Joanna Page to be the voice of Poppy Cat

files/pictures/picture-35.jpgPress Release from Coolabi

Coolabi has today announced that Joanna Page is to be the voice of Poppy Cat in the eagerly awaited new animated series for Nick Jr UK.

Joanna Page is best known as the romantic lead in the hit TV comedy Gavin and Stacey. The show was a critical and commercial smash, winning high ratings first on BBC Three before migrating to both BBC Two and BBC One. In 2008 the show also received both the BAFTA Audience Award and the British Comedy Awards accolade of Best TV Comedy.

Along with Gavin and Stacey, Joanna’s CV includes a wide and varied range of theatre, television, film and radio work, including The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie at the National Theatre, Love Actually and the forthcoming ITV Agatha Christie drama Marple: The Blue Geranium. She is also currently enjoying major exposure as the new face of high street health and beauty retailer, Superdrug.

Poppy Cat, co-produced by Coolabi’s television production arm Coolabi Productions and King Rollo Films, will bring to animated life the wonderful world of the pre-school children’s character originally created by Lara Jones in a series of books that has sold over 2.5m copies. The 52 x 11 minute series, commissioned by Nick Jr UK, is due to air on the channel in Spring 2011.

Coolabi has already reported strong international pre-sales of the series across three continents, with further international broadcast partners to be announced shortly by Cake Entertainment, global TV distribution partner for the series.

Michael Dee, Coolabi’s Director of Content, adds: “Poppy Cat has a strong and devoted following, all of whom will be intrigued to see how the character translates to TV – and we are delighted that in Joanna Page, an accomplished actress and star of one of the most popular comedy programmes in recent years, we have found an artist who strikes precisely the right tone for Poppy Cat.”

Joanna Page herself says: “Poppy Cat is such a wonderful character, surrounded by a colourful group of adorable friends setting out on extraordinary adventures. I took to her immediately, and providing the voice for a character that is destined to be an instant hit with pre-schoolers is a real delight for me. I can’t wait for the audience to see the show.”

About Coolabi
Coolabi specialises in the ownership, development and creative management of high quality children's and family brands and intellectual property. The current portfolio includes Purple Ronnie, Poppy Cat, Scarlett & Crimson, The Large Family and Dead Gorgeous. In addition Coolabi also licenses rights to selected brands, including Bagpuss, The Clangers and Hammer Film Productions. For more information and a background on the company visit www.coolabi.com [1].