It’s official: Indira Varma has entered the Whoniverse – or rather, re-entered. Varma is the latest cast member announced for Doctor Who series 14, playing the mysterious ‘Duchess’ – quite the villain by the sounds of it, as Russell T Davies promises “a whole new audience will be hiding behind the settee when the Duchess unleashes her terror.”
But while these days Varma is best-known for her roles in Game of Thrones, Obi Wan and Obsession, not only has she already worked with Davies on Torchwood, she’s starred alongside a whole host of Doctor Who’s most notable alumni:
She Was Torchwood’s First Villain Back in 2006
Varma’s got form when it comes to playing lovable baddies in the Whoniverse – like Peter Capaldi, she appeared on Torchwood before her Doctor Who debut. Her character Suzie Costello was a key part of the Torchwood team, but her fear of death led...
But while these days Varma is best-known for her roles in Game of Thrones, Obi Wan and Obsession, not only has she already worked with Davies on Torchwood, she’s starred alongside a whole host of Doctor Who’s most notable alumni:
She Was Torchwood’s First Villain Back in 2006
Varma’s got form when it comes to playing lovable baddies in the Whoniverse – like Peter Capaldi, she appeared on Torchwood before her Doctor Who debut. Her character Suzie Costello was a key part of the Torchwood team, but her fear of death led...
- 5/25/2023
- by Lauravickersgreen
- Den of Geek
"Official Secrets" is the new Brit-American co-pro feature, directed by Gavin Hood ("X-Men Origins: Wolverine"), starring Keira Knightley, Matt Smith ("Doctor Who") , Matthew Goode, Adam Bakri, Indira Varma and Ralph Fiennes ("Schindler's List"), opening August 30, 2019:
"..based on true events, the story follows 'Katharine Gun' (Knightley) who leaks a secret memo exposing an illegal spying operation by covert, 'deep state' operators in the Us Government..."
Main cast includes Keira Knightley as 'Katharine Gun', Matt Smith as 'Martin Bright', Matthew Goode as 'Peter Beaumont', Rhys Ifans as 'Ed Vulliamy', Adam Bakri as 'Yasar Gun', Indira Varma as 'Shami Chakrabarti and Ralph Fiennes as 'Ben Emmerson'.
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Official Secrets"...
"..based on true events, the story follows 'Katharine Gun' (Knightley) who leaks a secret memo exposing an illegal spying operation by covert, 'deep state' operators in the Us Government..."
Main cast includes Keira Knightley as 'Katharine Gun', Matt Smith as 'Martin Bright', Matthew Goode as 'Peter Beaumont', Rhys Ifans as 'Ed Vulliamy', Adam Bakri as 'Yasar Gun', Indira Varma as 'Shami Chakrabarti and Ralph Fiennes as 'Ben Emmerson'.
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Official Secrets"...
- 8/7/2019
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Ben Mortimer Sep 14, 2017
Director Stephen Frears chat to us about British cinema, Victoria & Abdul, and directing Dame Judi Dench...
Arriving in cinemas tomorrow is Victoria & Abdul, a film that tells a previously little-known story of a friendship between Queen Victoria and a man called Abdul towards the end of her life. It's a thematic follow on from director John Madden's Mrs Brown, and this story is directed by Stephen Frears. He took some time out to chat to us abou tit...
You spent the whole day talking about the film. One of the things I’m sure you’ve been asked, and I apologise for asking it, but I think the answer may inform where the rest of this interview goes. There’s an obvious similarity, particularly with casting, to Mrs Brown.
Yeah.
What was it you felt you could do differently?
Didn’t think about it.
You completely...
Director Stephen Frears chat to us about British cinema, Victoria & Abdul, and directing Dame Judi Dench...
Arriving in cinemas tomorrow is Victoria & Abdul, a film that tells a previously little-known story of a friendship between Queen Victoria and a man called Abdul towards the end of her life. It's a thematic follow on from director John Madden's Mrs Brown, and this story is directed by Stephen Frears. He took some time out to chat to us abou tit...
You spent the whole day talking about the film. One of the things I’m sure you’ve been asked, and I apologise for asking it, but I think the answer may inform where the rest of this interview goes. There’s an obvious similarity, particularly with casting, to Mrs Brown.
