About the Cast
Joanne Miller: Nellie Gordon, NDP backbencher
As an actor, director and writer, Joanne has extensive experience in leading theatres across Canada including the Stratford Festival, Theatre Passe Muraille, the Grand Theatre, the Globe Theatre, Persephone Theatre, the Banff Centre, Neptune Theatre, Eastern Front Theatre, the Stephenville Festival, Mulgrave Road Theatre and many others. She has produced and written radio drama and satirical commentary for CBC Radio as well as numerous plays for the stage. Her most recent play, Cradle and All, will be featured at Calgary's Lunch Box theatre. Joanne's film credits include most recently Halo, DWB, Bernard the Magician, and Stu and Fitz Go to Hell. She is the voice of Olliver in the Gemini award-winning animated series Olliver's Adventures on Teletoon. Joanne has been delighted to imagine herself as a member of Parliament and work with Peggy Hemsworth, Wendy Lill and Pat Martin and all of the terrific Nova Scotian actors featured in CBC's Backbencher. She lives in Halifax with her three children, two cats and her exceptionally talented husband Christopher Shore.
Lee J. Campbell: Herb Proctor, Tory backbencher
Lee J. lives in beautiful Portuguese Cove, Nova Scotia. To support this idyllic lifestyle, he works as an actor, director and teacher. Recent favorites include directing Sunnyside Café, acting in The Gin Game at Valley Summer Theatre, A Ship Portrait at Ship's Company and Out the Meadow for Forerunners Co-op. One of his greatest joys is turning high school students on to his great love of Shakespeare.
Louise Renault: Renée LeBlanc, Nellie's Admin Assistant
Louise began her professional life working backstage in theatres in Montreal and Toronto. She then began her work as an Assistant Director on over 60 film and television productions across Canada. Since 1996, Louise has found a niche in Halifax as a voice-over performer, working in both official languages. Louise is currently filling in as co-host of Information Morning, on CBC radio one in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She has been truly enjoying the process of discovering who Renée really is in the company of such a strong cast, great production team and excellent writing. She lives in Jollimore, Nova Scotia with her husband J, and their dog.
Christopher Shore: Lars Edmunds, NDP MP Christopher is overjoyed to be working with Peggy Hemsworth, Pat Martin, Wendy Lill and the many talented Nova Scotian actors working on Backbencher. Christopher is a successful actor and writer and has appeared in many of Canada's leading theatres. Christopher has written for CBC Radio, the children's animated television series Olliver's Adventures, and produced numerous plays for the stage. Christopher's film credits include Sea Wolf, Just Buried, October 1970, Trudeau II and Shattered City: The Halifax Explosion. Christopher lives in Halifax with his three children and his multi-talented wife, Joanne Miller, who plays the lead character Nellie in Backbencher.
Nigel Bennett: Charlie Dunn, Leader of the NDP Nigel Bennett moved to Canada over 20 years ago and has become one of the busiest actors around. He has worked as a series regular on five Canadian-shot series (Forever Knight, Psi Factor, Lexx, At The Hotel, and The Border) and appeared in guest roles in many more. Nigel has appeared on the big screen in, among others, Murder at 1600, Narrow Margin, The Skulls and Strike! He also works widely in theatre and will be seen at the Stratford Festival in 2010. On radio, he has been featured in many episodes of the long running series IDEAS. He is very pleased to be working with Wendy Lill and Peggy Hemsworth once again. His website is www.blackhatstation.com
Jacob Robertson: Ben Gordon, Nellie's 12-year-old sonJacob Robertson lives in Bedford, NS with his mom, dad and three younger brothers. Jacob's acting career began with the Global hit production Are You Smarter than a Canadian 5th Grader? During that experience, Jacob discovered his passion for performing and working with directors and crews. Jacob's film credits include a lead in Darwin's Darkest Hour with PBS/National Geographic where he had the pleasure of working with Ian Cusick and Francis O'Connor. In the fall of 2009, Jacob worked with Jason Priestley on a principal role in Meet Phil Fitz for the Movie Network. Radio drama has become another passion of Jacob's!
