London Irish announced by Channel 4

12 February 2013

Nerys Evans, Deputy Head of Comedy, announces new comedy commission with a new series called London Irish for Channel 4. The 6 x30min series is produced by  Company Pictures. 

London Irish follows the antics of four ex-pat Northern Irish 20 somethings in London, written by someone who knows a thing or two about ‘the criac’ in world’s best city, Derry girl Lisa Mcgee. For these four friends it's not easy navigating their way through London life especially when they’re playing by rules only they get which leads to a whole load of wrongdoings.

The show will transmit on C4 in the autumn and stars Ardal O’Hanlon palying Da to Conor and Bronagh, brother and sister, (Kerr Logan and Sinead Keenan) alongside their two friends, Packy - Patrick to his mother - (Peter Campion) and Niamh (Kat Reagan).  Ma is played by Tracey Lynch.

Deputy Head of Comedy, Nerys Evans said: “It's rare to find a writer that creates such a vivid array of characters, they don't just leap off the page they grab you by the collar and drag you drown the pub for some midday shots. Lisa's writing is brilliantly funny and we're looking forward to more London Irish shenanigans.”

Writer Lisa Mcgee said: “Ultimately, it's a show about young people, who value having the craic above everything else.  The characters are children of the peace process, living in one of the greatest cities in the world and they want to have a good time. Yeah they're screwed up, they drink too much, they swear too much...but I really hope people watch the show and think, "I don't half want a night out with that lot" and love watching these four characters as much as I love writing for them.”

Executive Producer, Caroline Leddy said: “Lisa is one of the funniest writers I've met in ages. And she's a girl. And she writes brilliant jokes about boozing and shagging. I wish it was on the telly right now."

Series Producer, Liz Lewin said: “Lisa’s really captured the oddness of the English and London from her point of view. How still, after being here years, she doesn’t understand why we all complain about the tube ("But Liz, it's great!") or constantly feel the need to use the word 'literally' or get so excited about pub quizzes ("It's like an exam.  In a pub") or, and this is the big one, why we feel the need for so much order in our lives when her and her tribe seem to relish the ... disorder.  About the fact that while we all speak the same language somehow things seem to get lost in translation... 

London Irish was commissioned by Nerys Evans, Deputy Head of Comedy and is produced by Company Pictures. The Executive Producers are Caroline Leddy and Liz Lewin. The series will transmit later in 2013.

 

LONDON IRISH

Cast Biographies

Kerr Logan - Connor

Kerr was born in Dundonald Northern Ireland, but moved to England aged 12. When he was 18 he got accepted into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and graduated in the year 2010. Kerr’s theatre credits include: White Star of the North for the Belfast Lyric and Vincent River (Prime Cut Productions). For Television, Kerr played the role of Matthos Seaworth in the critically acclaimed Game of Thrones (HBO) and the role of Luke in Irish drama Six Degrees (Sterling Television).  On the big screen Kerr played the role of Feargal Sharkey in Lisa Barros D'Sa and Glenn Leyburn's Good Vibrations (Revolution Films).

 

Peter Campion – Packy

Peter trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Since Graduating in 2009 he has enjoyed a number of roles in both theatre and television. His theatre credits include 'The White Guard' at the National Theatre directed by Howard Davies, and 'Purve' at the Abbey Theatre directed by Roisin McBrinn. Television credits include, RTÉ's 'Love Hate' opposite Robert Sheehan and Aidan Gillen, RTÉ's 'Raw' and BBC Ireland's '6 Degrees'.

 

Sinéad Keenan - Bronagh

Sinéad's first role was in 1999, when she was cast as the teenage girlfriend of Cillian Murphy in the film, Sunburn. As well as a number of roles in Ireland Keenan then went on to have guest roles in Murder City, Taggart and Doctors. She also starred in the films Conspiracy of Silence and Trouble with Sex, before landing the role of Kelly Hawkins in ITV's Moving Wallpaper, which ran for two series. Sinéad is best known for playing Nina Pickering in Toby Whithouse's Being Human in which she starred for 3 years. Following her success in Being Human, Keenan has had guest roles in Victoria Wood's Mid Life Christmas, Agatha Christie's Poirot, Silent Witness and David Tennant's final episodes of Doctor Who. In 2012 Sinéad was also a regular on the second series of Lip Service on BBC3.

 

Kat Reagan – Niamh

Belfast born Kat studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London, following the completion of a BA at Queens. She graduated with a PG Dip in Musical Theatre in 2009 and her next theatre performance will be at Belfast’s MAC theatre, where Kat will play Marcy Parks in ‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’ during April and May.  In her spare time Kat enjoys competitive Céilí dancing with the Mulvenna senior ladies team.  She loves listening to trad music and often brings her voice along to sessions with friends.