Foxtel, Sky UK, Screen Australia and Lingo Pictures have announced the cast line-up for its landmark new Australian series Upright, starring musician, comedian, actor and writer Tim Minchin.
Joining Tim and rising star Milly Alcock will be some of the country’s top talent, including: Heather Mitchell (A Place to Call Home, The Great Gatsby, Palm Beach), Daniel Lapaine (Muriel’s Wedding, Black Mirror, Catastrophe), Ella Scott Lynch (Love Child, Janet King), Daniel Frederiksen (Ghost Rider, Matilda the Musical) ,Kate Box (Rake, Picnic at Hanging Rock) , Ningali Lawford (Mystery Road, Last Cab to Darwin) Sachin Joab (Hotel Mumbai, Pine Gap), Luke Carroll (Strangerland, Redfern Now), Rob Collins (Secret City, Cleverman, The Wrong Girl)
Upright – which began production in South Australia this month and will conclude in Western Australia later this year – is the story of two misfits, thrown together by chance in the middle of the Australian desert, forging the unlikeliest of bonds in their quest to get a precious piano from one side of the country to the other.
Lucky Flynn (Minchin) hasn’t spoken to his family in years. He’s broke, distant and damaged. He’s also a gifted pianist, whose talent for music is matched only by his talent for self-destruction. When he learns that his mother has only days left to live, Lucky sets off in a hire car to drive the 4000 kilometres from Sydney to Perth to say goodbye to her, taking with him his only cherished possession in the world – a battered and scarred upright piano. But what should have been a straightforward drive across the Nullarbor soon becomes a test of Lucky’s emotional fitness,when he (quite literally) runs into Meg Adams (Alcock), a hilarious, tough-as-nails teenager, who we soon discover has plenty of scars and secrets of her own.
Tim Minchin said: “From the moment I heard about the idea for Upright, I knew it was the show I’d been waiting to make. I like stories that make me laugh and think and cry, I adore the landscapes of outback Australia, and I love music, and homecomings, and characters full of flaws. It’s awesome to be writing with this extraordinary team, and I’m looking forward to acting alongside Milly Alcock and this incredible cast.”
The stellar team behind Upright include creator Chris Taylor, best known as a member of The Chaser team. Taylor and Minchin are writing the eight-part series alongside award-winning writer-actors Kate Mulvany (Fighting Season, Jasper Jones stage play) and Leon Ford (Offspring, No Activity). The Director is Matthew Saville (Please Like Me). Minchin also writes the music and is Executive Producer with Penny Win and Helen Bowden. Producers are Lingo Pictures’ Jason Stephens (Lambs of God), Chris Taylor and Melissa Kelly (Hounds of Love).
Upright will air next year on FoxShowcase.
