Articles Where Are They Now - Adrift Cast? by DJ Forrest

Adrift first aired in 2008, and was directed by Mark Everest and written by Chris Chibnall. It starred the regular cast, along with Ruth Jones, Robert Pugh and Lorna Gayle.

It told of the negative rift spikes that would take people away to ravaged planets where they’d spend years trying to get home, aged and mad. It told of young Jonah Bevan walking home across the barrage, watched by his Mum. In the next instance, he was gone. Vanished. Which led Andy Davidson to call on Gwen, to find the missing persons. This led to her finding out about Flat Holm Island, and the Disappeared.

Ruth Jones

‘Nikki’

"Promise me you won't do this to anyone else. Before, I had the memory. Whenever I thought of him, I'd see him laughing with his mates, playing football, scoffing his breakfast. And now I just hear that, that terrible noise."

Nikki Bevan was happier when she knew her son might be out there somewhere. When she learnt of the trauma her son had gone through and what he had become, it broke her.

To be fair, Ruth Jones needs no introduction. For those of us who have seen back to back episodes of Gavin & Stacey and Stella, we know who she is, and we can't wait for the Christmas edition of Gavin & Stacey which is currently being filmed in Barry as we speak.

Since Torchwood, Ruth has played character roles in Tess of the D'Urbervilles, Little Dorrit, The Street, Ar y Tracs, Agatha Christie's Marple, Igam Ogam, The Great Outdoors, The Vicar of Dibley, Eat Locals, Stella, Nativity Rocks! and of course Gavin & Stacey.

Robert Pugh

‘Jonah’

“I was walking home. There was a light. I woke up and the land was on fire. There were flames for miles on end. A man pulled me from the flames, took me to a building where they tried to work on the burns. I thought I was going to die. I don't remember when the ground started shaking. And then I realised it wasn't a building after all. It was a rescue craft. The last off a burning planet. We watched the Solar System burn. It was so beautiful.”

When Jonah returned, he was very much the older man, changed and scarred by the ravages of a burning planet, and went crazy staring into the heart of a dark star. What he'd seen had driven him mad. His primal screams go on for 20 hours, and his best phases grow less by the day.

Robert Pugh has appeared in many familiar dramas and shows, including Doctor Who during the 11th Doctor's incarnation as Tony Mack in the two parter The Hungry Earth and Cold Blood in 2010.

Since Torchwood, Robert has played characters for Silent Witness, Lark Rise to Candleford, Robin Hood, Into the Storm, Framed, Accused, Justice, The Shadow Line, Midsomer Murders, Hunky Dory, The Hollow Crown, Shameless, Love Bite, Game of Thrones, Inspector George Gently, Atlantis, Doctor Foster, Mr Selfridge, Damilola, Our Loved Boy, Canaries, Knightfall, Vanity Fair, and has just completed Eternal Beauty as Dennis, and currently in post production with Chariot as Len Lewys-Jones.

Lorna Gayle

‘Helen’

"You've seen him in the good phase. It gets briefer every day. It really might be best if you leave."

Helen took care of those taken by the negative rift spikes on Flat Holm Island. Jack told her that the patients had been used in experiments.

Since Torchwood Helen has played many character roles since 2008, from a Passenger in The Dark Knight, Rose Watt and Lorraine Jackson in The Bill. Bimpe in This is England '86 in 2010, Phoebe Richards in Silk in 2011. Dancing on the Edge as Edith in 2013, a Bus Driver in Love Matters in 2013 also. A Midwife in Utopia a year later. As Colette and Irene Daniels in Eastenders from 2005 - 2015, Shontal in Fried in the same year. A Midwife again, this time in Cuckoo in 2016, Ella Chambers and Fay Harrison for Holby City from 2015 - 2017. Gracie Fields and Mrs Adeoye in Doctors from 2013 - 2017, Gloria in The Rebel in 2017, Margaret in Carmilla in 2019 and has just completed a film short Shift the Plane as Danny's Mum.

Oliver Ferriman

‘Young Jonah’

(texts) Chill.:-P

Young Jonah managed to reply to his Mum's text as he crossed to the middle of the barrage bridge before a negative rift spike destroyed his life forever.

Oliver Ferriman played Dai in Granny of the Dead in 2017. Weirdly there are two Oliver Ferriman’s on Internet, but not much written about the one in question. 

Philippa Burt

‘Dweller (uncredited)’

On the island, underground, Phillippa played one of the dwellers of the island, unable to return home after being taken by a negative rift spike. I think Philippa played the character who was watching the television in the room, and turned to face Gwen, her face scarred at one side.

Prior to her role in Torchwood, Phillipa played a peasant, again uncredited in the Doctor Who episode The Family of Blood in 2007.

Since Torchwood, Burt has played a host of uncredited and credited roles from an Air Hostess in Gavin & Stacey, a Professor in Bonekickers, and a Court Attendant in Poirot episode Mrs McGinty's Dead in 2008. Herman's wife in LifeSpam: My Child is French, and a Maid in Desperate Romantics in 2009.

Interviews Peter Stray of Canaries movie by DJ Forrest

Hi Peter, Canaries movie – are we talking little yellow song birds used for mining, or are we looking at a threat of attacking Birds akin to Hitchcock film?

What is so sinister about Canaries in your movie and can you tell us more about your film? 

