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| Andy Serkis, centre, as Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Dukes first outdoor promenade production in 1987 |
Andy Serkis, the actor and Lancaster University graduate who trod The Dukes boards during his early career, returns to the big screen there in January.
Andy reprises his role as Gollum in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (12A) which is screened at the Lancaster cinema from 4th – 10th January.
Since appearing as Gollum in the first Lord of the Rings film, Andy has advanced the art of ‘performance capture’ where an actor’s movements and expressions are electronically tracked and translated into Computer Generated Images (CGI) to bring a film character to life.
As well as Gollum, Andy has provided the acting for CGI characters Kong in King Kong, Caesar in Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Captain Haddock in Tintin.
Andy, who has is own Imaginarium Studios in London which specialise in performance capture and other technology, has always been a pioneering actor, even in his early days at The Dukes.
In 1987, he appeared as Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Dukes very first promenade production in Williamson Park.
During the Eighties, Andy performed in many Dukes productions including Privates on Parade, Company, Winter’s Tale, Sleeping Beauty, The Dresser, Volpone, and Red Riding Hood.
Andy has gone on to become a much sought after actor on the big and small screen where he’s played roles as diverse as Ian Drury and Ian Brady for which he was nominated for an Emmy and Golden Globe.
As well as acting in The Hobbit, Andy was also second unit director in this prequel to the Lord of The Rings trilogy.
The Hobbit sees the return of several Tolkien regulars for the fantastical tale of Frodo’s uncle. A curious Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, journeys to the Lonely Mountain with a vigorous group of Dwarves to reclaim a treasure stolen from them by the dragon Smaug.
• Tickets are priced £5.50 (concessions £4.50). To book, call The Dukes box office on 01524 598500 or visit www.dukes-lancaster.org