Deborah Allen: Catherine Gordon, Nellie's mother
Deborah began her professional career over 40 years ago at Neptune Theatre in Halifax as their first apprentice. Since then she has worked as an actor, director, producer and coach. She has had extensive experience on screen as well appearing in films like Snow Angels and as a recurring character on Black Harbour. Deb has loved and been involved in radio for many years. She was the original afternoon show host for CBC Charlottetown from 1978-82 as well as frequent freelancer for CBC Maritimes. She also keeps busy with voice-over work for commercials, film and museum installations.
Geneviève Steele: Tina Simmons, Nellie's campaign managerGeneviève Steele was born in Montreal but has lived in Nova Scotia most of her life (with the exception of a ten-year stint in Toronto). Happy to be back on the east coast and thrilled to be involved in Wendy Lill's series Backbencher, Geneviève is no stranger to radio drama. She has performed on Clean Sweep, Peggy Delaney, The Old Guy and Homestead. Her theatre work includes playing Lady Macbeth (Shakespeare by the Sea), Sir Andrew Aguecheek (LunaSea) and Rita in Educating Rita (Festival Antigonish Summer Theatre). She has toured all over Canada and the U.S. with Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia. In 2009 she went to Tehran with One Light Theatre's production of The Veil.
Cory Bowles: Sean Higgins, Nellie's East Nova Office AssistantOriginally from Truro, NS, Cory is the principle choreographer and director of the companies Verve Mwendo and Black Rabbit Films, and has created over 40 works for the stage and film.
A sought after teacher and instructor, his workshops take him throughout Canada. He has received a Gemini for his role of "Cory" in the hit television series Trailer Park Boys, provides the voice for the animated series Poko, and wrote and directed the award winning short film The Scavengers which has enjoyed screenings worldwide. He is stoked to be back with CBC radio after his first run, playing the character Robbie Singh in Y Soccer.
Susan Stackhouse: Anna Dobchuck, NDP House leaderSusan Stackhouse is an actor and a voice and speech specialist.Susan began her career at the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake and spent sixteen seasons as a member of the acting ensemble and as a voice coach. She has performed at many other theatres across Canada including the Royal Alexandra, Blyth Festival, Theatre New Brunswick, Young People's Theatre, Persephone, Kawartha, Festival Antigonish, Ship's Company and Neptune. Her career as an educator has afforded her opportunities to teach at George Brown College, Ryerson and NTS and since 1996 Susan has been an Associate Professor in the Department of Theatre at Dalhousie University.
Christian Murray: Ray Brady, Hill Reporter Christian Murray is an actor, writer and director based in Halifax. Recently he performed in Artistic Fraud of NFLD's Afterimage that won Robert Chafe the Governor General's Award for Drama in 2010. He is a co founder of Frankie Productions and Jest in Time Theatre and a protégé of the late great Tony Montanaro. Christian traveled the world with Jest and their original style of physical comedy. Highlights include a tour of Japan, a performance for Queen Elizabeth, three national CBC specials and performances at the Sydney Opera House. He toured New Zealand with Mulgrave Road Theatre's Lauchie Liza & Rory.
Eugene Sampang: Javier Reyes, Liberal MP, Justice CommitteeEugene was born in Newfoundland and raised in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. He is also of Filipino descent. This combination is often referred to as a "Flewfie", a rare breed indeed. A graduate of the Vancouver Film School acting program, Eugene spent 5 years in Vancouver auditioning and acting in various film, TV productions, commercials and sketch comedy.
He returned to Halifax in 2008 and is excited to be part of the Backbencher cast.
He returned to Halifax in 2008 and is excited to be part of the Backbencher cast.