Peter: The title in some ways is open to interpretation, a la “Reservoir Dogs” but also if you look at a Department of Defence Folder in the film you’ll spot its headed ‘Project Canary’ – as a UFO geek I was thinking of a logical next step to Project Blue Book, which was a real US Government investigation into flying saucers. So, delving into the plot without too many spoilers, we meet American characters who operate in very much an X-Files / Bourne style world, and a bunch of drunken Welsh people on New Year’s Eve, more in the world you or I might have experienced in any number of pubs! How those worlds collide is another story…

How are you distributing the film, will it be through festivals, streaming or cinema?

Peter: We’ll be submitting to festivals and meeting with sales agents. In fact, some people who saw the IMDB page, and were intrigued by the plot and the cast have already approached us.

Is it crowdfunded, as many seem to be these days?

Peter: Not in a public sense – we crowd funded it through word of mouth without having to do a public internet campaign. Dominique Dauwe is our Exec Producer and he sourced most of the funding. Others contributed by providing key elements for free or not much at all – UK producer Craig Russell and US producer Steve Dunayer have places near our locations, so they were able to house cast and crew.

You have three familiar faces from Torchwood in your film, Kai Owen, Steven Meo and Robert Pugh – are these actors the main cast, and is the film mostly set around Wales?

Peter: Yes, it is – although key scenes were also shot on Martha’s Vineyard, location for Jaws, (If you watch the trailer, you might spot a familiar ferry) Washington DC and Vietnam. Kai, Steven and Bob were all brilliant. Top actors and top people –they loved the script and were keen to help out.

What part of Wales is the story based? Is it a fictitious place?

Peter: We’re very proud that Wales is not only in the film, but it plays itself. I believe we’re also the first to shoot in Lower Cwmtwrch, a beautiful - and real - place, which is the ‘star’ of the film.

How different is your film to what is currently in the cinema or coming to it this year?

Peter: It is certainly by far the best and only film to be shot in the USA, Vietnam and Lower Cwmtwrch! Also, it’s a sci-fi-horror-comedy, or sciforroromedy if you will, and there aren’t as many of those about. Some films in that vein want to be heavily comic and almost make fun of the horror or sci fi genre - but I think we’ve blended the genres in such a way you’ll feel the creepiness, tension and humour without it being jarring. Some good tone-setters when writing and shooting were Attack the Block and Cabin in the Woods. You laugh with - and get to know and like - the characters. Then feel genuinely sad when they die horribly.

How do your aliens differ from what we’ve come to expect from sci fi?

Peter: Well, anyone expecting large CGI creatures with ten eyes will be disappointed – they’re all practical. I love zombies, vampires and little green men, but we've created something a bit different – the mythology of the aliens and how our villains were created is totally unique. We had a tremendous make up team in Jess Heath and Alice Pinney and a great sculptor named Helena James-Lewis who helped make our villains creepy and memorable.

Kevin McCurdy, who we recently interviewed is also in the film – are we to expect a fair bit of fisticuffs and fight scenes?

Peter: Oh yeeees! It’s not all out action straight away – I’m a fan of the slow build. But Kev brought along a terrific team of actor-fighters and himself was a tremendous force on set. Richard Mylan (Waterloo Road, Don’t Knock Twice) who plays Nav has worked on tons of films and TV but was just saying how much he learnt from Kev and his fight scenes. You will see punch-ups, gory deaths and inventive use of everyday objects as weapons!

Is this your first movie project? If not, what have you worked on before that we may have seen?

Peter: This is my first feature film, yes. Before this I wrote and directed four shorts and two series, including “Secludio” (www.secludio.com) about a guy living in a cabin trying to finish his novel and skyping the outside world - each episode is about 5 mins and features a tremendous cast.

As an actor, I’ve been in tons of plays plus a small role in “Lost” and a TV movie with Summer Glau from “Firefly”. I’m a total geek for all that stuff which is why I wanted to make “Canaries” – it’s the film I’d want to discover as an audience member. I’ve also just had a screenplay optioned that someone else is directing, and I’m loving the collaboration.

When can we expect to see the film?

Peter: This year will have special screenings and festivals – hopefully by the end of the year it’ll be available to everyone.

Will there be a sequel?

Peter: I would love that. I think the characters and the mythology are rich enough that it can expand in several different ways - there are several elements to the ‘story bible’ that can be paid off in future films.

How important is it to you that the cast was diverse and strong?

Peter: There’s a larger conversation to be had about diversity in the industry and it was a challenge to find non-Caucasian actors to audition for some roles.

So many actors-of-colour either never made it to drama school through lack of opportunity (or got out and instantly went to Hollywood!) but we tried to make it as diverse as we could within the casting resources we had.

Given my influences and being raised by a feminist anthropologist – there are hopefully no thankless female roles in the film and we have a great, diverse cast.

This is not just a British enterprise, is it?

Peter: Post-production is a totally international event!

We have a great post production team finishing off the film right now – Milk VFX (Oscar winners for Ex Machina) in London, composer Marengast (LA) some great songs form terrific artists, (all over the place) sound mixer Paul Tristram, (Cardiff) editor Anthony Arkin, and colourist Artificial Peach (both NYC).

Thank you, Peter, for a great interview.

To see the trailer released last Thursday, then copy and paste, or click on the link below. I personally cannot wait for the release of the film. It looks awesome.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdIAA7kv9QY