Yeah.
What was it you felt you could do differently?
Didn’t think about it.
You completely...
- 9/12/2017
- Den of Geek
From Queen Victoria’s goddaughter to an African warrior queen and Pocahontas, here are seven women we’d love to see portrayed in film
With Suffragette on wide release and Academy Award chatter beginning, it’s worth revising #FilmHerStory, the hashtag kicked off by Lexi Alexander, Miriam Bale, Catrin Cooper and Shaula Evans around the 2014 awards. Top choice Harriet Tubman was the subject of the best ever Drunk History episode, where Crissle West told a radical story that Hollywood never would. And Wollestonecraft the Movie now has a campaign fronted by Melvyn Bragg, Kirsty Wark and Shami Chakrabarti.
Related: Sex change: why male roles are being rewritten for women
Continue reading...
With Suffragette on wide release and Academy Award chatter beginning, it’s worth revising #FilmHerStory, the hashtag kicked off by Lexi Alexander, Miriam Bale, Catrin Cooper and Shaula Evans around the 2014 awards. Top choice Harriet Tubman was the subject of the best ever Drunk History episode, where Crissle West told a radical story that Hollywood never would. And Wollestonecraft the Movie now has a campaign fronted by Melvyn Bragg, Kirsty Wark and Shami Chakrabarti.
Related: Sex change: why male roles are being rewritten for women
Continue reading...
- 10/29/2015
- by Sophie Mayer
- The Guardian - Film News
Hilary Mantel, Jonathan Franzen, Mohsin Hamid, Ruth Rendell, Tom Stoppard, Malcolm Gladwell, Eleanor Catton and many more recommend the books that impressed them this year
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Five Star Billionaire by Tash Aw (Fourth Estate) is a brilliant, sprawling, layered and unsentimental portrayal of contemporary China. It made me think and laugh. I also love Dave Eggers' The Circle (Hamish Hamilton), which is a sharp-eyed and funny satire about the obsession with "sharing" our lives through technology. It's convincing and a little creepy.
William Boyd
By strange coincidence two of the most intriguing art books I read this year had the word "Breakfast" in their titles. They were Breakfast with Lucian by Geordie Greig (Jonathan Cape) and Breakfast at Sotheby's by Philip Hook (Particular). Greig's fascinating, intimate biography of Lucian Freud was a revelation. Every question I had about Freud – from the aesthetic to the intrusively gossipy – was...
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Five Star Billionaire by Tash Aw (Fourth Estate) is a brilliant, sprawling, layered and unsentimental portrayal of contemporary China. It made me think and laugh. I also love Dave Eggers' The Circle (Hamish Hamilton), which is a sharp-eyed and funny satire about the obsession with "sharing" our lives through technology. It's convincing and a little creepy.
William Boyd
By strange coincidence two of the most intriguing art books I read this year had the word "Breakfast" in their titles. They were Breakfast with Lucian by Geordie Greig (Jonathan Cape) and Breakfast at Sotheby's by Philip Hook (Particular). Greig's fascinating, intimate biography of Lucian Freud was a revelation. Every question I had about Freud – from the aesthetic to the intrusively gossipy – was...
- 11/23/2013
- by Hilary Mantel, Jonathan Franzen, Mohsin Hamid, Tom Stoppard, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, William Boyd, Bill Bryson, Shami Chakrabarti, Sarah Churchwell, Antonia Fraser, Mark Haddon, Robert Harris, Max Hastings, Philip Hensher, Simon Hoggart, AM Homes, John Lanchester, Mark Lawson, Robert Macfarlane, Andrew Motion, Ian Rankin, Lionel Shriver, Helen Simpson, Colm Tóibín, Richard Ford, John Gray, David Kynaston, Penelope Lively, Pankaj Mishra, Blake Morrison, Susie Orbach
- The Guardian - Film News
Rick Edwards is to host a live debate on BBC Three to discuss the ongoing Syrian crisis.
A special episode of Free Speech will deal with the country's alleged use of chemical weapons and David Cameron losing the Parliamentary vote on military action.