Kevin Kincaid: Arthur Jones, Nellie's Campaign ManagerKevin Kincaid grew up outside of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. Kevin attended the theatre program at Dalhousie University in Halifax and from there attended RADA in London, England where he focused his studies on Shakespeare. Notable acting roles include: Brutus in JULIUS CAESAR, Sir Toby Belch in 12th NIGHT, Prospero in THE TEMPEST, John in Mamet's OLEANNA, Geronte in MOLIERE'S SCAPIN and King Lear in KING LEAR. Kevin's film and
TV roles include Charles Wahl's WEBDULTERY, Stephen King's HAVEN, Tom Fitzgerald's CLOUDBURST and his own recently produced film for the CBC/Film NS Bridge Award, called BERNARD THE MAGICIAN.
TV roles include Charles Wahl's WEBDULTERY, Stephen King's HAVEN, Tom Fitzgerald's CLOUDBURST and his own recently produced film for the CBC/Film NS Bridge Award, called BERNARD THE MAGICIAN.
Sebastien LaBelle: Sylvain Corbeil, Bloc MP, Justice Committee Originally from Aylmer, Quebec, Sébastien now resides in Halifax where he graduated from the Dalhousie Acting Program. Sébastien performs primarily on stage and has recently
collaborated with 2b Theatre, Two Planks and a Passion Theatre, The Irondale Ensemble
Project and Vile Passéist Theatre. He has also worked as administrator for Zuppa Theatre Co. and the Nova Scotia High School Drama Festival. Sébastien was awarded the Charles and Mary MacLennan Bursary by the Dalhousie Department of Theatre and also received the 2011 Theatre Nova Scotia Scholarship enabling him to study with Bread and Puppet Theatre in Vermont.
collaborated with 2b Theatre, Two Planks and a Passion Theatre, The Irondale Ensemble
Project and Vile Passéist Theatre. He has also worked as administrator for Zuppa Theatre Co. and the Nova Scotia High School Drama Festival. Sébastien was awarded the Charles and Mary MacLennan Bursary by the Dalhousie Department of Theatre and also received the 2011 Theatre Nova Scotia Scholarship enabling him to study with Bread and Puppet Theatre in Vermont.
Mary Vingoe: Wanda Greyson, Tory MP, Justice Committee
Mary is an actor, director, Artistic Director, teacher and playwright who has worked across Canada. Recently she directed Mary Colin Chisholm's 'To capture Light' for Mulgrave Rd. Theatre and Colleen Wagner's 'Home' at the Busstop Theatre. Mary is past Artistic Director of the Magnetic North Theatre Festival at Canada's National Arts Centre in Ottawa. She has directed for major theatres across the country and has acted for stage, radio TV and film.
In 2010 she was made Officer of the Order of Canada.
In 2010 she was made Officer of the Order of Canada.
Sharon Bernbaum: Claire Richards, Renee's partnerSharon was born in Montreal, grew up in Toronto, but now calls Halifax home. She is so thrilled to be making her radio drama debut as Claire Richards and to be working with Peggy Hemsworth and Wendy Lill. Some theatres Sharon has worked at over the years are Neptune Theatre, Theatre New Brunswick, Onelight Theatre, Winnipeg Jewish Theatre, Blyth Festival, Theatre Aquarius, Sudbury Theatre Centre, Manitoba Theatre Centre, Persephone Theatre.
Anthony Black: Leon James, Nellie's old flameAnthony Black is an award-winning theatre artist who works as an actor, playwright, director, designer, and as artistic co-director of Halifax's internationally acclaimed 2b theatre company. His solo show, Invisible Atom, has toured across Canada, to Ireland, Scotland, New York City, and Australia. Anthony is a graduate of York University and the National Theatre School of Canada.
Lise Cormier: Misty Simmons, Tina's sisterLise Cormier was born in Halifax. She graduated with honours from Sheridan Institute's Music Theatre Performance Program in 2008. Lise has worked on the Neptune Theatre mainstage as Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol, John Henry West in The Member of the Wedding and Young Louise in Gypsy.Recently, Lise appeared in the short films 'Heroes' and 'Stu and Fitz Go to Hell'. Lise is thrilled to be playing Misty on CBC's Backbencher, working with such a talented cast and crew!
