Schoolgirl, 8 chosen as lead in British film

Jul 19 2008 by Paul Loraine, The Journal

LITTLE Holly Newton has scooped the starring role in a British blockbuster to be filmed in the North East.

The eight-year-old County Durham schoolgirl beat off competition from girls around the region to get the part as Lizzie in the big screen adaptation of My Dad’s A Birdman.

The children’s book by Newcastle-born author David Almond will be filmed on location in and around the city early next year.

Holly, who attends Startforth Morritt Primary School in Barnard Castle, said she was thrilled to be picked when the final casting was made yesterday.

She said: “I feel really proud of myself and want to thank my mum and dad.

“I really enjoyed it and I think it’s a really good part. I think I’m a lot like Lizzie.”

Scores of girls from across the North East have battled it out over the past week at a special casting at the newly-refurbished Tyneside Cinema.

Holly’s character is the daughter of a man who is keen to enter a birdman competition, trying to fly.

It will be director Will Howe’s first feature film although he has directed shorts and lectured in film. He said Holly had impressed because she was spontaneous.

Mr Howe said: “What she has is a rare ability to improvise. She could feed off the actor and respond rather than just read the lines.”

Mum and dad Beverley and Mike, of Hutton Magna, just outside Barnard Castle, last night spoke of their delight at their only child’s success.

Mrs Newton, an accountant, said: “We’re absolutely ecstatic. We didn’t want to build her up to much because there’s a lot of competition.

“She did it all herself and she was so natural.”

Mr Newton, a haulage worker, revealed he had left himself in a difficult situation.

He said: “I promised her if she did well I would buy her a horse so I will have to stick to my word now.

“She has done so well and we are over the moon.”

Producer of the new film, Abi Draper, of Canterbury-based Birdman Productions, explained why the team was drawn to the project.

She said: “It was the book that interested us initially and we realised there was a gap in the market for edgier children’s drama in feature film. The author, who has been very much part of the writing process, is from the local area, and the book is also set here so we wanted to remain as true to that as possible.

“That is why we have chosen to have a North Easterner in the starring role and use Geordie production staff and extras, many of whom will be recruited later on in the schedule.”

The team will be moving to Newcastle on a more permanent basis to start pre-production for the film early next year, and filming is set to begin in the spring.

Gayle Woodruffe of Northern Film & Media, who is supporting the production, said: “Northern Film & Media is delighted to welcome the production team.

“Productions like this one mean a lot to the region in terms of jobs, expenditure and exposure.

“An average of £7m is spent by inward investment production each year and with our campaign to promote the region more vigorously, and our filming-friendly local authorities in the region, we hope to attract much more production to the region.

“We hope to work closely with the production team to make sure that their experience of filming in the North East is a good one and that they will return in the future.”