Film director's mission to help unite Blackburn (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Film director's mission to help unite Blackburn

3:00pm Wednesday 20th January 2010 in News By Jemma Humphreys, Deputy features editor

ACTOR-turned-director Paul Simpson is on a mission to desegregate his home town of Blackburn through the power of cinema.

And the star of stage and screen is looking for two young men to take the leads in his first film, due for release in the summer.

The plot will tell a mythological story of cohesion, set in Blackburn, which Paul has penned with Holby City writer Chris O’Connell.

A host of big names in the North West entertainment scene have signed up, including actress and director Noreen Kershaw, who has directed all the big hits including Coronation Street and Shameless and played WPC Phyllis Dobbs in the BBC series Life On Mars.

And the actor better known as Weatherfield’s John Stape, Graeme Hawley, will star alongside John Henshaw, famed for Early Doors and Born and Bred.

Co-directing is Mark Babych, the former director of Bolton Octagon, and playing a cameo as himself is East Lancashire’s own Ted Robbins.

All that remains is to cast the two teenage leads and Paul is auditioning throughout January.

The chosen pair will take on the characters of Nathan and Adeel, two old school friends who fight to unite the communities of their town with the help of a film producer (Graeme Hawley).

Paul said: “We are looking for two young men aged between 17 and 21, one Asian and one white, to play the leads.

"We need to find them soon as we want to start shooting in March.

"It was going to be earlier but the snow has held everything up a bit.

“We feel it is important, as the story is about Blackburn, that the two leads are sourced from the local community.

"No acting experience is needed, just a willingness to learn — and quickly.”

The 37-year-old runs Little Big Man Films from his home, a farm on the outskirts of Blackburn, where he lives with wife Donna — deputy head teacher at St Thomas Primary School, Blackburn — and his two young children.

And he has spent the last few months, in between acting jobs, visiting schools and other areas of the community collecting research for his first creation, which has the working title of Steps To Tread.

The film will be filmed in and around Blackburn, with scenes at Corporation Park, Bank Top Community Centre and the railway station.

It was the report by Ted Cantle, a leading authority on community cohesion, listing Blackburn as the second most ethnically-divided town in Britain, that gave Paul the idea for his first film.

He said: “I read the report and decided there was concept for a film in there.

"Segregation is apparently increasing and I wanted to give Blackburn an indication of the way forward with any problems we might have and break down the myths and barriers we face.

“I’m a Blackburn lad and I feel very passionately about the town,” said Paul, who left London after drama school to return to his Lancashire roots.

“I want to challenge people’s perceptions about where we live and to try to understand why we are segregated and find ways to co-exist instead of this."

Paul is passionate about making a better community for his children to grow up in.

He added: “The bonus of this project is it’s a bit of a two-pronged approach, because whatever happens with the broadcasting of the film we’ve got the making of it that will help in itself.

“We’ll be working with children from different ethnic backgrounds, which will undoubtedly add to the cohesion of the area before the film is ever even seen.”

Paul fell into acting aged just 14, when he auditioned for a part to get out of school.

He was picked out of obscurity to play the lead child in 1990s film Nature Of The Beast, set in and around Oswaldtwistle, where he was born.

And two lucky youngsters can follow in his footsteps if they can convince the panel.

During his career Paul has played parts in Coronation Street, Heartbeat and new drama series The Street, as well as a string of stage roles, becoming a regular face at Bolton Octagon and recently starring in a multimedia production at The Lowry, Salford Quays.

But it’s behind the camera where he has always dreamed of making a career.

“It’s long been an aim of mine at some stage to do some directing," he said.

"I’ve done a few small-scale touring productions before, but film is what I really love.

“I want to take my first film to a film festival and maybe even get it on telly.

"But initially I’d like to see it played at a local cinema to be seen by the people of our town.

"Hopefully it will be a success and make a difference to segregation.”

l To audition for a part, contact Paul on 07971303148 or paulsimpson@littlebigmanfilms.com