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Meryl, Hugh and Liverpool
IT'S lights, camera, action once again
for Liverpool as the City takes a starring role on the silver screen. Florence
Foster Jenkins, produced by Pathé, has hit cinemas, from Friday, 6 May 2016,
starring Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant. The stars headed to Liverpool, in June
2015, where they filmed key scenes at Water Street, Back Castle Street and
Rumford Street. The comedy drama which has been directed by Stephen Frears
(Philomena, The Queen) tells the inspirational true story of the eponymous New
York heiress who obsessively pursued her dream of becoming a great singer, even
though some regard her as the world's worst performer. The film celebrates the
human spirit, the power of music and the passion of amateurs everywhere. The
City doubled as New York, with the production filming across Merseyside for 5
days, with around 250 cast, crew and extras involved.
Tracey Seaward, Producer of Florence Foster Jenkins, said:- "1 of the
biggest challenges we faced making Florence Foster Jenkins in the UK was always
going to be how to find 1940's New York. The elegance and grandeur of Liverpool
(with a little assistance from VFX) made it easy. Liverpool provided us with New
York exteriors and made it possible for us to shoot the movie in the UK. Thank
you Liverpool!"
Liverpool's Film Office Manager, Lynn Saunders, said:- "It's always great
news when we get it confirmed that a major film is coming to the City, But there
was definitely an extra buzz around this City as news got out that Meryl Streep
and Huge Grant were the star names! Liverpool is certainly no stranger to
hosting big films and big stars and it's not only a wonderful boost for the
local economy, but it also engenders a sense of pride in the people who live
here that there is a real desire for these blockbusters to be filmed in the
City. The trailer has already whetted the appetite and even though we've been
transformed in to New York, I think Liverpool will be easy to spot so I look
forward to heading to the cinema to see the finished product."
The film's supporting cast members include Simon Helberg (The Big Bang Theory)
as Florence's long suffering piano accompanist, Rebecca Ferguson (Mission:
Impossible; Rogue Nation) and Nina Arianda (Midnight in Paris). The film
is produced by Michael Kuhn (The Duchess) and by Tracey Seaward (Philomena, The
Queen).
It is executive produced by Pathé's Cameron McCracken, BBC Films' Christine
Langan and Qwerty's Malcolm Ritchie. Nicholas Martin wrote the screenplay and
the creative team includes Director of Photography Danny Cohen (The King's
Speech, Les Miserables), Production Designer Alan Macdonald (Philomena, The
Queen), Costume Designer Consolata Boyle (Philomena, The Queen), Composer
Alexandre Desplat (The Grand Budapest Hotel, Philomena) and Editor Valerio
Bonelli (Philomena).
Florence Foster Jenkins is a Pathé and BBC Films presentation with the
participation of Canal + and Cine + of a Qwerty Films Production.
Filming in Liverpool in 2015 was up 20% compared to 2014, with 230 productions
being filmed in the City which resulted in a massive 998 film days in the City.
This brought in more than £11.5million to the local economy.
As well as Florence Foster Jenkins, projects included Harry Potter spin off
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Rocky film Creed. A Stephen
Poliakoff drama Close to the Enemy and ITV's supernatural crime drama Houdini
and Doyle were also filmed in Liverpool last year, as was Sky 1's The Five which
is currently receiving critical acclaim.
To find out more about Liverpool's Film Office visit:-
LiverpoolFilmOffice.TV.
They hit the jackpot.... Now they're skint!
WINNING the lottery is what everyone
dreams of, but for these lucky winners their dreams turned into nightmares.
Turns out losing a fortune is much easier than winning 1! Fortunately,
help is at hand. At Millionaires Anonymous people are encouraged to discuss
their stories and problems, and with the help of a 12 step program the former
millionaires are guided onto a path of enlightenment and self hulfilment,
learning along the way that money doesn't buy happiness. Or does it?
Having formed a secret syndicate, the group continue to gamble what little money
they have left, pinning all their hopes on winning the jackpot again. The odds
on that? 2 hundred and 83 billion to 1. It's a long shot, but it could happen,
and if it did you'd better hope your syndicate is a group of mentally stable and
well rounded individuals… but more importantly, that you can find the bloody
ticket! Millionaires Anonymous takes a hilarious look at our quest for
happiness in all the wrong places. Writer/Director Stewart McDonald says:-
"With a superb cast of home grown talent, the play explores the idea of
appreciating what we have and not resting all our hopes on something that's out
of our control and near impossible to win."
PERFORMANCE DETAILS
Venue:- The Brindley Theatre, Runcorn.
Dates:- Tuesday, 10 May and Wednesday, 11 May 2016.
Time:- 7:30pm.
Tickets:- £12 Adults/ £10 Concessions.
Booking:-
TheBrindley.Org.UK / 0151 907 8360.
Venue:- The Atkinson Theatre, Southport.
Dates: -Thursday, 12 May and Friday, 13 May 2016.
Time:- 7:30pm.
Tickets:- £12 Adults/ £10 Concessions.
Booking:-
TheAtkinson.Co.UK / 01704 533 333.
