Some of the biggest soap opera talents back crowdfunding comedy
Some of the biggest stars of the soap opera world are heading to Finsbury Park to film a new comedy show.
Storyline, written and directed by husband and wife team Neil Anthony Docking and Maxine Evans, who have worked on Emmerdale, Casualty and Coronation Street, is a comedy set behind the scenes of a radio soap.
The whole project is being put together on a shoe string - actors like Jane Gurnett (Casualty and Dangerfield), Terri Dwyer (Hollyoakas) and Mark Homer (Eastenders) are working for free and a Kickstarter funding website has been set up - to give the team artistic freedom with the programme, away from interfering TV executives.
Ms Evans said: “The inspiration came from myself and Neil, who in another life worked for Network Soaps - Crossroads and Coronations Street and so on.
“It was the first time we had worked in an office, so this is our take on an office based comedy.
“The reason we have gone down the Kickstarter route is we want artistic control.
“Were want to do something where there aren’t 53 executives with 12 different notes all contradicting each other.
“Some of my friends who write for TV have gone to hell and back.”
The filming has ended up in Finsbury Park thanks to associate producer Bado Evans, who lives in nearby Crouch Hill and spotted the perfect location for the show.
Now the team need £10,000 to make the first three episodes and so have launched a crowdfunding campaign which ahs so far raised £3,800.
They say all donations are gratefully accepted, no matter how small - the idea is to have the programme funded by lots of people rather than one big sugar daddy.
Anyone pledging £1,000 or more, however, is guaranteed a walk on part in one of the episodes.
Ms Evans said; “The shows are only going to be 15 to 18 minutes long, because we want to put hem on YouTube so they’re free for everybody.
“So far we’ve had a great response when we sent the script out.
“People came back with bells on. We told them we had no money, and they said ‘that’s fine’.”
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