Doctor Who director to work with Barry students:
Sixth formers in Pencoedtre High School, Barry, have been given the chance to work with a Hollywood director – after a chance meeting on a plane.
Just as in a Hollywood script, Pencoedtre High’s very own Jonathan Coombs had a chance meeting with Mark Tonderai, international film and TV director, and now Mr Tonderai is visiting and working with students at the school.
Mr Coombs was returning from a holiday, when he was seated next to Mark Tonderai, who was returning from Los Angeles to start a new job in Wales, directing episodes of Doctor Who.
Mark Tonderai’s CV reads like a who’s who of Hollywood stars and TV programmes, directing episodes of Gotham, Lucifer, and Locke and Key, for Netflix. His big break came in 2012 when he directed a film, House at the End of the Street, which starred Jennifer Lawrence and Eizabeth Shue.
In 2018, he directed two Doctor Who episodes (with Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor) – ‘The Ghost Monument’ and ‘Rosa’. ‘Rosa’ was the US Civil Rights episode that featured Rosa Parks’ story. Mark is now based in Cardiff for the next year directing Ncuit Gatwa as the new Doctor.
Jonathan, never one to miss an opportunity, asked if there was any way Mark could visit Pencoedtre High, and after a long 10-hour flight he agreed to work with the year-13s on a unit of work which fits into their current A-Level syllabus and Film and TV script writing.
Mark recently met the students, saying he was more nervous meeting the A-Level class then meeting any BBC executives.
He plans to work with the students to write and develop a script, discuss how they would pitch it to TV executives and direct the students in the finished piece. He also will be working with the sixth form on how to work in the TV and film industry. He stressed to all the students that education is key and no matter where you come from, as long as you have a good grounding and work hard in school – anything is possible.
A school spokesperson said: “He certainly did bring a touch of the Hollywood magic to Pencoedtre High.”
🌟 This article first appeared in the printed edition of the Glamorgan Star on 17.11.22. Read it in print first!
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