The Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting: Create Your Own Stage
To celebrate 10 years of the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting, we’ve been working with Bruntwood and the Royal Exchange Theatre for a truly inspiring campaign, exploring where some of the UK’s best writers get their creative juices flowing.
Acclaimed photographer Simon Annand was brought on board to capture well-known British writers in the places that inspire them most, and the result is simply stunning.
Who knew that Jonny Vegas likes to get writing in a purple shed at the bottom of his garden? Or that previous winner of the Bruntwood Prize, Anna Jordan, likes to take to the Royal Exchange foyer to tap into the ‘good Bruntwood vibes’?
One of my favourite shots was of multi award-winning playwright Simon Stephens, who was pictured amongst the clutter of everyday life, mountains of papers piling up around him whilst cats clambered the scene.
But the one that struck a particular chord with me was the imagery of Sarah Solemni, caught lounging in her very cosy bed and soaking in the bath. It shows simply that inspiration can be conjured up in the most mundane of situations; you don’t always have to be among beautiful, stirring or provocative things to feel creative.
The photos have been exhibited in London, but will make their way to Manchester to be put on display at The Royal Exchange Theatre tomorrow. With some truly fascinating shots unveiling the spots that inspire some of our great writers, I really urge you to make it down to this exhibition!
We’ve also been asking you where it is that you feel creative over on Twitter, and we’ve had some great responses… Where do you feel most inspired?
Jess x
Images © Simon Annand
Maxine Peake as Hamlet
As huge fans of Maxine Peake, the Royal Exchange AND Hamlet, we are delighted to be leading the publicity campaign for Maxine Peake as Hamlet, filmed at the Royal Exchange Theatre, and distributed by Picturehouse, which will be showing in 300 cinemas across the country from 23rd March.
The Telegraph Online exclusively revealed the trailer on Friday, and today the Guardian ran an exclusive interview with Maxine abut the role, her interpretation of the character and the feminist shift in theatre today.
With follow up coverage on the Independent and Red Online, this is a taste of the full campaign to be revealed in the coming weeks. Watch this space!
Fiona x
Life of Ryan
In a befitting warm up to Sports Personality of the Year 2015, Sundae led the PR campaign for the DVD release of Life of Ryan, the cinematic documentary celebrating Ryan Giggs’ illustrious career at Manchester United. With special appearances from Class of ’92 players like David Beckham, you really don’t have to be a football fan to enjoy this one!
Distributed by Universal Pictures, the film celebrates the beautiful game and gives Giggsy fans a sneak peak into the man behind the football. In light of the Red Devils’ post-Ferguson travails, the entertainment and sporting press were hooked from the outset.
Soccer AM were the first to exclusively broadcast the brand new trailer to 500,000 viewers on Sky Sports, followed by Mirror Online. These initial pieces sparked a buzz, with further coverage secured in Mail Online, Digital Spy, Manchester Evening News and Sky Sports.
Sundae also led the Life of Ryan press junket and, tasked with three hours of Ryan’s time, we arranged and managed 10 broadcast, print and online interviews with key titles including Sky Sports, Telegraph, Manchester Evening News, ITV Granada, BT Sport, Radio 5Live, TalkSport, Press Association and Match of The Day Magazine and Kickabout.
The junket resulted in blanket next day coverage with significant mentions for the DVD in The Independent, Yahoo, Daily Mirror online, Express online, Sport.co.uk and Mail Online to name a few.
With film reviews including Total Film, The Sun, Daily Star and the Sport Review, the tribute to the unique footballer was celebrated amongst audiences and fans alike, all on the Manchester United Stalwart’s 41st birthday!
Katy x
Northern Soul: Turning My Heartbeat Up
Sundae HQ has been a flurry of spins, twirls, karate kicks and fancy footwork, as we work hard to keep up with the whirlwind that is Northern Soul!
Initially expected to be shown in just a handful of cinemas, the film is now being screened at 160 locations across the UK – making it the largest ever short-window feature film release to date. I know, we’re still pinching ourselves too.
The nation is clearly embracing Northern Soul with open arms, as proven by the endless praise storming its way through social media from longstanding fans of the scene and film lovers alike. Most notably, everyone has flagged director Elaine Constantine for her authenticity and ability to respectfully depict such an iconic slice of music culture, as well as the film’s strong, punchy soundtrack.
The response from the press has also been brilliant so far, with 4-star reviews from The Times and Mark Kermode over at The Observer. Key film and culture publications including Empire and Time Out have had great things to say, with music press also speaking highly of Constantine’s work. Clash magazine, for example, noted “Elaine Constantine’s labour of love manages to both capture the spirit of the times and present it in a way that is both fresh and vital.”
We’ve also had the pleasure of meeting some incredible journalists with a love for the Northern Soul scene, who have championed the project in the lead up to its release and whose support is becoming integral to the campaign – I’ve particularly enjoyed reading Paul Mason’s musings for the Channel 4 blog.