Hans Böggild: Rudy the cabbie
Hans Böggild is thrilled to play Rudy the cabbie in The Backbencher. Hans has worked across Canada as a playwright, producer, director, dramaturg, story editor, teacher, and actor. He has a BA from Dalhousie and holds an MFA in directing from the University of Alberta. He was also Special Research Fellow in Playwriting at the Yale Drama School, one of America's leading centers for new play development. His production of "The Satchmo' Suite", which he co-wrote with Doug Innis, has had seven runs across Canada over the last several years, including Eastern Front Theatre, The Neptune Studio, The Magnetic North Western Canada Theatre, and Manitoba Theatre Centre.
Shelley Thompson: Rhonda AkbariRaised in Alberta, trained in the UK, Shelley Thompson is a CFA who feels very much at home in Nova Scotia. Shelley's favorite work in NS includes: Ariel-The Tempest, Viola-Twelfth Night at the Atlantic Theatre Festival, Closer- Neptune Theatre, Shakespeare Unplugged-Willpower Productions and the Globe Theatre Regina. She was awarded a Nova Scotia Theatre Award (Merritt) for Bob Metcalfe's 2009 FAST production. Television, radio and film have been extensive, working often for the CBC and BBC. She is Barb (Trailer Park Boys) but recently she's been most proud of Wake, a short film by Jeremy Webb.
David Christoffel: Galen Cameron, Liberal MP from Cumberland StraitOriginally from Saskatchewan, David Christoffel brings a wide range of experience to Backbencher. A graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada, he has worked in theatre, film and television across the country. Highlights include work at the Globe Theatre (Regina), Prairie Theatre Exchange(Winnipeg), Tarragon Theatre (Toronto) and the Shaw Festival (Niagara-on-the-Lake). Film credits include The River King, Death in Paradise, The Plain Truth and The Real Howard Spitz. David has lent his voice to hundreds of radio commercials, as well as the radio drama series Clean Sweep for CBC Radio.
Pasha Ebrahimi: Behrouz Akbari
Pasha Ebrahimi is a Halifax trained actor who graduated from the acting program at Dalhousie University. Currently he has been working between the Atlantic provinces and Ontario. He was fortunate enough to experience radio drama first hand during his university career at CKDU and later through science fiction satellite radio with Sonic Theatre. Pasha is happy to be back at CBC Radio as a part of this new drama series.
John Dunsworth: Earl Higgins, Nellie's former boss
My first memory of drama at the CBC was at the old CBC studio in Halifax, between the Argyle Grill and the Neptune Theatre. I think John Douglas was directing. I had one line in response to the church minister's evocation, "Who will go to the gates of hell?' And I uttered it in a half-witted sincerity, 'Me go sir, me go'. That was my character's name too. There are no small parts. I'm privileged to have worked with John Douglas, Elizabeth Fox, Don Allison, Bill Howell and now Peggy Hemsworth. Radio is a wonderful medium. I love the CBC.
Creative Team
Wendy Lill: Series Creator and Writer
Playwright and former parliamentarian Wendy Lill has written for radio, magazines, film and television. Her plays have been produced internationally and across Canada from coast to coast to coast. Her work has resulted in two Actra Awards, a Golden Sheaf Award (for her film Ikwe), nominations for Chalmers and Gemini awards, as well as four nominations for the Governor General's Literary Award for Drama (for The Occupation of Heather Rose, All Fall Down, Glace Bay Miners' Museum, and Corker). Chimera, a play examining the entrails of Parliament Hill, premiered in January 2007 at Tarragon Theatre in Toronto. After a production of Chimera at Prairie Theatre Exchange in Winnipeg, Tom Anniko at the CBC pondered whether a radio drama series might lurk somewhere in there; something to explore the humanity within that beleaguered and much maligned institution. Our Canadian Parliament. Out of those ponderings, Backbencher was born.
