.words.

New Television Drama has Starring Role for Elgin Born Actor

HAZEL LAWSON

An ELGIN-BORN film actor is to star in a new television drama penned by Bafta award-winning writer Donna Franceschild.

Kevin McKidd, 29, star of Trainspotting and Glasgow gang film Small Faces, will appear in the new BBC drama The Key, which charts the life of Glasgow woman Mary Corrigan and follows her fortunes and that of her family over three generations.

Mr McKidd will play the part of Duncan, a young trade unionist, alongside actors Ken Stott, John Sessions, Dawn Steel and Ronni Ancona.

The Key looks back at the political and social history of the 20th century.

It will include the Bloody Friday incident in 1919 when thousands of workers demonstrating for a 40-hour week were attacked by mounted police.

A combination of reconstruction and archive film will be used to transport viewers back in time.

Ms Franceschild said: "We tend to forget that so much we take for granted - votes for women, the abolition of child labour, health and safety legislation at work - were fought and hard won."

Filming for the drama, scheduled for screening in the early part of next year, will get under way on Sunday in Glasgow.

The shoot will last for nine weeks.

Sue Austin, the show's producer, said: "This is a wonderfully crafted story which, through the lives of an ordinary family, charts the rise of the trade unionist movement in the early part of the twentieth century, the destruction of the unions in the 1980s and the birth of New Labour in the 1990s.

"We are delighted to have such a high-calibre cast on board who will do these emotionally-charged characters justice."

Mr McKidd's mother Kath still lives in Elgin.

She said: "He is going to be working on Tomb Raider II with Angelina Jolie at the end of October.

"He is really very busy at the moment and is having to turn some work things.

He first caught the acting bug when he was young, taking part in school productions and joining Moray Youth Theatre.

Mr McKidd is patron of Elgin-based drama group Out of the Darkness Theatre Company, where Kath is an administrator.

The Key has been produced by Little Bird in association with Making Waves, for BBC Scotland.

Press and Journal 27 September 2002

 

<< words