Bean There, Done That!

THERE isn’t much that Southport director, producer and writer, Adrian Bean, hasn’t done, during his 26-year career. But while he still has huge plans for the future, he’s determined that from now on he’ll be staying much closer to home.

“The difference between working in the south, or the north, is huge,” he says. “Working up here is much better. It’s faster, more productive, and much more fun. There’s also a huge variety of locations, and a huge variety of work in the north, which is why I made a conscious decision to be here.”

In recognition of his dedication to the region, Adrian has just been named Crew of the Month by Northwest Vision and Media, the regional screen agency which works on behalf of the TV, film, radio and digital content industries.

“That’s a fantastic honour!” says Adrian, “It’s really nice that someone like me has been recognised in that way.” Someone like Adrian, truly deserves the acclaim.

Adrian began his career directing in theatre, under the mentoring influence of Artistic Director, Graham Watkins, at the Phoenix in Leicester. His move across to BBC Radio Drama, however, garnered him great success. Adrian’s direction of radio drama Bomber broke ground with its real-time broadcast.

“Bomber was based on Len Deighton’s book, about an RAF bombing raid over Germany in 1943,” explains Adrian. “The programme was on air from early morning to midnight on Radio 4 in 1995, in real time.” Bomber has since been hailed as a ‘Radio Classic’ on the BBC Arts Programme Front Row. But radio wasn’t Adrian’s only preoccupation.

In 2000, Adrian was one of the first directors of BBC daytime soap Doctors. “I was excited to be involved in such a new and challenging production,” he remembers. “There have been more restrictions in the last decade, with tighter budgets, and less time, we still had to produce a programme of high quality.

“That meant we had to be much more inventive and resourceful, and still make it work. But I think we did that,” he adds. Adrian has since written 20 episodes of Doctors, and has built a prolific career in television direction, including Doctors. His other credits include episodes of Holby City (2000), Casualty (2000-02), The Royal (2003), and Emmerdale (2006), as well as major Northwest soaps Brookside and Coronation Street.

As director of the BBC Afternoon Play programme he has also won the 2003 Royal Television Society Award for Best Drama with Turkish Delight.

Adrian’s inventiveness and variety of experience in production has stood him in good stead, and he graduated to directing regular episodes of Heartbeat in 2004, regularly facing the unpredictable North Yorkshire weather. “In previous years, when weather strikes the crew would wait it out in the nearest pub, but now turnaround is so quick that you have to think on your feet and find a way around it,” he confides.

His work now takes him all over the Northwest, and he’s found a fundamental advantage to working in the region.

“Working on some soaps can be isolated, and at the end of the day everyone on crew goes home. But after working on something like Coronation Street or a drama, everyone goes to the pub together, there’s a real camaraderie,” says Adrian, who lives in Southport with his two children and actress wife Caroline Strong.

The Lancashire-based lad has an optimistic view on the BBC move to Salford’s Mediacity:uk. “The smaller community of programme makers in the Northwest means there is a greater sense of community spirit. I don’t think the BBC move will change that attitude by expanding the workforce, it’s something ingrained up here. Maybe that will be something we can share with people relocating.”

Adrian also believes the BBC’s move north will help nurture another of his own pet projects – helping the region’s new talent to grow. He has encouraged a lot of people new to the industry, mentored many new writers throughout his career in theatre, radio and television.

“New writers are good fun, as they have lots of off-the-wall ideas and they aren’t afraid to tell you! But it’s never a natural progression,” he warns. “You always have to push your career forward, because no-one else can do it for you.”

Looking to the future, Adrian is full of optimism. “I think radio drama is starting to kick off again,” he says, perhaps giving a hint of the shape of things to come. “I love being part of a team on Heartbeat but I would also like to break out of the formatted world, to do more one off dramas,” he confides.

At the moment, he spends six months of the year on Heartbeat but he’s also branching out to develop new writing material. “I’m currently writing an adaptation of The Courage Consort by Michel Faber, in collaboration with Greenlit Productions. I find that hugely enjoyable – so who knows what the future might bring.”