An audience of 150 people aged 16-25 in Hackney will give their views on the Parliamentary vote and suggest what can be done to aid victims of the conflict.
The line-up of guests includes Labour MP Seema Malhotra, Conservative MP Damian Green, director of Liberty Shami Chakrabarti and journalists Milo Yiannopoulos and Mehdi Hasan.
Tina Daheley will be running online questions and debates all day leading up to transmission.
Syria Crisis: Free Speech Special airs on Wednesday (September 4) at 8pm on BBC Three.
Edwards has fronted a number of documentaries for BBC Three in recent months, including one on Oscar Pistorius fatally shooting his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
A special episode of Free Speech will deal with the country's alleged use of chemical weapons and David Cameron losing the Parliamentary vote on military action.
An audience of 150 people aged 16-25 in Hackney will give their views on the Parliamentary vote and suggest what can be done to aid victims of the conflict.
The line-up of guests includes Labour MP Seema Malhotra, Conservative MP Damian Green, director of Liberty Shami Chakrabarti and journalists Milo Yiannopoulos and Mehdi Hasan.
Tina Daheley will be running online questions and debates all day leading up to transmission.
Syria Crisis: Free Speech Special airs on Wednesday (September 4) at 8pm on BBC Three.
Edwards has fronted a number of documentaries for BBC Three in recent months, including one on Oscar Pistorius fatally shooting his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
- 9/3/2013
- Digital Spy
From an Austen anniversary to a Sundance full of female talent, the new year is already packed with highlights. What are you looking forward to this year?
No one expects 2013 to be easy, but we'll take our kicks where we can, and only a week in, there are already cultural triumphs for women to celebrate. The band Haim, three sisters from California, stormed to the top of the BBC's Sound of 2013 list, and for the first time all five categories of the Costa prize were won by women. The frontrunner to take the overall prize on 29 January is Hilary Mantel, with her novel Bring Up the Bodies, but Mary and Bryan Talbot's graphic memoir, Dotter of Her Father's Eyes, has also been highly lauded.
There are plenty of other books to look forward to, including Bedsit Disco Queen by Tracey Thorn (Virago, February), Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld, (Doubleday, June), a...
No one expects 2013 to be easy, but we'll take our kicks where we can, and only a week in, there are already cultural triumphs for women to celebrate. The band Haim, three sisters from California, stormed to the top of the BBC's Sound of 2013 list, and for the first time all five categories of the Costa prize were won by women. The frontrunner to take the overall prize on 29 January is Hilary Mantel, with her novel Bring Up the Bodies, but Mary and Bryan Talbot's graphic memoir, Dotter of Her Father's Eyes, has also been highly lauded.
There are plenty of other books to look forward to, including Bedsit Disco Queen by Tracey Thorn (Virago, February), Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld, (Doubleday, June), a...
- 1/8/2013
- by Kira Cochrane
- The Guardian - Film News
The campaign against any form of statutory involvement in press regulation continued in this morning's national newspapers. The anti-Leveson chorus can be seen in news stories, commentaries and leading articles.
The central target is the Hacked Off campaign, though there is plenty of pressure applied to the Labour party too in order to head off the possibility of legislation.
In The Sun, for example, a page lead headlined "Hacked off hijack" reports that many of the signatures on the public petition launched by the Hacked Off campaign are fake, including Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Superman and Joe Bloggs.
(It would be scandalous to suggest that Sun reporters have been busy pretending to be Mickey M, so please put that thought out of your mind).
Two pages further on, the paper's associate editor, Trevor Kavanagh, warns hacking victims that they risk looking like avengers by pushing for the full implementation of Leveson's proposals.
The central target is the Hacked Off campaign, though there is plenty of pressure applied to the Labour party too in order to head off the possibility of legislation.
In The Sun, for example, a page lead headlined "Hacked off hijack" reports that many of the signatures on the public petition launched by the Hacked Off campaign are fake, including Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Superman and Joe Bloggs.
(It would be scandalous to suggest that Sun reporters have been busy pretending to be Mickey M, so please put that thought out of your mind).
Two pages further on, the paper's associate editor, Trevor Kavanagh, warns hacking victims that they risk looking like avengers by pushing for the full implementation of Leveson's proposals.
