Tim Plester
Encyclopedia
Tim Plester is a British
playwright
and actor
who lives and works in London
.
Plester graduated in 1994 with a BA (Hons) in theatre at Dartington College of Arts
in Devon
, and went on to obtain an MA (Hons) in playwriting studies from Birmingham University in 1997. His writing credits for film include Ant Muzak (2002), a short comedy
pop film directed by Ben Gregor and starring Nick Moran
and Mackenzie Crook
. It was the winner of an Audience Award at the 2003 Sydney Film Festival
and was nominated for 'Best UK Short' at the 2003 Soho
Rushes Festival and the 2002 Raindance Film Festival
in London. It's terrestrial TV premiere
came in October 2004 on Channel 4
. He also wrote Blake's Junction 7 (2004), a short comedy sci-fi film, again directed by Ben Gregor and starring Johnny Vegas
, Mackenzie Crook, Mark Heap
, Raquel Cassidy
, and Martin Freeman
. The film premiered at the 2004 Edinburgh Film Festival and was screened at a number of prestigious film festivals worldwide. Both of these films are now available on DVD, along with a third film entitled World of Wrestling (2007). Again written by Plester and directed by Gregor, this sensational short comedy sports film stars Mackenzie Crook, Kevin Eldon, Patrick Baladi
and Kris Marshall
. It premiered at the 2007 Calgary Film Festival and was a "Highly Commended" selection for the 2007 Turner Classic Shorts award.
Writing credits for stage include; Marilyn Meets Bobby & Johnny (winner of the 1992/93 'National Student Playwright Of The Year' award), Holloway Road (1994), All Day Breakfast (1994), Dakota (Edinburgh Festival
1995 and National Tour 1996), Mad Dog Killer Leper Fiend (Edinburgh Festival 1996 and Man In The Moon Theatre off London's Kings Road
1997), and Yellow Longhair (Oval House Theatre in Kennington
2000).
Acting credits for TV and film include: Control (Northsee Pictures), Kick-Ass (Universal), Shifty (Metrodome), Murphy's Law (BBC
), Shoreditch Twat (Talkback
), Magicians (Universal Films), It's All Gone Pete Tong (Vertigo Films), Bad Crowd (Tiger Aspect), Heist (BBC
), City Of Vice (Channel 4
), The Hogfather (Sky), Ant Muzak (Film Club), Criminal Justice (BBC), Five Daughters (BBC), Doctor Who (BBC), Residents (BBC), Life On Mars (BBC), Hustle (BBC
), Silent Witness
(BBC), Casualty
(BBC), Uncle Dad (SMG
), Goths (BBC), Poliakoff's Friends and Crocodiles
(BBC), both series of Paul Whitehouse's BAFTA-nominated Happiness (BBC
), both episodes of '1066: The Battle For Middle Earth' (Channel 4), and the BAFTA-winning short film September.
In 2007, Plester completed work on a short offbeat romantic comedy entitled English Language (With English Subtitles) - which marked his directorial debut. The film premiered at the 2007 Los Angeles Film Festival, and has gone on to screen at over 45 film festivals worldwide, winning 5 awards along the way.
His award-winning 15-second film Slapphappy premiered at the 2008 Belfast Film Festival.
Tim's feature-length documentary film Way Of The Morris premiered at SXSW 2011, and received a limited release in UK cinemas before being released on DVD.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
who lives and works in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Plester graduated in 1994 with a BA (Hons) in theatre at Dartington College of Arts
Dartington College of Arts
Dartington College of Arts was a specialist arts institution near Totnes, Devon, South West England, it specialized in post-dramatic theatre, music, choreography, Performance Writing and visual performance, focusing on a performative and multi-disciplinary approach to the arts. In addition to this,...
in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, and went on to obtain an MA (Hons) in playwriting studies from Birmingham University in 1997. His writing credits for film include Ant Muzak (2002), a short comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
pop film directed by Ben Gregor and starring Nick Moran
Nick Moran
Nicholas James "Nick" Moran is an English actor, writer, producer and director, best known for his role as Eddy the card shark in Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels...
and Mackenzie Crook
Mackenzie Crook
Paul Mackenzie Crook is a British actor and comedian. He is best known for playing Gareth Keenan in The Office and Ragetti in the Pirates of the Caribbean films.-Life and career:...
. It was the winner of an Audience Award at the 2003 Sydney Film Festival
Sydney Film Festival
The Sydney Film Festival is an annual film festival held in the Australian city of Sydney and is held over 12 days in June. The competitive film festival draws international and local attention, with films being showcased in several venues across the city centre and includes features,...
and was nominated for 'Best UK Short' at the 2003 Soho
Soho
Soho is an area of the City of Westminster and part of the West End of London. Long established as an entertainment district, for much of the 20th century Soho had a reputation for sex shops as well as night life and film industry. Since the early 1980s, the area has undergone considerable...
Rushes Festival and the 2002 Raindance Film Festival
Raindance Film Festival
Raindance is an independent film festival and film school that operates from various cities including: London, New York, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Budapest, Berlin and Brussels...
in London. It's terrestrial TV premiere
Premiere
A premiere is generally "a first performance". This can refer to plays, films, television programs, operas, symphonies, ballets and so on. Premieres for theatrical, musical and other cultural presentations can become extravagant affairs, attracting large numbers of socialites and much media...
came in October 2004 on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
. He also wrote Blake's Junction 7 (2004), a short comedy sci-fi film, again directed by Ben Gregor and starring Johnny Vegas
Johnny Vegas
Johnny Vegas is an English actor and comedian. He is known for his angry rants, portly figure, high husky voice and support of St Helens rugby league club. More recently he has moved into dramatic acting.-Early life:He was born in St Helens, Lancashire, the youngest of four children of Laurence...
