48-846: The Tuxedo Princess (ex- TSS Caledonian Princess ) and Tuxedo Royale (ex- TSS Dover ) were two former car ferries used as permanently moored floating nightclubs in the United Kingdom from the 1980s to the 2000s. Both ships saw use on the River Tyne at different times, while the Princess also saw use on the River Clyde in Glasgow, and the Royale on the River Tees in Middlesbrough . The Tuxedo Princess
96-507: A beautiful Georgian square with a huge church in the middle . We moved around a lot when I was young. I remember flats in Walthamstow , Clapton , Stoke Newington , and Edmonton ." He said in 2008 that when he was a child he was inspired to become an actor by watching French actor Alain Delon , but clarified in 2019 that he did not consider acting as a career until he was older. When Strong
144-631: A casino and restaurant had been shelved. She was likely to be scrapped, probably at a ship-breaker's yard in Turkey, as the only economically viable option for the owners, in the face of the high cost of conversion, the Europe wide credit crisis and the high scrap value of steel. The ship was broken up for scrap in Aliağa , Turkey, with the Miramar ship index citing a date of 23 August 2008. In early 2009, Ships Monthly ran
192-592: A military guy but isn't immediately bad". He also revealed that the outfit and other aspects of the character closely follow his early comic history. Also in 2011, he voiced Pod in The Secret World of Arrietty and Captain Titus of the Ultramarines Chapter in the video game Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine . The same year, Strong played Jim Prideaux in the film adaptation of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy , which
240-655: A nomination for the London Critics Circle Film Award for Best British Supporting Actor, and his performance was mentioned by several critics, with Scott calling it "a marvel of exotic suavity and cool insinuation" while Ebert "particularly admired" his aura of suave control. In 2009, Strong played a lead part in the Channel 4 film Endgame , and he played Lord Blackwood, the main villain, in Sherlock Holmes , who has somehow returned after his execution with
288-476: A photo essay showing Prince being scrapped in Turkey, fittingly in the same yard as former Royal Navy destroyer HMS Newcastle . Built as a car ferry, Caledonian Princess was a roll-on/roll-off design, with a single vehicle door in the stern . The vehicle deck had space for 103 cars. To facilitate the turning of trucks for disembarking, a turntable was included in the deck. In 1969, she had side loading doors cut into her vehicle deck. The ship
336-597: A plot to take over the British Empire using an arsenal of dark arts and new technologies. It was his third project with director Guy Ritchie . He went on to work with Ridley Scott a second time in the 2010 epic adventure film Robin Hood , portraying antagonist Sir Godfrey. That year, he also played Frank D'Amico, the head of a criminal organisation, in Kick-Ass . Strong says he is drawn to playing antagonists, trying to "understand
384-624: A production of The Red Barn , by David Hare, which premiered in October 2016 at the National Theatre, (Lyttelton Stage), and co-starred in the political thriller Miss Sloane , directed by John Madden . The film premiered at the AFI Film Festival in November 2016. Since 2017, Strong has narrated the pre-show etiquette clips presented before films at Vue Cinemas . In 2018, he starred in
432-571: A role in encouraging clubbers on board earlier than would otherwise have been the case. Door and wet take were the mainstay of revenue, with the restaurants functioning largely as loss-leaders. According to the BBC, the Tuxedo Princess became a Tyneside icon during her stay, one of the most recognisable landmarks of the region. According to the Evening Chronicle , in her heyday the Tuxedo Princess
480-408: A student session playing rock and alternative, with weekends featuring pop-dance in the below-decks club played by DJ King, while DJ Tim Prince played soul, jazz, funk, and later NY house and garage, in the upstairs First Class Lounge. Both ships boasted restaurants and a variety of bars. Early-evening 'triples' deals offered three shots of spirits in a glass for the price of a single shot, and played
528-1035: Is a British actor best known for his film roles such as Prince Septimus in Stardust (2007), Archibald in RocknRolla (2008), Lord Henry Blackwood in Sherlock Holmes (2009), Frank D'Amico in Kick-Ass (2010), Jim Prideaux in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), Sinestro in Green Lantern (2011), George in Zero Dark Thirty (2012), Major General Stewart Menzies in The Imitation Game (2014), Merlin in Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) and Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017), Dr. Thaddeus Sivana in Shazam! (2019) and Shazam! Fury of
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#1732855764707576-460: Is married to television producer Liza Marshall, with whom he has two sons: Gabriel and Roman. They live in North London , which Strong discussed in 2007: "I've got no desire to live anywhere else. I was born here, my wife was born here, my kids were born here, and this is where we're going to stay. [...] I'm able to keep my head below the parapet. I get on with my work, I have a family, and I get on
