A new detective series set in Wales and described as “Funny, fast moving and sometimes outrageous, as well as part Bond, part Marple, with a squirt of Poirot and Spade on top” is to entertain online audiences this autumn.
Flying Bridge Online Repertory Company have started rehearsals for their first online play series, Astrid Investigates. The new online theatre company, which was awarded Arts Council of Wales funding during lockdown to develop an online arm for Newport-based Flying Bridge Theatre Company, will perform seven new plays this autumn, from Thursday September 17.
Newport Is The Setting For Astrid Investigates
Astrid Investigates is set in a Wales of the future features a female private investigator, Astrid Price as its central character, tackles her foes from a bed-sit above a chippy in Newport. The series is written by Daniel Llewellyn Williams and Tim Baker and takes inspiration from the Astrid Investigates stories by Newport author, Alan Roderick.
Tim Baker who is Joint Artistic Director of Flying Bridge Online Repertory Company alongside Daniel Llewelyn-Williams says, “We are delighted to begin rehearsing and recording these plays. It has been a completely new way of working for us with the entire production being rehearsed and produced remotely from all corners of Wales”.
“From Ruthin in the north to Fishguard in the west, Swansea in the south and Newport in the east, the company have started to rehearse and record each episode from mobile studios set up especially for this production in the homes of the actors – with the technical team working from a studio in Mold”.
Actress Manon Eames To Play Astrid Price
Actress Manon Eames will play the title role of Astrid and has been playing the role from her home studio in Swansea.
Manon explains: “Astrid is pretty unique, the company described the project to me on the basis of the lead character being ‘a cross between Humphrey Bogart and Nessa from Gavin and Stacey’. How can you not have fun with that?”
Actors Take On Multiple Roles For Astrid Investigates
Joining Manon for the first English language series of Astrid Investigates is Daniel Llewelyn-Williams. Both actors will play over thirty characters across the first series which consists of seven episodes.
Daniel explains; “In one of the episodes I play six different characters and the vocal gymnastics required to make sure the audience can make-out the different voices is fun, as Manon says, but a huge challenge vocally. We’ve laughed a lot in rehearsals so far as we work with Director Tim Baker to bring the many characters alive as distinctly as we can.”
Flying Bridge Online Repertory Company are already planning a second English language series of Astrid Investigates with a third Welsh language version in the offing for early 2021.
- Astrid Investigates premieres on Thursday September 17 at 7.30pm with Astrid Investigates: King Arthur’s Crown.
- To access the first episode visit Flying Bridge Online Repertory Company’s YouTube channel to listen to the free broadcast.