Rhys Ifans joins the all-star line-up of Sky Arts’ Playhouse Presents… in new drama Gifted
Playhouse Presents… starts tonight 9pm on Sky Arts 1HD
Gifted Thursday 13th June 9.30pm on Sky Arts 1 HD
Rhys Ifans joins an all-star line-up of celebrated talent appearing in the new series of Sky Arts’ Playhouse Presents… The acclaimed comedy and drama strand starts its run tonight at 9pm on Sky Arts 1 HD and Sky Go.
In a captivating performance Rhys Ifans stars in Playhouse Presents… Gifted. The drama isa touching story with a twist in its tale of how a man crippled by a secret ability falls in love for the first time. Chris (Rhys Ifans) is an outsider who lives a secluded, mundane and humdrum existence until Mona (Sarah Smart)arrives in his life. As Chris falls in love he learns not only to accept but embrace his unusual 'gift'.
Chris’s sister, Eleanor (Nia Roberts), in an unhappy relationship with her partner Michael (Nigel Lindsay), can’t understand his inability to engage with his family. But when their Mother, May (Sian Philips) falls ill, Chris is faced with a terrible dilemma.
Gifted, written by Angela Pell,will receive its premiere on Thursday 13th June at 9.30pm exclusively on Sky Arts 1 HD and Sky Go. The drama is directed by Marc Evans and produced for Sky Arts by Baby Cow Productions. The producer is Alison MacPhail, and the executive producers are Madonna Baptiste for Sky and Henry Normal for Baby Cow.
Rhys Ifans said, “I got involved with Gifted because it was such a great piece of writing and my favourite director, Marc Evans, just made it impossible to turn down. And who wouldn’t want Sian Philips to play your mom?”
Marc Evans said, “Gifted was a great opportunity for me to work with Rhys Ifans and a terrific script. Rhys is just fantastic in the film, there is something of the holy fool about him, and he brings out the comedy as well as the sadness of the character. I wanted to make Gifted as cinematic as possible, and to portray a London we rarely see. There's something sci-fi about the world of overpasses and cable cars that Rhys Ifans' character inhabits. It's a film about loneliness but there is a lot to make you smile, and a wonderful unexpected twist to the story. And you may even shed a tear at the end.”
Playhouse Presents… showcases the incredible wealth of acting, directing and writing talent in the UK, and represents unmissable TV for Sky customers.
The serieschampions innovative productions and original writing, and underlines Sky’s commitment to UK origination, building on the pledge to invest £600m in original content by 2014. Kylie Minogue will appear in her first project for Sky with Playhouse Presents…Hey Diddly Dee which has been written and directed by Marc Warren tonight at 9pm on Sky Arts 1 HD.
Playhouse Presents… Gifted Thursday 13th June 9.30pm on Sky Arts 1 HD
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT
Dominic Collett Sky Arts Publicist, Sky Press Office
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Sarah Aspinall Senior Publicist, Sky
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NOTES TO EDITOR
Playhouse Presents
· HEY DIDDLY DEE – 18th April 9pm Sky Arts 1 HD
Written and directed by Marc Warren (Sprout Pictures)
For every star that is born...one has to die. When the star of the show suffers a tragic accident who is to blame? The understudy? A faulty trap door? Or the theatre's lucky cat? A dark comedy-drama about drama starring Kylie Minogue, Mathew Horne, Peter Serafinowicz, David Harewood, Paul Kaye and Lee Boardman.
· SNODGRASS - 25th April 9pm Sky Arts 1 HD
Written by David Quantick, based on the novella byIan R MacLeod. Directed by David Blair (NOW Film and TV) A 50 year old John Lennon (Ian Hart) sits in a dingy kitchen, smoking a roll up, unemployed and on his uppers. This is the John Lennon who walked out on the Beatles in 1962, before the hits, before they changed music for ever. A hilarious comedy drama which also stars Kevin Doyle and Eric McNichol.
· THE CALL OUT – 2nd May 9pm Sky Arts 1 HD
Written and directed by Carlo Nero, based on a short story by Leonard B. Francavilla (Sprout Pictures) A disturbance at Union Square leads to some strange encounters for two policemen in this funny and poignant portrait of loneliness in the city. Starring Vanessa Redgrave, Stephen Graham, Samantha Bond and Sushil Chudasama and written and directed by Vanessa’s son Carlo Nero.
· THE PAVEMENT PSYCHOLOGIST – 9th May 9pm Sky Arts 1 HD
Written and directed by Idris Elba (Sprout Pictures) The Pavement Psychologist is a taught and sexy drama about Jenny (Anna Friel) a women in search of satisfaction, in the world of accounting. That world is turned on its head after she meets Chris (Nonso Anozie) a homeless man, who lost everything in a tragic house fire. Also starring Reggie Yates and Stephen Mackintosh.