Producing the film’s gala screening and after party in London was another highlight, which involved me getting on a train with a case full of Northern Soul branded miniature talcum powder bottles. No easy feat, but it was the smaller details like this that added lovely touches to the event.
The premiere saw stars from the film, including Steve Coogan, John Thomson, Lisa Stansfield and the two leads, Elliot James Langridge and Joshua Whitehouse, take to the red carpet along with director Elaine Constantine, who understandably described the evening as the best of her life.
At the after party, held at Madame Jojo’s in Soho, we had 20 of the amazing young dancers from the film in full costume showing us a thing or two on the dance floor. They travelled from all over the UK to be with us and really gave the party an amazing energy befitting of both the film itself and the legacy of the Northern Soul; it’s great to see that the faith is being kept alive by Britain’s younger ‘soulies’.
We have loved working on the film campaign since day one, and as it has grown in scale and momentum, it has truly is proved itself as one of those unforgettable projects – but if we ever do, it will only take the first five seconds of Shirley Ellis’ Soul Time to remind us.
Jess x
Northern Soul: If you were there, you’ll know. If you weren’t there, you’ll wish you had been.
This week we’re delighted to finally reveal the hugely anticipated trailer for Northern Soul, a film 17 years in the making and the first feature from respected photographer Elaine Constantine.
A faithful depiction of its namesake music scene in its 70s heyday, Northern Soul is not only a labour of love, but also a fitting tribute to the still thriving subculture.
The Northern Soul scene is defined by its dedicated music fans and DJs so protective of their rare 45s sourced from hours of crate digging in dusty cellars from the States that they used to cover up the label to ensure nobody found out the artist and title. That soul lives on through both the longstanding soulies and now the younger generations that have also begun to talc up the dance floor on a regular basis.
The film features some heavyweight names including Steve Coogan, John Thomson, Lisa Stansfield and Ricky Tomlinson, along with standout performances from newcomers Joshua Whitehouse and Elliot James Langridge.
The coming of age tale follows the friendship between two lads, John and Matt (played by Langridge and Whitehouse, respectively), whose bond gains momentum as they open themselves up to the dance scene that etched out a strong underground presence throughout the 1970s. Along the way they are taught harsh lessons about the realities of life and growing up, but among the struggles with responsibility, violence and rivalry, it’s the sense of community – and the music – of the Northern Soul scene that keeps them both just about afloat.
The Telegraph ran an exclusive first look featuring images from the film and now you can see the trailer exclusively via Guardian Film. Soon Northern Soul fever could be sweeping the nation! Believe it or not we’ve also had a bash at some of the moves ourselves, and let’s just say it’s harder than it looks. We might have to get some practicing in ahead of the premiere…
Jess x
Spike Island: It ain’t where you’re from, it’s where you’re at.
Taking me back to my youth, the film served as a reminder as to what it was like to be young, innocent and carefree. Reminiscing about being 16 again, when friends were the most important things in the world, and music occupied every spare hour in the day, Spike Island captures the imagination of its audience.
Starring Elliott Tittensor, Nico Mirallegro and Emilia Clarke, the release of the film to DVD and Blu-ray attracted coverage from The London Evening Standard, The Times, Metro, The Scottish Sunday Mail and many more!
Spike Island has a fierce social fan base, with 34,000 strong Facebook and Twitter following and their enthusiasm that meant our social campaign had a reach of 10 million in launch week alone. We drew more attention, with the intention of reaching a wider target demographic, with a four week Xfm campaign across AV and promotional airtime.
The film has attracted both younger fans, who may not have been around at the time of the legendary Spike Island gig but are all about their music, plus those who were there, reminiscing about their love for the 90’s and the Stone Roses.
To celebrate the launch we created an experiential event for 400 VIP guests at the iconic Band on the Wall, hosted by Xfm’s Jo Good and a DJ set from Dots and Loops. Joined by the film’s biggest fans, featuring music from hot Manchester bands, The Quangos, The Marivaux and The Minx, the night was non-stop music galore.
An hilarious Q&A hosted by Xfm’s Tim & Jim, with the film’s writer, Chris Coghill (Uncle Hairy) and cast member Adam Long (Little Gaz) saw behind the scenes secrets revealed. They had the crowd in stitches sharing their favourite moments from filming and a personal favourite of mine, Coghill reliving the moment his dream man, Eric Cantona, admitted he was a fan of the film!
The guys from Manchester’s Finest, The Skinny, Manchester Evening News and Viva Magazine came down to the gig and we also got I love MCR and Mancunian Matters excited about Spike Island!
With event sponsors Bulldog Gin and Jameson Irish Whisky pouring the drinks and an array of Spike Island goodies, (I’m talking t-shirts, hats, badges – the lot), I think its fair to say Spike Island lovers went home with a ten mile smile, and so did we! Success!
Hannah x