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Emma & Nick on TV

Over the last few years, we are proud to have worked on a number of TV programmes for the BBC that include Father Brown and Shakespeare & Hathaway.

For each episode, our brief has been to:

1. Oversee the final drafts of the script with respect to the dance and music together with editing relevant dialogue.
2. Research appropriate and contemporaneous music within the constraints of copyright.
3. Choreograph all dance sequences. These have included: slow waltz, viennese waltz, polka, ballroom samba, charleston, quickstep, paso doble etc.
4. Recruit the dancers.
5. Train the dancers, the actors and extras.
6. Act as on-set consultants for the dance and dance music.

Here are some of the shows that we have both appeared in and acted as dance and music consultants.


Father Brown is a British television period drama which began airing on BBC One on 14 January 2013. It features Mark Williams as the eponymous crime-solving Roman Catholic priest. The series is loosely based on short stories by G. K. Chesterton of the same name. Staring; Mark Williams, Emer Kenny and Sorcha Cusack.


Series 6, episode 7, The Dance of Death was aired on 9 January 2018


The Dance of Death. Tulle over voluminous petticoats, starched collars and a hard dickie was the order of the day. Finding music that was authentic, that the band could play and for which the BBC had permission to use was a nightmare, but we did it.


The Dance of Death. Emma and I are in the thick of it on the right. The dancing took place on location in the main hall of Ditchley Park, Oxfordshire. It's smaller than it looks and it was hats off to the dancers in avoiding the other dancers, the camera and sound crews as well as the lighting rigs and all the other paraphernalia.


The Dance of Death. It wasn't all dancing, just take a glance at my look of horror at what's just unfolded. We are quite often asked to take part in non-dancing scenes as, in the words of several directors, we both have screen presence and expressive, distinctive looks. God help us!


The Dance of Death. Emma's triple take at the next twist in the tale has to be seen. Yes, we are asked to act, and no mistake.


The Dance of Death. The look of concentration. I know who did it! When we receive the scripts, usually a month or two before shooting (if we are lucky) we are sworn to absolute secrecy. It would be a disaster of biblical proportions if the killer were to be unmasked prematurely.


Series 9, episode 10 (The 100th episode and New Year's special), The Red Death was aired on 14 January 2022


The Red Death. All the action takes place at the 1954 New Year's masquerade ball. Once again, we are in the main hall of a stately home; this time Kirtlington Park in Oxfordshire.


The Red Death. Navigation was a problem for this viennese waltz. The cameras etc. notwithstanding, the masks afforded limited vision and the earpieces that the men use to listen to the music kept dropping out both electronically and physically!


The Red Death. Dancing upon carpet is always a challenge. Dancing a polka is always a challenge. Doing both together deserves a medal.


The Red Death. At this point, Emma got her heel caught in the hem of the excessively long dress she was wearing. Like a true professional she battled on with the viennese, on one leg! You can't tell on camera; I could. But what wonderful poise and smile she maintains whilst... hopping.


The Red Death. It's all action in this episode. It's fun to watch and partake in the fight scenes, albeit from a distance. This one ended in a rather nasty hostage situation, no less. They are all friends when the camera stops rolling... sorry, turning.


Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators is a British drama mystery television series set in Stratford-upon-Avon and produced by BBC Birmingham. The first series was broadcast in February 2018. It features Mark Benton as Frank Hathaway and Jo Joyner as Luella Shakespeare. The series is not loosely based on any play (nor tragedy, nor comedy) by William Shakespeare.


Series 4, episode 2, If Music be the Food of Love was aired on 15 February 2022.


If Music be the Food of Love. Oh, lovely! Such a happy couple. The barn at Silo Studios, Warwickshire, was dreadfully narrow - you couldn't have used it as a real dance school. But, such is life and the magic of TV.


If Music be the Food of Love. I don't know what I'm grinning at, nor at what I'm looking. Probably some power cable or dead body that we've managed to successfully negotiate.


If Music be the Food of Love. Emma's first speaking part. She recites the classic line: "Beatie?". Capital, capital!


If Music be the Food of Love. Oh, good God, looks like Rebecca's found another leak in the roof or is she looking for divine inspiration? But more to the point what's Patrick doing? Actually, Patrick, who plays Sebastian, was amazingly good at picking up the steps to the samba and cha cha cha and adding his own brilliant take on them.


If Music be the Food of Love. Emma's off on her own here. I'm not entirely sure where her partner has gone. Another one bites the dust.


If Music be the Food of Love. A bit of paso doble at the Holly Bush pub, Alcester. I'm led to believe that it's an everyday occurrence there. The room was very small and poor Patrick and Jo were right up against it; the wall, that is. The camera was poking its nose in through the door and the sound engineer had to use a truncated boom. Had there been a cat on set, it would have had a sore head.


If Music be the Food of Love. Both Danny John Jules and Ruthie Henshall were stars when it came to the last dance. They danced the quickstep/charleston with aplomb. What truly professional artists they both are.


If Music be the Food of Love. Mark Benton is seen here with Jo Joyner dancing the first part of a cha cha cha that we put together. It was danced in the beer garden of the Holly Bush. It's the look on Jo's face that makes me laugh. But not to worry, all was under control as Mark, having not only appeared on Strictly, was apparently "Middlesborough Latin champion, under tens" no less. Well done him.


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Behind the Scenes


Featuring a camera, some of the crew and the mat upon which the dead fall.


Looks like we are heading out to compete - again.


It's the sort of pose they get the royal family to do. All I'm missing are my medals (ASA bronze medal in personal survival and IDTA tarnished silver in disco) and couple of lengths of gold brocade.


Going through the steps outside. Quite often the goalposts are moved at the very last minute.


This makes me grin every time I look at it.


Emma's wig was 100% human hair and weighed a ton. It did look absolutely fabulous and so does she.


Just time for a group photo.


Emma and I now await the flood of calls that will certainly come from casting agencies, film companies, television studios and the like. Our agent, Berny Affpuddle at Matching Tie, is braced ready for the storm! Or, if Berny is unavailable, Nick can be contacted directly on 07710 147471.