Venue:- The Salford Arts Theatre, Salford (part of the Greater Manchester Fringe
Festival)
Dates:- Friday, 1 July to Sunday, 3 July 2016.
Time:- 7:30pm.
Tickets:- £10 Adults/ £8 Concessions.
Booking:-
SalfordArtsTheatre.Com / 0161 925 0111.
Find out more about Typecast Productions on the shows
website,
and you can also follow them on
Facebook
and on
Twitter. (Please note
Millionaires Anonymous is suitable for over 15's only) |
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Awareness campaign calls for
new foster carers in Southport to address national shortage
EVERY 20 minutes across the UK a child
comes into care in need of a foster family. With approximately 995 children and
young people in local authority care in Liverpool, many of whom are in urgent
need of a foster family, Foster Care Associates (FCA) is appealing for new
foster carers as it prepares to mark Foster Care Fortnight, on Monday, 16 May
2016 to Sunday, 29 May 2016; the UK's biggest annual foster carer recruitment
campaign.
The event aims to highlight the fantastic work done by foster carers in the
region who are helping to transform the lives of looked after children and young
people, as well as encourage those interested in fostering to take that first
step into becoming a foster carer.
This year's theme is Time to foster, Time to Care and highlights the fact that
every 20 minutes across the UK a child comes in to care in need of a foster
family. This equates to more than 1000 children and young people during the
duration of Foster Care Fortnight.
Mark Costello, CEO of FCA, said:- "Many people would love to foster but
they believe that their personal circumstances, or skills and experience, would
prevent them from doing so. Whether you're single, over 50, childless, or in a
same sex relationship, fostering could be for you, and we want to bust some of
the myths that may prevent potential foster carer's from making that 1st
enquiry. Foster Care Fortnight is the ideal opportunity to talk to the regional
FCA team and have an informal face to face chat to find out more about
fostering. People are often surprised by how much support and training is
available and this is a key driver for many people coming forward and becoming a
foster carer with FCA. If you have a spare room in your home you could
potentially foster!"
FCA host regular events in the region for those interested in taking the first
step into providing foster care and want to find out more about the extensive
support the organisation provide to their foster carers. More information about
forthcoming regional events are available on the
website.
Foster carers with FCA receive frequent visits and contact from a dedicated and
qualified social worker. Support is also provided through an education officer,
support workers and therapists to help carers meet the needs of the child or
young person. Ongoing training, a financial allowance, access to carer support
groups and organised family activities are all contributing factors as to why
FCA placements are 22% more stable than the national average.
Anyone interested in finding out more about fostering can meet up with the FCA
team at one of its regional events or call:- 0800 023 4561 and speak to the FCA
Recruitment Team. More information about forthcoming regional information events
are available on the
website.
Ainsley Harriott to open Southport Flower Show
CELEBRITY chef Ainsley Harriott is to
bring his barbecue to the seaside this summer to fire up the 2016 Southport
Flower Show. Ainsley will open the annual show on the Lancashire coast
before showcasing the culinary skills which have made him one of Britain's best
loved TV cooks.
He has starred in a string of popular TV shows, including Ainsley's Barbecue
Bible, Ready Steady Cook and, over the last year, Ainsley Harriott's Street Food
and Len and Ainsley's Big Food Adventure. He also threw some memorable shapes on
the dancefloor when he appeared in the most recent series of Strictly Come
Dancing. Ainsley is a best selling author, with over 2 million copies sold
worldwide, and is a familiar face in our shopping aisles with his highly
successful range of soups, rice and cous cous. Ainsley will appear at Southport,
on Thursday, 18 August 2016, for the opening day of Britain's biggest
independent flower show and will be performing 2 cookery demonstrations in the
Food Village.
Ainsley says:- "I'm really excited to
have been asked to appear at the famous Southport Flower Show. I've heard so
much about it over the years and, as I've always been interested in gardening
and growing my own vegetables and herbs, I'm hoping to pick up a few tips while
I'm there."
This year's Southport Flower Show has a Mediterranean theme and will celebrate
the culture, cuisine and fragrant gardens of the Southern European Coast. The
show features masterclasses from the UK's top gardeners including Joe Swift,
Carol Klein and Christine Walkden plus keenly contested amateur growers'
competitions and the spectacle of the Grand Floral Marquee. Southport also
features entertainment for all the family and a food festival which grows in
size and popularity every year. Ainsley will be joined by a host of famous names
including chefs Aiden Byrne and Andrew Nutter.
General Manager Ray Roukin said:- "We are delighted to welcome Ainsley
Harriott, to Southport for this year's show. The Food Village has become one of
the most exciting additions to the line up of attractions at Southport and it
will be fantastic for visitors to see 1 of the nation's favourite chefs in
action at the show."
Southport Flower Show runs from Thursday, 18 August 2016 to Sunday, 21 August
2016. Advance tickets are available for just £19 per person. Purchase your
tickets before the end of May and you can buy 2 tickets for just £34. Children
under 16 go free when accompanied by a paying adult. For more up to date
information on the show, celebrity announcements, details and ticket bookings
visit:-
SouthportFlowerShow.Co.UK or call:- 01704 547147. |
