Cara Delevingne, Matthew Perry, Billie Piper, Mark Strong, Ben Whishaw, Jo Brand, Lindsay Duncan, Ashley Walters, Richard Wilson, Simon Callow, Jane Horrocks, Daniel Mays to star in the Sky Arts’ new series of Playhouse Presents…

Cara Delevingne to make her television acting debut in new Tim Firth drama about ageing

Matthew Perry to appear in his first UK TV role, in a Jon Ronson penned comedy

Beginning May 2014, 9pm on Sky Arts 1 HD

Sky Arts’ popular comedy and drama strand PLAYHOUSE PRESENTS… returns this May with an extraordinary line-up of acclaimed talent, from the makers of shows such as Uncle, Line of Duty and Holy Flying Circus.

The series of 30 minute one-off comedies and dramas will feature Jo Brand, Simon Callow, Cara Delevingne, Lindsay Duncan, Kevin Eldon, Jane Horrocks, Daniel Mays, Matthew Perry, Billie Piper, Mark Strong, Sylvia Syms, Ashley Walters, Jason Watkins, Ben Whishaw and Richard Wilson.

The series also involves the writing talents of the Oscar-winning screenwriter Peter Straughan (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy) Polly Stenham, Jon Ronson, Nick Moran, Ralf Little, Tim Firth and the late Jimmy Gardner, whose  piece is the last thing he wrote before his premature death in June 2010. PLAYHOUSE PRESENTS… showcases an astonishing calibre of acting, writing and directing talent and represents the very best in unmissable TV for Sky customers. 

This year’s Playhouse Presents… sees a number of acting, writing and directing debuts.

Cara Delevingne will make her television debut alongside the veteran actress Sylvia Syms in Tim Firth’s Timeless. Cara stars as Chloe, a young woman reluctantly looking after her great-grandmother while her mother and grandmother are on a cruise.

Matthew Perry makes his UK TV comedy debut with The Dog Thrower. It is also the directorial and TV screenwriting debut for its writer Jon Ronson. His story of a man who finds fame, then infamy, when he starts throwing his dog also stars Tim Key and Kimberley Nixon, with original music by Belle and Sebastian.

The award-winning playwright Polly Stenham (That Face: Evening Standard Award 2007, Critics' Circle Award for Most Promising Playwright, Theatrical Management Association Award for Best New Play) also makes her directorial and screenwriting debut with Foxtrot, the story of a gang heist gone wrong starring Billie Piper and Ben Whishaw. Ralf Little and Nick Moran will also make their joint screenwriting and directing debut with Space Age, starring Richard Wilson and Simon Callow as two ageing astronauts on a final and perilous journey.

PLAYHOUSE PRESENTS…champions innovative productions and original writing, and underlines Sky’s commitment to UK origination, as part of Sky’s ongoing commitment to invest £600m in original content.

James Hunt, Director, Sky Arts notes: “What a phenomenal line-up for this year’s Playhouse Presents… Sky Arts has built on its huge success in comedy and drama over the past two years, we’re delighted that such outstanding writers, directors and actors, all at the very top of their game want to come and ‘play’ with us. “

THE DOG THROWER (1 May)

Written and directed by Jon Ronson and starring Matthew Perry

Jonah (Tim Key) is a nervous young man and a big dog lover. One day in the park he sees A Charismatic Man (Matthew Perry) throwing his dog in the air to the crowd's enchantment. So Jonah, wanting to be popular, starts to throw his dog in the air too. Disastrous consequences ensue. Also starring Kimberley Nixon and with an exclusive score by Belle and Sebastian.

(Runaway Fridge)

NOSFERATU IN LOVE (8 May)

Written and directed by Peter Straughan

In a fit of rebellion against his director which masks his own dark demons, a tormented movie actor (Mark Strong) starring as Nosferatu runs away to a nearby small Czech town when his young wife leaves him, teaming up with a local petty crook with unexpected, absurdist consequences. Loss and failure find their way to a redemption of sorts for both of them.

(Bonafide Films)

THE CRUISE (15 May)

Written and directed by Stewart Sugg

Mobile hairdresser Jacky (Jane Horrocks) has been dreaming of going on an ocean cruise with her mobile mechanic husband Andy (Jason Watkins) for years. Now, just a week away from their holiday, Andy is getting cold feet. Is this down to Jacky's desire to enter the cruise ship talent contest, or is there something more peculiar behind Andy's resistance to this trip of a lifetime?

(Emu Films)

NIGHTSHIFT (22 May)

Written by Jimmy Gardner, directed by Bruce Goodison

Starring Daniel Mays, Ashley Walters and Scarlett Alice Johnson, Nightshift follows two coppers as they cruise the streets of South East London in the small hours discussing life, the universe and everything else amidst the surreal world of the night.

(World Productions and Cajun Pictures)

FOXTROT (29 May)

Written and directed by Polly Stenham

Billie Piper, Ben Whishaw, Lindsay Duncan and Alice Sanders star in, written and directed by Polly Stenham. In her first television drama, the critically-lauded playwright brings her unique voice and vision to a contemporary ill-fated girl gang heist.

(Sprout Pictures)

SPACE AGE (5 June)

Written by Nick Moran and Ralf Little. Directed by Lawrence Gough

Richard Wilson and Simon Callow star as two ageing astronauts on a perilous mission to a faraway planet, battling with loneliness, isolation, and occasionally each other. It is the distant future, and mankind is in need of desperate measures to ease the swelling overpopulation of earth. The solution; send elderly volunteers - men and women who would rather die alone on a distant planet than live out their last years in nursing homes - to prepare new worlds for human settlement. On board the star-ship, our intrepid space travellers contemplate the enormity of their mission, the importance of purpose, and even the definition of life itself.

(Hillbilly Television)

DAMNED (12 June)

Written by Morwenna Banks and Jo Brand. Directed by Natalie Bailey

Starring Kevin Eldon and Jo Brand in a comedy set in a social services department. Social Worker and Single parent Rose (Jo Brand) is having a bad day. At work the heating is broken, there’s a patronising new temp, and her three kids are off school sick. The chaos of the office is matched only by the chaos of her home life when Rose discovers her mum has misplaced her children.   Could her day get any worse? Yes, indeed it could and it does when Rose is confronted with a crisis that even an experienced professional like her could not have anticipated…

(What Larks)

TIMELESS (19 June)

Written by Tim Firth. Directed by Tony Smith

Alice and Chloe may be generations apart but both share the pain of having been separated from their partners by war. Chloe’s soldier fiancé is serving a term of duty in Afghanistan when an army official arrives at Alice’s door.  The two women are shocked by the news but the generation gap is finally closing. Sylvia Syms and Cara Delevingne star in this engaging tale of love, loss and hope, written by Tim Firth (Calendar Girls, Kinky Boots).

(Baby Cow)

Sky Arts has commissioned an array of award-winning production companies for this series, including Sprout Pictures (Little Crackers, Kingdom, Doors Open) Hillbilly Television (Holy Flying Circus) Baby Cow (Uncle, Moone Boy, The Trip) and World Pictures (Line of Duty, The Bletchley Circle). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT

Katherine Solomon PR Manager, Sky Press Office

T: 0207 032 0599

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Dominic Collett Sky Arts Publicist, Sky Press Office

T: 0207 032 4892

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NOTES TO EDITOR

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