I DREAM
I Dream is the latest brainchild of 19 Management and Simon Fuller. Following from the success of the S Club 7 TV series, which went on to global success, is CBBC’s I Dream. Featuring S Club 8 alongside the 5 main characters Felix, Ollie, Kush, Natalie and Amy. The program is set in Avalon Heights, an imaginary Sylvia Young style stage school in Barcelona whose former students include Robbie Williams and Elton John. Designer Magazine caught up with George Wood who plays tough posh boy Ollie.
Q: We saw the first episode of I Dream last week. For
people who haven’t seen the program yet in short it’s a musical drama.
Fill our readers in.
A: It’s the style of TV that S Club 7 used to do, basically
a musical drama. It’s set in a school for performers called Avalon Heights
and the idea is that this school has an intake every year of the most gifted
performers in Britain. The series charts these 5 guys, who are 2 boys and
3 girls, that are given the opportunity to spend the summer in the school.
We’re invited by Professor Toon, the owner of the school, and we’re
very aware that this school has got an illustrious history – Robbie Williams,
Elton John – everyone has passed through the school without anyone knowing,
it’s sort of a secret school.
The show just charts our summer as we learn how to be
stars – performers, singers, actors, everything. It’s great. Every episode
has a couple of pop songs in it and a story line that we play out. It’s
got Christopher Lloyd in it who was the Doc in Back To Future!!!
Q: We don’t have enough musical dramas on TV do we?
A: I was thinking. There’s nothing else out there like
it. Fame was a bit before my time, but people tell me this is what Fame
was like. So I guess this is a modern day Fame.
Q: Do you remember when Home & Away toured the
Musical version over here in the UK. If I remember correctly they were
trying to save the Diner from being demolished or something.
A: I remember Bobby, didn’t she get shot or something.
And I can’t help but laugh about when they changed over Pippa’s – one day
she came back and she looked totally different (laughs). But I can’t believe
they did a musical version. Why didn’t I know about it? I would have so
gone and seen it cos I was such a fan at the time.
Q: Seeing as you missed the great Home & Away -
The musical. Which soap or TV program would you like to see turned into
a musical?
A: I liked Home & Away, but I was always a bigger
Neighbours fan actually. That would be great to see Harold singing in the
shop and Lou doing his Sid Williams thing.
Q: Back from Musical Soaps to I Dream. Your character
Ollie, he’s the posh guy of the show I guess.
A: He is. His background is a public schoolboy. The good
thing is that when you first get to know him he seems like typical posh
boy and as you see in the first episode he has a bit of a confidence crisis,
he doesn’t think he’s cut out for this sort of life. As the series goes
on you get to see that he’s got a bit of steely interior, he’s a bit more
determined than you think and he’s a stronger personality and is not just
a posh geek. As the series goes on he turns into a really popular character.
He’s got a real determination about him and when he’s challenged he gets
into a few arguments with people and he can actually stand up for himself,
he’s not just a bit of a walk over. He’s a posh boy with a different –
a tough posh boy if you like.
Q: How much is George like Ollie?
A: I didn’t go to a public school, but I went to a good
grammar school and did the whole education thing. I’d like to think I’m
not quite as geeky. I’m pretty similar though cos I’m seen as the nice
one who doesn’t get into arguments. I think Ollie’s a bit more of a fighter
than I am I suppose. Playing Ollie wasn’t too much of a stretch of my acting
skills I suppose.
Q: Where will we know George Wood from in the past?
What’s your history?
A: I’ve been acting all my life. I’ve tried to do a range
of stuff. I did Oliver in the West End. I did a film, Annie 2, the sequel
to Annie (the film about the girl with the dog). It was made by Columbia
Tristar. Then I tried my hand at presenting for a couple of years and I
was the presenter on The Disney Club every Sunday morning for two years.
Q: We’ve seen the show and the new characters look
quite a bit older than S Club 8. How old are you all supposed to be and
how was it for the 2 groups to get on together?
A: In real life the age difference is quite a bit really.
S Club 8 the age range goes from Hannah who is 13 up to Aaron who is 16.
And the five new guys I think the rest of them are all 17 and I’m 22 so
there’s a bit of an age different. I still look young and feel 17 so it’s
not too much to put myself in that mindset.
It was funny. I remember on the first day I didn’t really
know too much about S Club 8, I hadn’t got any of their music and I didn’t
really know who they were. The first day they told us you’ve got to be
prepared to dance so don’t turn up dressed too smartly. So we came along
in our tracksuit bottoms and what not and in come S Club 8 dressed as absolute
gods looking so cool and looking like a pop group. To be honest though
they were instantly likeable and really nice guys. We’d do these team bonding
exercises for the first week, but it was the lunch time that got us together
and bonded us over a sandwich and a cup of tea. Now I consider them really
good mates.
Q: You filmed the show out in Barcelona. Were you the
only one old enough to experience the nightlife?
A: It’s just the best city. You’ve got a great beach,
great shopping, and great nightlife. Everything going for it really. I
think I probably was the only one old enough to experience the nightlife,
but obviously I didn’t go out by myself. We did lots of nights where we’d
go out for dinner and the crew were obviously older and able to go out
and have a good time.
Q: And in true musical TV drama style there’s an album
on the way.
A: Yeah, that’s one of the things I’m most excited about.
When I got the job they were talking about the pop songs and I was thinking
they’re going to be the cheesiest songs ever. But that’s the thing I’ve
been most impressed with. I really rate the music. What’s good is because
the 5 main cast are all quite different characters and then you’ve got
S Club 8 as well it means they’ve gone to the songwriters and said write
any style of music. When they hear the album they’re going to hear that
every song is a different style. They’re a few cheesy upbeat pop songs,
but they’re some real R&B tunes, love songs, hard edged dance music
and each song goes with the different characters in the show.
Q: Christopher Lloyd sung a song in the first episode.
Was that mad meeting him because everyone know’s Back To The Future.
A: You’d think. Except S Club 8. They must be the only
people in the world who don’t know what Back To The Future was. They didn’t
quite know who he was and they we’re he looks so familiar, he looks like
the guy in the Addams Familys...and it’s like he was – he was in the Adams
Family Movie. I made them watch the Back To The Future DVD trilogy and
then suddenly it clicked with them that it was the Doc.
Q: Finally what is the future for I Dream. Is it going
to be like the S Club shows where each series you move to a different city?
A: At the moment there’s just this 1st series and if
it’s successful hopefully they’ll be a 2nd and 3rd. They could easily do
another series because having this school they could always say they’re
taking the students out on a field trip or something.
**********
I Dream is broadcast on CBBC Wednesday afternoons
and Sunday Morning
For more info
www.idreamofficial.com
**********
*****************
Post
your I Dream comments / reviews on the Message Board
(NB: The message board opens in a new window so
please disable your pop-up blocker to view)
*****************