624-487: The Gateshead Millennium Bridge , which had been designed to accommodate this move when installed in November 2000. Due to fog at the coast, she was moored overnight at Northumbria Quay, North Shields and left the next day, with an ocean-going tug towing her to Greece . In October 2008, the Evening Chronicle reported an investigation by Ships Monthly magazine which found that plans to convert her into
672-641: The Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich . He subsequently studied English and drama at Royal Holloway, University of London before attending the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School . Strong appeared in two Prime Suspect serials for ITV as Inspector (later Detective Chief Superintendent) Larry Hall, in Prime Suspect 3 (1993) and Prime Suspect 6 (2003). He also had starring roles in two BBC Two drama serials, Our Friends in
720-466: The North Channel route from Stranraer , Dumfries and Galloway , to Larne , County Antrim , linking the west of Scotland with Northern Ireland . Promotional literature from the company proclaimed: "Motorists! Take your car and caravan by the T.S.S. Caledonian Princess . To and from Ireland via Stranraer & Larne. Drive on–Drive off at any state of the tide." The poster showed the stern of
768-589: The River Tyne , opening in December 1984. The turntable was retained to form a revolving dance floor. In 1988, she was moved to Glasgow , regaining her former name. Another former car ferry, the Tuxedo Royale took up her position on the Tyne. Upon her return for a second spell on the Tyne, the Tuxedo Royale was moved to Middlesbrough . Mark Strong Mark Strong (born Marco Giuseppe Salussolia ; 5 August 1963)
816-676: The 2000s, Strong appeared in Heartlands and in Shakespeare 's Twelfth Night at the Donmar Warehouse , for which he was nominated for the 2003 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role. He was later featured in Roman Polanski 's Oliver Twist (2005), played Mussawi in the film Syriana (2005), and played an assassin named Sorter in Revolver (2005). He portrayed
864-454: The 2018 summer, the area now hosts the Gateshead riverside shipping container village. In May 2011, the Tuxedo Royale started to sink into the River Tees due to vandalism by metal thieves. In June 2014 businessman Terry Owens started a campaign to restore the vessel from a nearby dry dock, which would cost in the region of £250,000. The intention was to apply for lottery funding to finance
912-858: The British Captain Smith in Sam Mendes ’ World War I film 1917 . In March 2020, Strong narrated public information films for the UK government which outlined how the British public should approach daily life during the COVID-19 pandemic . In March 2021, Strong was the castaway on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs . Later that same year, he co-starred in the Disney comedy-drama film Cruella . GQ magazine named Strong as one of its 50 best dressed men in 2015. He has named David Bowie as his style icon. Strong
960-642: The British thriller Welcome to the Punch . He played Matai Shang, the leader of the Therns in John Carter (2012), and starred in the action thriller film Zero Dark Thirty (2012). The film had its premiere in Los Angeles on 19 December 2012 and had its wide release on 11 January 2013. The film received wide critical acclaim and was nominated for five Academy Awards , including Best Picture . In November 2012, Strong
1008-679: The Gods (2023), and John in Cruella (2021). Strong was born Marco Giuseppe Salussolia in the Islington borough of London on 5 August 1963, the son of an Austrian mother and an Italian father. His father left the family soon after Strong's birth, and Strong was brought up by his mother while she worked as an au pair . He later said, "The home I grew up in was a flat in Myddelton Square in London's Islington,
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#17328557647071056-601: The Newcastle side of the Tyne, but after failing to get planning consent, she was moored on the south bank, the Gateshead waterfront. When it first opened in December 1983, the club had a strict dress code for patrons, while the staff all wore naval uniforms , a tradition carried on by resident DJ Chris King, who worked in a US Naval officer's uniform. The music policy on both ships was contemporary dance, with some specialisations, notably on board Tuxedo Royale, which benefitted from two club areas. For some time, week-nights included
1104-496: The North (1996) and The Long Firm (2004), earning a BAFTA nomination for the latter. He also played the villainous Colonel Brand in Sharpe's Mission (1996). He portrayed the romantic lead, Mr. Knightley , in the 1996 ITV adaptation of Jane Austen 's novel Emma . He then played the role of Steve in the 1997 film adaptation of Nick Hornby 's Fever Pitch . At the beginning of
1152-577: The Sealink fleet. In June 1975, she was laid up in reserve at Newhaven . Alterations carried out at Immingham in February 1976 prepared her for a new multi-purpose role to the Channel Islands from Weymouth . By 1981, she was Dover's final steam turbine ferry and made her last crossing on 26 September, from Boulogne . She was laid up at Newhaven, pending sale. She became the nightclub Tuxedo Princess on
