A story from an award-winning Loughborough College writer is about to hit the big screen – with some help from the College’s performing arts students.
Engineering Technician Keith Large has written and produced a crime drama set against the backdrop of the music business.
A Date with Shilelagh, stars Eleanor Burke - who appeared in the Oscar-nominated Kon Tiki and Lauren Cornelius, fresh from major roles in several BBC Radio 4 dramas. The short film is being directed by Jeff Stewart – formerly Reg Hollis in The Bill.
“We filmed mostly in Loughborough. It’s set in the ‘seventies and there’s a great scene where the star is coming out of a venue stage door to get into her Rolls Royce with crowds of screaming fans eager to see her. The College’s performing arts students were part of the mob, waving album covers we’d had made up with Eleanor’s face on them. Our motor vehicle lecturer Darren Wallis even appeared as the bodyguard,” said Keith.
“The Shillelagh of the title refers to a weapon, which we actually had made up in rubber for the film. It is a tribute to my late Mum, who used to have the real thing behind the bar at a pub she ran, which could get a little lively at times.”
Keith is currently working on editing the film, which is scheduled for a summer release.
Keith produced the award-winning short horror film The Raven, which won Best Horror Short Film Award at the End of the Pier International Film Festival in 2011 and he received rave reviews for the Buxton Fringe Festival performance of his play The Carrot Nappers which also featured Eleanor Burke and sold out at the Upstairs at the Western theatre in Leicester – and is set for a London transfer. “It looks like we’ll be opening in the West End,” adds Keith.
Meanwhile, Carrot Nappers will be performed at an event which offers an opportunity for new writers to have their work selected and performed for on Friday 19th October and Saturday 20th October 2018 as part of a new writing night at Shardlow Village Hall in Derbyshire The evening is part of a community spirit event to support the village hall's restoration fund. Sponsored by Carrot Napper Productions, each selected writer will receive two complimentary tickets per evening. Writers should submit a five minute piece that is either a short play, sketch or monologue on any subject. Submissions should be sent in the body of an e-mail to: scriptaloudworkshop@gmail.com Closing date Saturday 30th June 2018.
Pictured: Loughborough College students in a scene from Keith Large’s forthcoming short film, A Date With Shillelagh (from left) Isabel Peters, Christie King, Katie Johnson, Megan Smith and Natasha Ryan-Ormiston. (Photo courtesy Emma Bailey)