Jassa to guest star in BBC's Casualty

Just over a week ago Jassa returned from filming an incredible new project in Morocco (to be announced) before playing a gig in his hometown of Leicester on Friday, and then moving to London over the weekend. Things show no sign of slowing down.

No sooner than he’d had time to unpack in his new place Jassa began filling his bags once more to spend the next few weeks in Cardiff, shooting an episode of Casualty. Jassa is due to start filming tomorrow at the BBC’s Roath Lock studios in Cardiff Bay. Broadcast is scheduled for late October.

Jassa is appearing as a guest lead in an episode directed by Graeme Harper. Graeme is best known for his work on Doctor Who and is the only person to have directed episodes of both the original series and the revived run.

Casualty is the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. A survey published by Radio Times magazine in March 2004 revealed that Casualty has featured more future stars than any other UK soap or drama series. Actors who appeared in the show prior to becoming major successes include Kate Winslet, Orlando Bloom, Minnie Driver, Christopher Eccleston, Parminder Nagra, Ray Winstone and David Walliams.

“Appearing in Casualty feels like I’ve been given a stamp of approval as a British actor! I didn’t think I’d get that after The Bill shut up shop. I’ve got a great part in a great episode with an exceptionally experienced director. I’m also really looking forward to the challenge of the role; it’s unlike anything else I’ve done so far. I hope I can continue to follow in the footsteps of the many talented people who have come before me.” - Jassa

Quite what the challenge will be remains to be seen. Casualty is a BBC Cymru Wales production and is broadcast on BBC One.

Jassa wraps on Some Girls for BBC Three/Hat Trick Productions

Jassa has just finished filming in South London on Some Girls, a vibrant new comedy series for BBC Three from Hat Trick Productions. The series consists of six half-hour episodes. It is due to air late summer this year.

"Working alongside fellow up and coming actors as well as established names, on and behind the camera, and with such a hilarious script has been a real privilege. It took several read throughs before I could stop laughing and even then I got caught out a few times on set. Watching the series come to life has been a phenomenal experience. I've learnt so much and I'm incredibly proud to be a part of Some Girls." Jassa.

Some Girls is about the lives and loves of an odd-bod group of 16-year-old school girls who are on the same football team. They live in and out of each others' dramas at school and at home, where they all live on the same grim estate. They struggle against teachers, boys, sex, puberty and gossip - very little of which is about football.

At the heart of the comedy is Viva (Adelayo Adedayo, Skins), whose ambition is to “stay motivated” and become a top child psychologist on Living. In the meantime she’s happy analysing her friends and a certain boy she meets, Rocky (Jassa Ahluwalia). His charisma and cheeky arrogance make him extremely fanciable but he has a history of getting into fights. Despite being a good girl, Viva is very attracted to Rocky, but also finds him a little intimidating.

Viva lives with her Dad Rob (Colin Salmon, Rev, Todd Margaret, James Bond, Resident Evil) who is “hot for an old guy” and her stepmother Anna (Dolly Wells, Spy, Star Stories, Campus), a New Zealander who also happens to be Viva's sadistic PE teacher. Viva is great friends with Holli (Natasha Jonas, Attack the Block) whose entertaining, violent outbursts are legendary. Saz (Mandeep Dhillon, Some Dogs Bite) and Amber (Alice Felgate, The Cabin) complete the gang. They talk about everything from history homework to the weirdness of foreskins to their ambitions in life. They share everything: their clothes, their moods, their secrets and - occasionally - their mothers' tranquillisers.

Some Girls is among the first Comedy Commissions from BBC Three Controller Zai Bennett who comments:

“BBC Three is the channel that breaks new comedy in the UK. Our mission is not only to make our audiences laugh, but also to make them think. We are delighted that Some Girls is joining our already exciting stable of comedy.”

Producer Justin Davies adds: 

“Some Girls is laugh out loud, a snapshot of four underdogs.   It is an unadulterated celebration of teenage life; messy, sexy and a little bit wrong – but always lots of fun.”

Some Girls is written by Bernadette Davis who co-created and wrote the 1990's hit Game On. It is produced by Justin Davies (Absolutely Fabulous, Beautiful People, Psychoville) and directed by Adam Miller (Mongrels). The Executive Producer is Helen Williams (Spy, The Armstrong & Miller Show, Fonejacker). It is a Hat Trick Production for BBC Three.

