Press clippings Page 5

How childish are the Bridget Jones's Baby cast really?

How grown-up are stars Renee Zellweger, Sally Phillips, Patrick Dempsey and Sarah Solemani?

Emma Cox, Radio Times, 16th September 2016

Sarah Solemani has some great Him & Her ideas

Sarah Solemani has some great ideas for a new series of Him & Her. "They'd probably get a bigger bed, put the baby in and just have more toast and tea and watch more television".

Ellie Harrison, Radio Times, 15th September 2016

Gold orders We Have Been Watching

Channel Gold has ordered We Have Been Watching, a new series in which some of Britain's best loved comedy pairings watch classic shows together.

British Comedy Guide, 6th September 2016

More Bad Education Movie details revealed

Sarah Solemani, Mathew Horne and Harry Enfield have now all been confirmed to be appearing in The Bad Education Movie.

British Comedy Guide, 2nd March 2015

Sarah Solemani and Kerry Howard reunite for BBC1 sitcom

Him & Her stars Sarah Solemani and Kerry Howard are reuniting to write a new BBC One sitcom.

British Comedy Guide, 14th October 2014

Somebody who appears to have no desire to be a fully-rounded grown-up just yet is Jack Whitehall, whose sitcom Bad Education returned for a third series. In the series opener, Whitehall and co-writer Freddie Syborn tried to convince us that much had changed over the holidays. Tarty Chanelle was becoming engrossed in her studies, brainy Ying had become an existentialist and wheelchair-bound Rem Dog had turned Emo. However, I wasn't convinced that anything had changed at all as Bad Education still contained the same juvenile jokes and the recurring gag that Alfie Wickers (Whitehall) was the world's worst teacher. Although things appeared to be turning around for Alfie due to his blossoming relationship with Miss Gulliver (Sarah Solemani) the arrival of his father Martin (Harry Enfield) at the school look to threaten his domestic bliss. Martin threatened to sack one of the teachers due to Abbey Grove's limited budget and the prime target looked to be his idiot son. However, just before Martin could fire anyone, the teachers went on strike with the resulting consequences making Alfie question his teaching abilities. Just when I thought that Alfie's new attitude would make Bad Education interesting again things reverted back to type as the kids once again began to slack off in lessons. Once again I found that the most enjoyable moments of Bad Education featured Matthew Horne as woeful headteacher Fraser who was more interested in selling his new invention, the Segdesk, than he was at running the school. Horne appears to be having so much fun in the role that it's hard not to enjoy his scenes however I personally wish he'd appear more. Meanwhile the young actors who portray Alfie's class are full of energy and eager to make the show as funny as possible. Unfortunately I feel that Whitehall is phoning his performance in this series whilst Solemani is under-utilised as the principled Miss Gulliver. Whitehall recently claimed that this would be the final series of Bad Education, which I feel is the right move as it now seems to be rehashing old ground. I'm just hoping that the sitcom reverts to the quality set by its first series as I'd love it to end on a high rather than peter out with a disappointing final run.

The Custard TV, 22nd September 2014

Sarah Solemani: 'Russell Tovey? He came to my hen do'

With her challenging first BBC drama about to air, the Him & Her star explains why success as an actor won't stop her from writing.

Tom Lamont, The Observer, 7th September 2014

Bad Education's Christmas special saw Alfie Wickers facing another big problem, as he'd been tasked by the headmaster (Matthew Horne) to direct the school play or face being sacked by the governors. Inevitably his ramshackle group of students are roped in to be the stars of the show with Stephen (Layton Williams) being the only one with any discernible talent to speak of. Alfie is then shocked when school bully Frank (Jack Bence) auditions for his production and delivers an incredibly awful audition. But because Alfie is incredibly scared of Frank he casts him as the human lead opposite Stephen in his original production Robocracker a combination of Robocop and The Nutcracker.

Elsewhere, Alfie is attempting to impress Miss Guilver (Sarah Solemani) by volunteering at a soup kitchen where his class are insulted by a mouthy tramp (played by Whitehall's Fresh Meat colleague Greg McHugh).

Right at the start of the Bad Education Christmas Special, Horne and Whitehall warn us that festive editions of shows are often sloppily written with a loose seasonal feel. I would say that was true of Bad Education to an extent as it just didn't have the energy the sitcom normally possesses. The funniest moments were provided by Steven, whether it be his one-man production of Precious or his performance in the incredibly entertaining Robocracker.

Overall, while I can't say I wasn't entertained, I just expect a little bit more from Whitehall and his class of talented young actors.

The Custard TV, 24th December 2013

Much of this last episode takes place in the toilet - as befits one of the grossest comedies ever to grace the small screen. It's also gloriously uncouth: the mangy neighbour glugs the dregs of drinks, the bride's father rubs up against one of the bridesmaids, the sozzled bride rubs up against anyone in trousers.

Russell Tovey perfects his neglected-puppy-dog pout as Steve, while Sarah Solemani's Becky dances a half-hearted conga. Can the wedding from hell possibly end happily ever after? Let's just say fans of this cult favourite may find they shed a tear at the end of this final series.

Claire Webb, Radio Times, 19th December 2013

Radio Times review

The ubiquitous Jack Whitehall wrote and stars in this school-based comedy, back for a badly behaved Christmas special. Fed up with the nativity, his hapless history teacher invents a new festive story, a cross between Robocop and Nutcracker: Robocracker.

Sitcom staple Sarah Solemani plays the altruistic art teacher, while Mathew Horne sports an elf costume as the immature headmaster fond of tragic puns ("Snow-k?" "Yes sir, yours-elf?") Look out for Greg McHugh, Whitehall's co-star in Fresh Meat, as an expletive-spewing tramp.

Claire Webb, Radio Times, 17th December 2013

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