- 12/3/2012
- by Roy Greenslade
- The Guardian - Film News
From Piers Morgan to Polly Toynbee, Jemima Khan to Jarvis Cocker – David Cameron takes questions from public figures who want answers
Hear what the Pm has to say in our audio interactive
David Mitchell, comedian
Do you wish you were less posh?
"[Laughs] No. You can't change who you are. For a long time I thought my full name was 'The Old Etonian David Cameron'. I had parents who gave me a wonderful start in life, who sacrificed a lot to give me a great education. So I don't ever want to change – I don't want to drop my accent or change my vowels. I am who I am."
Piers Morgan, TV presenter
If you could relive one moment in your life, excluding births of children and marriage, what would it be?
"God, that's a really good question. Piers, why don't you ever ask really good questions like that normally? I...
Hear what the Pm has to say in our audio interactive
David Mitchell, comedian
Do you wish you were less posh?
"[Laughs] No. You can't change who you are. For a long time I thought my full name was 'The Old Etonian David Cameron'. I had parents who gave me a wonderful start in life, who sacrificed a lot to give me a great education. So I don't ever want to change – I don't want to drop my accent or change my vowels. I am who I am."
Piers Morgan, TV presenter
If you could relive one moment in your life, excluding births of children and marriage, what would it be?
"God, that's a really good question. Piers, why don't you ever ask really good questions like that normally? I...
- 11/26/2011
- The Guardian - Film News
More than just a hipster oasis in the heart of Brixton, this five-screen cinema does its best to serve the whole community with a blend of mainstream, arthouse and political fare
• Check out our Google map and flickr group
• Tell us where to go next
On location: The early 20th-century edifice of this lovely old institution sits on the corner of Coldharbour Lane and Brixton High Street. Its cafe and bar spill out on to the recently done-up Windrush Square, customers and idling locals mingling under its spotlit central tree. While there's little parking, it's a minute away from Brixton tube on the high street, and buses shuttle from along both Coldharbour and the high street all night. The newer half of the building, with its smoked-glass roofing, joins the building to the Brixton public library. The older, more ornate half, sits on the corner among the clubs and bars and fast-food joints,...
• Check out our Google map and flickr group
• Tell us where to go next
On location: The early 20th-century edifice of this lovely old institution sits on the corner of Coldharbour Lane and Brixton High Street. Its cafe and bar spill out on to the recently done-up Windrush Square, customers and idling locals mingling under its spotlit central tree. While there's little parking, it's a minute away from Brixton tube on the high street, and buses shuttle from along both Coldharbour and the high street all night. The newer half of the building, with its smoked-glass roofing, joins the building to the Brixton public library. The older, more ornate half, sits on the corner among the clubs and bars and fast-food joints,...
- 10/5/2011
- The Guardian - Film News
Dance star Shiamak Davar attends London ceremony to collect honorary doctorateShiamak Davar has been presented with an honorary doctorate from Middlesex University London, in recognition of his contribution to entertainment in India and throughout the world.The influential choreographer, famous for pioneering contemporary dance which brings together Indian and Western styles, collected his award at a ceremony in London on Friday 22 July.At the ceremony, Shiamak spoke to an audience of hundreds of Middlesex University dance, drama and music students as they graduated from their degree courses.Before the ceremony, Shiamak Davar said: .I am truly honoured to receive the award of Doctor of the University from Middlesex University. My parents, both pioneers in the field of education, imbibed the importance of education in me. I am blessed to be able to continue their legacy as a dance educationist. I started my journey in the field of performing arts in...
- 7/22/2011
- Filmicafe
TV presenter June Sarpong has launched a website, politicsandthecity.com, aimed at getting women interested in politics. Others she has recruited to the project include Kylie and Dannii Minogue, Teresa May, Shami Chakrabarti and Ronni Ancona. Sarpong said: "I think the thing is there aren't enough women that are being allowed to be engaged. And we are interested in this stuff, it's just that it's not packaged in a way that relates to us. "I was in the States and I had a meeting with NBC News and they were asking me what I wanted to do (more)...
- 7/9/2008
- by By Dave West
- Digital Spy
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