The value of the arts and the power of children’s TV

I saw this photo of a show report being shared on Twitter recently and it resonated with me instantly. I had had a similar experience while playing Aladdin over the festive period. During the run I had the privilege to go out front after each performance and meet families who had come to see the show. Seeing the sheer wonder in children’s eyes as they came out of the auditorium was truly magical. It also gave me the opportunity to speak to Art Attack fans which usually entailed an extremely excitable (or equally shy) child telling me about art attacks they had made at home. Such encounters were typically followed by a parent holding me responsible for paint stains on their new carpet. I met some lovely people and was touched to know that I had become a small part of their lives.

One story however really stood out, will remain with me forever and came straight into my head when I saw the above photo. It comes from Michelle Adamson-Mitchell. I first spoke to her on Twitter before meeting her after a performance along with her children, Lochlan and Maddison. I found what she told me so moving that I got in touch with Michelle recently to find out more. She has very kindly agreed to share her family’s story in her own words:

Maddison wasn't sleeping, eating, walking or talking by the age of two but she was extremely OCD; everything had to be the same way every single time and if it wasn't she would completely freak out as if it was the end of the world. Apart from me, her brother and my mam, dad and brother she couldn't be around anyone without having panic attacks. After a year of doctors and health visitors saying that it was stress related, due to my ex husband’s alcoholism and violence and leaving 3 months before she was born, they came to the conclusion that she was more than likely autistic. I disagreed with until I was blue in the face.

There's only 15 months age difference between her and her brother, Lochlan, and he has always been very protective of her and did everything for her. So when he started full time school she started improving very slowly. She's always loved nothing more than having a pencil/pen and paper and drawing for hours. Then I saw the publicity for you being the new presenter of Art Attack and I remembered how much I loved the show when I was a child. I must add here that I did try her with Neil and she didn't like him, ha ha J.  I sat her down with me on your very first show and it was the longest she'd ever been quiet since she'd been born!

I recorded the shows for her and my parents did the same and that was all she ever watched. She still does now but recites them word for word, which shows how much you are on our TV! She started half day nursery when she was three and she didn't say more than a barely audible yes or no to her teacher for the first six months. I told her teacher to do something arty with her. When I picked her up her teacher was in tears; she couldn't believe that something as simple as stencils had worked!

Maddison turned five in September and is now in full time school and excelling at art. According to her teacher her skills are that of a nine year old. I took her to the doctors in October for chickenpox issues and they still referred her back to the autism specialists. The specialists said that she was so far from being autistic that it was a waste of time being there; she is just a very shy little girl. That is until you sit her down with her art and craft box and she'll show you something that 'her Jassa' showed her how to make. Yes my friend, you now belong to a five year old. Ha ha J. She's now caught up with everything and is a regular five year old girl, which wouldn't have been the case if it wasn't for you.  You've helped the three of us more than you'll ever know and it was an honour to get to meet you and let you know her story. xo xo xo

To be a part of a show that can inspire a child so profoundly is incredibly rewarding. This is a true testament to the value of the arts and the power of children’s TV.

You can follow Michelle on Twitter @____Shelby____

Jassa x

Jassa to attend the London premiere of Resistance

On Sunday 20th November, Jassa will be attending the London premiere of Resistance at the Curzon Mayfair. Jassa provided vocal performances in Russian for the film that looks set to dominate independent cinema screens across the nation.

With the film boasting a fine selection of British stars, including Michael Sheen, Andrea Riseborough, Iwan Rheon (Misfits) and Stanislav Ianevski (Krum in Harry Potter), the premiere promises to be a star studded occasion.

Fittingly HRH the Prince of Wales will be attending the Welsh premiere the following day.

Resistance is set in an alternative 1944, the D-Day Landings have failed, Germany has invaded and Britain is now under enemy occupation. In the Olchon Valley, a group of Welsh farmers’ wives wake up one morning to find their husbands have vanished. As they await the men’s return the women work together to keep things going. But as the winter sets in a patrol of German soldiers arrives, forcing the women to confront the fine line that lies between resistance and collaboration.

Though the powerful big name performances and stunning snow covered scenery may have you believe otherwise, Resistance is not a big budget production. The integrity and authenticity of the film comes from the acute attention to detail. This was where Jassa came in; he provided the voices of various Russian partisans.

Jassa studied Russian at University College London, the top university in the country for Slavonic and Eastern European studies. During his time in Russia and at UCL Jassa found that the grammar was among the most complex of any living language but reading and the accent came to him quite easily. Many of the sounds in Russian are similar to sounds used in Punjabi* and both languages use non-Latin alphabets. As a result Jassa can perform very convincingly in Russian. The combined efforts of details such as these lend Resistance its big budget production value which has been making headlines.

Resistance is out in selected cinemas on 25th November.

For more information visit www.facebook.com/resistancemovie

*to discover more about Jassa's heritage visit Biography