Gareth Preston's Blog, page 3

Space: 1999 – Very British Futures

When I was growing up, Space: 1999 was one of the big SF shows. Although I never watched it religiously in the way I followed Doctor Who, nevertheless I had a Dinky die-cast Eagle toy, several annuals and I thought the uniforms looked really cool, especially the colourful jackets they wore in the second season. As a show it was always present in the background, in Look-In magazine, old issues of Starburst and Starlog, and in many of the other SF publications which filled the shops in the wake of...

Vampire Invasion and other news

Hello there! It’s another quick round up of news from myself and friends this time.

After Hangmen was an enormous success for Bolton Little Theatre and myself personally getting some of the best notices I’ve ever had for playing Syd Ambleside, I have gone back into the control box for the next play of the season – Player’s Angels by Amanda Whittington.

In 1950’s Nottingham, John Player’s girls have the best jobs, the best wage and the best hairdos in town. And now, there’s a new face o...

Hangmen

In 1965 the death penalty, and hanging in particular, effectively ended in the United Kingdom. So what is Harry Wade, Britain’s last hangman to do? Especially when he is widely regarded as the country’s second-best executioner, after Albert Pierpoint? So begins, Martin McDonaugh’s celebrated black comedy Hangmen, which is being staged by Bolton Little Theatre on 4th to 9th March 2024. Set in Harry’s grim pub in Oldham, where he holds court over a group of tatty regulars and his long-suffering wi...

Biocode: Endeavour

Ciara, a teenage girl, discovers she has a remarkable inheritance in her DNA, one that propels her into a globe-trotting adventure which involves biotechnology, an enigmatic Maori legend, and the famous voyages of eighteenth century explorer Captain James Cook. Before this entertaining novel is finished, the future of the human race will be in the hands of her and her small group of friends.

This is the debut novel of Terrance McAdams, and I should say upfront that he’s also my cousin. He has...

Stingray – Very British Futures

Just in time for Christmas, I’ve released a brand new episode of the Very British Futures podcast, with a seasonal flavour. There aren’t many British TV science fiction programmes that actually feature Christmas, apart from 21st century Doctor Who, but one welcome exception is the works of Gerry Anderson. Most of his puppet shows feature the Christmas holiday and for this special we took a look at Stingray and “A Christmas to Remember”.

Stingray is an odd fish. Although clearly a children’s s...

The Day After Tomorrow – Very British Futures

Plenty going on this month but the biggest news for this blog is that there is finally a new episode of my podcast Very British Futures out there – The Day After Tomorrow.

Nothing to do with the dreadful 2004 Roland Emmreich film but everything to do with Gerry Anderson’s continuing efforts to conquer America. UFO had come close but after a strong start in the ratings it had faltered. Space 1999 was doing reasonably well in syndication but the question of a second season was still up in the a...

In Memory of Sandra Leatherbarrow

I was shocked, along with the whole North West amateur theatre scene, by the sudden death of Sandra Leatherbarrow on Friday 13th October 2023. Not only because she was a good friend of many years, but because I am currently working in her last production, Blue Stockings at Bolton Little Theatre. I had only been speaking to her on Thursday night, little knowing that under two hours later I would be watching paramedics hurrying in, after she collapsed from a stroke. I still have emails in my inbox...

Blue Stockings and The Wheel of Time

I’ve been improv acting as a simulated patient over the last few years, and the odd voiceover, but between October 21st and 28th I’m heading back to the stage as an actor in Blue Stockings, by Jessica Swale. The play is on at Bolton Little Theatre. This one of several productions of Jessica Swale’s popular debut play being staged nationwide that week.

1896. At Girton Colllege, female students are welcomed to study at the University of Cambridge for the first time. The Girton girls study f...

Babylon 5 – The Road Home

Sixteen years since the last straight to DVD revival, twenty-five years since the original television series gave its last bow, Babylon 5 returns polished up as an animated special The Road Home. Is it the beginning of a new era, or a nostalgic curio for the die-hards?

Time has been kind to Babylon 5. It was never a series which relied on the quality of its effects and a movie quality production. It’s strengths was its unashamed respect of literary SF and the power of a good story well told. ...

I Don’t Do Sci-Fi – The Stone Tape

I had the great pleasure recently of joining my friends Rebecca, John and Dani to record an edition of their podcast I Don’t Do Sci-Fi. This time, Dani was being exposed to Nigel Kneale’s 1972 BBC Christmas Day ghost story – The Stone Tape. It is a pioneering blend of science fiction, horror, and psychological drama that has left a lasting impact on viewers and critics alike.

The story revolves around a team of scientists and technicians from Ryan Electronics who move into an old Victorian ma...