1200-592: The Tube . It just so happens that I'm doing this job." Strong is a lifelong fan of Arsenal FC and started attending games when he was seven years old. He has named Ace in the Hole , Blade Runner , His Girl Friday , The Night of the Hunter , This Is Spinal Tap , and the work of the Coen brothers as his favourite films. He speaks fluent German and some Italian, and provided
1248-595: The black-hulled ship with a black-and-cream funnel, with cars driving from the dock straight onto the ship. In July 1968, she left Stranraer and operated the seasonal Holyhead - Dún Laoghaire car ferry service. Under Sealink ownership, she saw service in the English Channel and the Irish Sea. Between 1969 and 1975, she was mainly associated with the Fishguard - Rosslare service, but often relieved for other members of
1296-460: The cast of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet , athlete Daley Thompson , cricketers Ian Botham , Wasim Akram , footballers Kevin Keegan and Paul Gascoigne , and snooker player Steve Davis . She also played a role in the lives of famous Geordie people. Singer Cheryl originally worked on the Tuxedo Princess before becoming a singer, while actor Tim Healy proposed to his future wife Denise Welch on board
1344-531: The club. In popular culture, the Tuxedo Princess was used by the BBC to film scenes for a storyline in the Newcastle-based television drama Our Friends in the North , in which the character Terry 'Tosker' Cox ( Mark Strong ), a Tyneside businessman, opens a floating nightclub on the Tyne. In the Maxïmo Park song "In Another World", from their third album Quicken The Heart , the "revolving dancefloor in
1392-541: The full height of her hull. Caledonian Princess was the first stern-loading car ferry to sail into Douglas, Isle of Man , when she visited on charter from Stranraer on 26 June 1968. She was retired from service in 1981 and operated as a floating nightclub on the River Tyne until 2007. In April 2008, it was reported the ship would undergo a £1.5m refit, for further life as a floating nightclub in Northern Ireland. By
1440-511: The hostage thriller Stockholm , and had the leading role in Fox network's Deep State , an espionage thriller in which he portrays an ex-spy named Max Easton, who after the death of his son, is brought out of retirement unwillingly, to avenge his death. In 2019, he portrayed the villain Doctor Thaddeus Sivana in the superhero film Shazam! . In the same year, Strong appeared briefly as
1488-413: The middle of the river" refers to the famous revolving dancefloor on board. In December 2007 a farewell party for 300 invited guests was held on the Tuxedo Princess . The ship was finally towed from her mooring on the Tyne on 27 July 2008. Describing it as "the end of an era", according to the BBC there were mixed reactions to the removal of the Tuxedo Princess , citing one expressed view of nostalgia for
Tuxedo floating nightclubs - Misplaced Pages Continue
1536-469: The nightclub's role in the city's night life, and another welcoming removal of an eyesore, opening up new views of the bridges. According to the Evening Chronicle , crowds gathered to watch the ship's departure. Despite hopes of a future in Greece, Tuxedo Princess was scrapped in Turkey. The quayside area vacated by the Tuxedo Princess was to be redeveloped into a leisure, restaurant and office complex. As of
1584-585: The play on Broadway in New York, he received similar levels of acclaim, and was nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play , and the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play , for his performance. In 2016, he co-starred with Sacha Baron Cohen in the action-comedy film Grimsby , playing a top MI6 secret agent with Cohen as his idiotic football hooligan brother. Later that year, he starred in
1632-521: The popular Tuxedo Junction nightclub in Newcastle, and several bars, and was looking for a larger venue. And so he purchased the Caledonian Princess , renaming her the Tuxedo Princess . The vessel had been built in 1961 as a car ferry, in which role it served until 1981. The later Tuxedo Royale was also a former car ferry, the Dover , built in 1965. Originally the Tuxedo Princess was to be moored on
1680-402: The purpose of the character" and building a believable individual. In 2011, Strong played Thaal Sinestro , a Green Lantern and Hal Jordan 's mentor, in the superhero film Green Lantern . Strong said the film "closely follows the early comics" and elaborated, "Sinestro starts out as Hal Jordan's mentor, slightly suspicious and not sure of him." Strong went on to state that the character "is
1728-457: The time she was being towed away from the Tyne, it was reported she was to see use as an entertainment venue in Piraeus , near Athens. In 2007, owners Absolute Leisure sold Tuxedo Princess to foreign investors. She was renamed Prince in 2008 and moved from the Tyne to Greece. Towed from her mooring on 27 July 2008, she was guided slowly down the Tyne at low tide by two tugs. She passed under