Wendy was the Member of Parliament for Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, from 1997 until 2004. She remains a strong advocate for persons with disabilities, the environment and Canadian culture. She has two grown up and incredible sons, Sam and Joe and lives with her partner Richard Starr, Sam and the cat Qwinner in Dartmouth.
Dave Carley: Script Editor, Author of Episodes 5 and 7
Dave Carley has been politically active since the age of five, when he and his brother would tear around their neighbourhood ripping down the campaign signs of the candidates they deemed unacceptable. Disillusion with that kind of direct action eventually set in because the targeted candidate (usually the Tory) always seemed to win. Dave now observes the niceties of free speech in a western democracy, and mostly expresses his views through his writing.
A Toronto-based playwright, Dave has had his plays produced over 350 times across Canada and the United States and in many countries around the world. They include Writing with our Feet (nominated for the Governor General's Award), After You, The Edible Woman, Taking Liberties and Orchidelirium. Dave's website is www.davecarley.com
A Toronto-based playwright, Dave has had his plays produced over 350 times across Canada and the United States and in many countries around the world. They include Writing with our Feet (nominated for the Governor General's Award), After You, The Edible Woman, Taking Liberties and Orchidelirium. Dave's website is www.davecarley.com
Jennifer Overton: Author of Episode 17Jennifer is an actor/writer/playwright living in Halifax. She is thrilled to be working on Backbencher with Wendy, Peggy and Dave. It feels especially good because she began her writing career with CBC Radio. When she submitted a piece thirteen years ago to Karen Levine at First Person Singular about her son's diagnosis of autism, the response was overwhelming. That led her to write two more pieces for CBC, then a book entitled Snapshots of Autism (2003 Jessica Kingsly pub), then an award winning play,God's Middle Name (2010 Scirocco Press pub.) which enjoyed a highly successful national tour in 2008/2009.Her play for school audiences, Spelling 2-5-5 will premiere at Carousel Players in 2012 and her most recent play, My Titanic premieres in Halifax in May. Thank you Karen and CBC for getting the ball rolling, and Peggy for inviting me back!
Ed Thomason: Author of Episodes 12 and 16
Currently Artistic Producer of Festival Antigonish, Ed Thomason has directed for the stage
extensively in the U.K. and Canada and is also a playwright and scriptwriter. His CBC TV
Screenplay, Gentle Sinners, won him an ACTRA Award and he was given the Cino Del Ducca prize for directing the CBC TV film drama, All The Days Of My Life.For BBC Radio
(where he was Features Editor for 6 years) his scriptwriting credits include A Quick Killing In The City, Anna Karenina, and a 5-part drama series, Never Walk Alone. For CBC Radio, his 4-part drama series, Daddy's Home, was broadcast across Canada in 2000, and a second commissioned six-part series, Now You See Her, aired in 2001. Most recently, his six-part series Y-Soccer was re-broadcast on CBC Radio1 during the World Cup. Ed is married to actor/writer, Shelley Thompson and they have a sixteen-year old daughter, Molly.
extensively in the U.K. and Canada and is also a playwright and scriptwriter. His CBC TV
Screenplay, Gentle Sinners, won him an ACTRA Award and he was given the Cino Del Ducca prize for directing the CBC TV film drama, All The Days Of My Life.For BBC Radio
(where he was Features Editor for 6 years) his scriptwriting credits include A Quick Killing In The City, Anna Karenina, and a 5-part drama series, Never Walk Alone. For CBC Radio, his 4-part drama series, Daddy's Home, was broadcast across Canada in 2000, and a second commissioned six-part series, Now You See Her, aired in 2001. Most recently, his six-part series Y-Soccer was re-broadcast on CBC Radio1 during the World Cup. Ed is married to actor/writer, Shelley Thompson and they have a sixteen-year old daughter, Molly.
Production Crew
Pat Martin, Recording Engineer, Peggy Hemsworth, Producer, Wendy Lill, writer and Maggie Rahr, Associate Producer