· MR UNDERSTOOD – 16th May 9pm Sky Arts 1 HD
Co-created by Kate Hardie and Grayson Perry . Written and directed by Kate Hardie (Eleven Film) A deeply personal and comic drama following a young transvestite, Gary, as he battles with self-doubt. Gary has decided to emerge from years of isolation by attending a weekend convention for transvestites. An encounter with another older transvestite helps Gary to explore questions of self-acceptance and happiness.
· STAGE DOOR JOHNNIES – 23rd May 9pm Sky Arts 1 HD
Written by Catherine McCormack and Laura Power. Directed by Catherine McCormack (Hat Trick and Blurred Vision) Step into the world of the Stage Door Johnnies. A comedy about five excitable theatre fans who will stop at nothing to let their idols know how they truly feel... Even if it means causing a little accidental grievous bodily harm along the way. Starring Suranne Jones, Alex Macqueen, Felicity Montagu, Johnny Sweet, Elizabeth Berrington and Steve Evets.
· CARGESE – 30th May 9.30pm Sky Arts 1 HD
Written by Simon Stephens. Directed by Matt Smith (Sprout Pictures) Simon Stephens and Matt Smith join forces to create a unique piece of poetic realism which mines the tragic seam of adolescent love and loss. Starring Craig Roberts, Joe Cole and Avigail Tlalim.
· RAGGED – 6th June 9.30pm Sky Arts 1 HD
Written by Andrew Lynch and Johnny Vegas. Directed by Johnny Vegas (Woolyback Productions) Starring Ricky Tomlinson, this story is based on Ricky’s true experiences campaigning for justice in an effort to overturn a verdict which sent him to jail for 2 years in the early 1970s. During his time in prison and on hunger strike, Ricky’s life is changed forever by a prison governor who encourages him to read Robert Tressel’s book The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists.
· GIFTED – 13th June 9.30pm Sky Arts 1 HD
Written by Angela Pell and directed by Marc Evans (Baby Cow productions)When you thought you had life all wrapped up…A tender and touching tale of a man crippled by a secret ability. Rhys Ifans is captivating as Chris, an outsider, falling in love for the very first time. Eventually learning to not only accept, but embrace, his unusual 'gift'.
· PSYCHOBITCHES – FROM 30th MAY until 4th JULY 9pm Sky Arts 1HD
Written by Jeremy Dyson Bert Tyler-Moore, George Jeffrie, Ali Crockatt, David Scott, Lucy Montgomery, Kathy Burke, Derren Litten, Holly Walsh and Freddy Syborn. Directed by Jeremy Dyson (Tiger Aspect) A new six-part series of the all-star sketch show that sees some of history’s most famous women psychoanalysed. Starring Rebecca Front as the therapist, the series will see the core cast play a number of women from history including Julia Davis as Sylvia Plath, Sharon Horgan as Eve, Sam Spiro as Audrey Hepburn, Frances Barber as Bette Davis, Kathy Burke as Mona Lisa, and Katy Brand as Mary Shelley. It also features Tamsin Egerton, Selina Griffiths, Zawe Ashton, Jo Scanlan, Sarah Solemani and Sharon D Clarke. The series will also include characters from Jack Whitehall, Harry Enfield and reunites all the League of Gentlemen team Mark Gatiss, Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton.
About Sky Arts
Sky Arts offers an eclectic mix of the best music, arts, biographies, chat shows, film, drama and comedy. Sky is the only broadcaster in the UK and Ireland with channels dedicated solely to the arts, with 48 hours of the best arts content from around the world across Sky Arts 1 and Sky Arts 2 daily. Sky Arts now reaches more than 6 million viewers every month.
Recent highlights include Playhouse Presents… a series of one-off comedies and dramas starring world-renowned talent including Jon Hamm, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Thompson, Sir Tom Jones, Brenda Blethyn, David Tennant and Alison Steadman. The channel was also responsible for resurrecting the much-loved South Bank Show and The South Bank Show Awards. Sky Arts also encourages new formats and methods for accessing the arts, working with the ENO and National Gallery to beam the world’s first live opera and first live opening night of an exhibition in 3D to cinemas across the UK and Ireland.
Sky Arts also seeks to connect with culture on the ground; creating and collaborating with the best of the arts in the UK and Ireland to bring new experiences to life. Sky Arts has collaborated with a number of arts organisations including the English National Ballet and has supported the Hay Festival as broadcast partner since 2006. The Sky Arts Ignition Series launched in in 2011 to invest in the arts landscape of the UK. The Series will seek to collaborate with six arts organisations over the next three years in the creation of brand new works; Sky Arts Ignition Series: Futures Fund will support five young artists with a bursary of £30,000 each, enabling Sky Arts to back the creation of new works of art as well as nurture emerging talent.
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