Critics’ Circle of Australia award. He Matilda Award and a Victorian Green and mother-in-law under the one roof, has since appeared in Romulus, My Room Award nomination for Best makes getting out a necessity. And Father – where he was once again Actor. Most recently Russell appeared it is necessity at its direst that impels nominated for an AFI award for on stage as the much-loved character Cleaver to drag Barney on a gallop Best Supporting Actor – Oranges Uncle Fester in The Addams Family through Royal Commissions, corruption and Sunshine, Clubland, Lantana, for which he won a 2013 Helpmann hearings and inquiries. When you are Garage Days, Ned Kelly, View from Award. Russell has also appeared in wading through the sticky stuff, you Greenhaven Drive, The Wannabes, productions for Malthouse Theatre, need a mate with a moral compass as and Hey Hey it’s Esther Blueburger. Theatre of Image, Griffin Theatre, finely tuned as Barney’s. Barney will This is his third appearance in a lead Ensemble, La Boite and Queensland find a way to clean up his own befouled role alongside Richard Roxburgh in Theatre Company. nest, if he is given the chance. But until ABC TV’s highly successful drama then Cleaver must contemplate life Rake. Russell’s other television credits without the personal and professional include Wild Boys, Spirited, My Place, yin to his yang. Scorched, BlackJack, ABC TV’s Loot, All Saints, White Collar Blue, ABC TV’s Grass Roots, and Water Rats. Theatre credits include God Of Carnage, The Wonderful World Of Dissocia, The Unlikely Prospect Of Happiness (Sydney Theatre Company) Toy Symphony and Stuff Happens for Company B, both performances earning him a Helpmann award for Best Supporting Actor, and a Sydney SCARLET DANIELLE ENGELS CORMACK As Cleaver’s star has fallen, so Scarlet’s Danielle Cormack has had an multi-award winning crime drama, has risen. She has taken over Cleaver’s extensive career in film, theatre and East West 101 (Season 3). Danielle was assistant, Nicole, and his client list, and, television in both Australia and New also nominated for the TV Week Silver for her sins, she is leading Cleaver’s Zealand. Danielle starred alongside Logie for Best Actress (Underbelly: appeal. She has taken charge of Barney Joel Edgerton in the feature film Razor and East West 101 (Season 3). Her in his time of need and is stoically living Separation City for which she received most recent theatre appearance was in and working with Nicole, the mother of a nomination for Best Actress in the B Sharp’s Yellow Moon. Other theatre her husband’s love child. While on the NZ Film awards. Other film credits credits include the Sydney Theatre surface she gleams with competence include Topless Women Talk About and Melbourne Theatre Company and glamour, love and duty have their Their Lives (Best Actress at the NZ production Rock n Roll. Danielle has claws in her and are wrenching her from Film awards), The Price of Milk and performed in many Auckland Theatre different directions. Scarlet brims with Australian film Siam Sunset for which Company’s productions, among them passion and with the intelligence to she won an award for Best Actress Caligula, Arcadia, The Shape of Things, know how dangerous passion can be at the Fantasporto International Film The Vagina Monologues and The Blue – she’s been burnt before.