Adrian Dunbar appearing in ‘Line of Duty’
ENNISKILLEN-BORN actor Adrian Dunbar could be on the winning ticket at this year’s TV BAFTAs.
The 56-year-old plays Ted Hastings in Line of Duty, which has been nominated in the drama series category.
The BAFTA TV nominations were announced last week, and Mr Dunbar described his delight at the nomination.
“We’ve worked very hard on it for a couple of years now and we’re into the third series. We’re shooting in Belfast and it’s going great, there are some wonderful actors in it.”
He added: “It’s a testament really to the writer, a guy called Jed Mercurio – he’s really the brains behind everything. We’ve him to thank for a wonderful show, it’s nice to be in a show that’s been nominated.”
The show will compete against Happy Valley, Line of Duty, The Missing and Peaky Blinders for the award.
The nomination comes just a few months after Enniskillen producer Brian Falconer won a film BAFTA for short film ‘Boogaloo and Graham’. That short was also nominated for an Oscar.
“We’ve got lots of very talented people in Fermanagh, there’s no doubt about that – especially acting wise,” Mr Dunbar added.
Living in London, Mr Dunbar returns to Enniskillen next month for the inaugural Wilde Weekend festival, running from May 1 to May 4 in recognition of the work of former Portora Royal student Oscar Wilde.
“Rather like the Beckett festival, Sean (Doran, founder) has given me the title of an artistic associate which is great so I can make suggestions of things we might do. So I’m directing a rehearsed reading of a piece called ‘The Decay of Lying’ which Wilde wrote when he was a young man. It’s a very interesting piece, a funny piece that we’re going to do in Castle Coole with Allan Corduner. He’s done a lot of movies and he’s going to be with me at Castle Coole.
“Stanley Townsend, the actor, who’s married to Orla Charlton, he’s going to be doing a rehearsed reading of De Profundis in St Michael’s and I’m directing that as well,” he said.
Mr Dunbar described the existence of both the Wilde and Beckett festival as positive for the county.
“It’s great: I’m particularly proud of two things, one that the local council have got behind us the way they have and also that the local people are giving up of their time, because we wouldn’t be able to do this without people giving their time, energy and support freely.”
Meanwhile, the actor has also been named as the first-ever patron for local counselling charity, the Aisling Centre, as part of its 25th anniversary celebrations.