1776-617: The traitorous Wictred in Tristan & Isolde , showing his talent with swordplay, and since 2006, he has provided the narration in the BBC 's genealogy series Who Do You Think You Are? . Despite the persistence of rumours, Strong maintains that he was never offered the part of Anton Chigurh in the 2007 film No Country for Old Men . That year he played Pinbacker, the insane captain of Icarus I in Sunshine . Also in 2007, he portrayed Prince Septimus,
1824-480: The works. In June 2017, the Tuxedo Royale was badly damaged by fire whilst docked on the river In January 2018 it was announced that work would begin on demolition of the Tuxedo Royale to allow the dockside to be used once again for commercial traffic; however it was not until September 2019 that, having been re-floated (following asbestos removal ) the vessel was towed to Hartlepool to be scrapped . TSS Caledonian Princess TSS Caledonian Princess
1872-813: The youngest of the seven Stormhold princes, in Stardust . In 2008, he played Nick Calderelli in Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day , Mannie Miesel in Flashbacks of a Fool , Finn in Babylon A.D. , Archy in RocknRolla , and Philipp Bouhler in Good . Also in 2008, he portrayed Hani Salaam, the Jordanian intelligence chief and director of the feared GID in Body of Lies , marking his first collaboration with English director Ridley Scott . Strong's performance as Hani Salaam earned him
1920-432: Was "a celebrity haunt", and she became affectionately known as The Boat by Geordies . While moored in the Tyne, the Tuxedo Princess was host to several famous people including Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark , composer Andrew Lloyd Webber , actor Kevin Costner , DJ Noel Edmonds , comedian Freddie Starr , singers Mick Hucknall , Rick Astley , Nik Kershaw and Jason Donovan , pop group Frankie Goes to Hollywood ,
1968-433: Was a turbine steamship , built by William Denny & Brothers in 1961. A roll-on/roll-off car ferry , she primarily served the Stranraer - Larne route. Under Sealink ownership, however, she operated in both the English Channel and the Irish Sea . From 1984, she spent her later life as the Tuxedo Princess , a floating nightclub on the River Tyne . She never saw service under her final name, Prince , and
Tuxedo floating nightclubs - Misplaced Pages Continue
2016-402: Was a two-class vessel with accommodation for 400 1st class and 1,000 2nd class passengers. She entered service with a Caledonian red lion rampant on each side of the single yellow funnel. In 1967, she was re-painted in the new livery of British Rail , a blue hull and red funnel, with the "Double-Arrow" logo. Her accommodation was extensively modified in 1976. Caledonian Princess was built for
2064-490: Was cast in Mindscape , a film in which a man with the ability to enter people's memories begins working on the case of a brilliant but problematic teenager to determine whether she is a sociopath or the victim of trauma. The film came to American cinemas in June 2014. Jaguar Cars produced an advertisement in 2014, initially shown during Super Bowl XLVIII and later online and on television, featuring Strong alongside fellow English actors Ben Kingsley and Tom Hiddleston . It
2112-422: Was earlier played by Ian Bannen in the 1979 series. The film premiered in competition at the 68th Venice International Film Festival on 5 September 2011. Strong played Clive Cornell in The Guard (2011), which is the most successful independent Irish film of all time in terms of Irish box-office receipts, overtaking The Wind that Shakes the Barley (2006). He next portrayed the role of Jacob Sternwood in
2160-408: Was scrapped in 2008. Caledonian Princess was built for the Caledonian Steam Packet Company by William Denny & Brothers in Dumbarton on the River Leven, Dunbartonshire in Scotland. She was launched on 5 April 1961 and entered service on 9 October 1961. In 1968 the ship passed into the British Rail Sealink fleet, eventually receiving the large white letter Sealink branding across
2208-442: Was the first of the two floating nightclubs, moored on the Tyne. When the Tuxedo Princess was briefly moved to Glasgow , the Tuxedo Royale took up her position. When the Tuxedo Princess returned, the Tuxedo Royale was moved to Middlesbrough . The idea of buying a second-hand ship to serve as a floating nightclub to be moored on the Tyne originated with Tyneside-based businessman Michael Quadrini (1943–2023), who already owned
2256-407: Was themed around their recent film roles as villains, and used the tagline "it's good to be bad". That same year, Strong co-starred in the historical drama film The Imitation Game as MI6 chief Stewart Menzies . In 2015, Strong won the Olivier Award for Best Actor for his role in A View from the Bridge , which he starred in as Eddie Carbone at the Young Vic. When Strong went over to perform
2304-464: Was young, his mother legally changed his name to help him fit in with his English peers. He was baptised a Catholic . He attended Wymondham College in Morley, Norfolk , where he sang in two punk bands, the Electric Hoax and Private Party—the latter's name based on the idea that people wouldn't attend their shows, thinking they were private parties. Strong had ambitions to become a lawyer but returned to London after one year of studying German law at
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