, Mackenzie Crook, Mark Heap
Mark Heap
Mark Heap is an English actor. He began his acting career in the 1980s as a member of the Medieval Players, a touring company performing medieval and early modern theatre, and featuring stilt-walking, juggling and puppetry...
, Raquel Cassidy
Raquel Cassidy
Raquel Josephine Dominic Cassidy is an English actress. She is perhaps best known for her television roles as Susan Gately in Teachers , the Home Office Junior Minister Jo Porter in Party Animals, and Mel in Lead Balloon, as well as her various stage works.-Filmography:-Selected...
, and Martin Freeman
Martin Freeman
Martin John C. Freeman is an English actor. He is known for his roles as John in Love Actually, Tim Canterbury in the BBC's Golden Globe-winning comedy The Office, Arthur Dent in the film adaptation of Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Dr. John Watson in Sherlock and Mr. Madden...
. The film premiered at the 2004 Edinburgh Film Festival and was screened at a number of prestigious film festivals worldwide. Both of these films are now available on DVD, along with a third film entitled World of Wrestling (2007). Again written by Plester and directed by Gregor, this sensational short comedy sports film stars Mackenzie Crook, Kevin Eldon, Patrick Baladi
Patrick Baladi
Patrick Baladi was born on 25 December 1971 and is an English actor.Baladi was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. His father is a gynaecologist from Libya, and his mother was a midwife...
and Kris Marshall
Kris Marshall
Kristopher "Kris" Marshall is an English actor, best known for his role as Nick Harper in My Family, and as Adam in the adverts for BT Group since 2005.-Career:...
. It premiered at the 2007 Calgary Film Festival and was a "Highly Commended" selection for the 2007 Turner Classic Shorts award.
Writing credits for stage include; Marilyn Meets Bobby & Johnny (winner of the 1992/93 'National Student Playwright Of The Year' award), Holloway Road (1994), All Day Breakfast (1994), Dakota (Edinburgh Festival
Edinburgh Festival
The Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for many arts and cultural festivals that take place in Edinburgh, Scotland each summer, mostly in August...
1995 and National Tour 1996), Mad Dog Killer Leper Fiend (Edinburgh Festival 1996 and Man In The Moon Theatre off London's Kings Road
Kings Road
King's Road or Kings Road, known popularly as The King's Road or The KR, is a major, well-known street stretching through Chelsea and Fulham, both in west London, England...
1997), and Yellow Longhair (Oval House Theatre in Kennington
Kennington
Kennington is a district of South London, England, mainly within the London Borough of Lambeth, although part of the area is within the London Borough of Southwark....
2000).
Acting credits for TV and film include: Control (Northsee Pictures), Kick-Ass (Universal), Shifty (Metrodome), Murphy's Law (BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
), Shoreditch Twat (Talkback
Talkback
Talkback may refer to:*Talkback , a 1983 album by the Canadian band the Spoons*Talkback, an alternate name for Marvel Comics superhero Chase Stein...
), Magicians (Universal Films), It's All Gone Pete Tong (Vertigo Films), Bad Crowd (Tiger Aspect), Heist (BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
), City Of Vice (Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
), The Hogfather (Sky), Ant Muzak (Film Club), Criminal Justice (BBC), Five Daughters (BBC), Doctor Who (BBC), Residents (BBC), Life On Mars (BBC), Hustle (BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
), Silent Witness
Silent Witness
Silent Witness is a BBC crime thriller series focusing on a team of forensic pathology experts and their investigations into various crimes. First broadcast in February 1996, the series is still airing to the present day, with a fifteenth series expected to air in January 2012. The series was...
(BBC), Casualty
Casualty (TV series)
Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
(BBC), Uncle Dad (SMG
SMG plc
STV Group plc is a Scottish media company. It is a constituent of the FTSE Fledgling Index. Originally formed as Scottish Television, it changed its name to Scottish Media Group in 1996 when it acquired Caledonian Publishing, owners of Glasgow-based newspapers The Herald and Evening Times...
), Goths (BBC), Poliakoff's Friends and Crocodiles
Friends and Crocodiles
Friends and Crocodiles is a one-off British television drama production, written and directed by Stephen Poliakoff and first broadcast on BBC One on 15 January 2006.-Overview:...
(BBC), both series of Paul Whitehouse's BAFTA-nominated Happiness (BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
), both episodes of '1066: The Battle For Middle Earth' (Channel 4), and the BAFTA-winning short film September.
In 2007, Plester completed work on a short offbeat romantic comedy entitled English Language (With English Subtitles) - which marked his directorial debut. The film premiered at the 2007 Los Angeles Film Festival, and has gone on to screen at over 45 film festivals worldwide, winning 5 awards along the way.
His award-winning 15-second film Slapphappy premiered at the 2008 Belfast Film Festival.
Tim's feature-length documentary film Way Of The Morris premiered at SXSW 2011, and received a limited release in UK cinemas before being released on DVD.