The relative conviviality of a preview screening shouldn’t perhaps be taken as a surefire guide to the nature and content of a forthcoming TV drama series.
If you’ve read Forever Home, the fourth novel by Graham Norton – chat show host with a talent for plots and prose to match his gift of the gab – then you’ll know it’s not all sweetness and light.
But conviviality there was in abundance at the Tyneside Cinema on Friday night as cast, crew and other interested parties got a first glimpse of what we’ll be seeing on our screens from September 14, when the first of six episodes airs on Channel 5.
This ‘invitation only’ preview arranged by North East Screen, energetic promoter of the region’s many filmic attributes, was another brilliant showcase for its native talent and still largely unexploited potential.
Some of this talent found time for a chat before we all took our seats, packing out the Tyneside’s splendid Classic auditorium.
Denise Welch is cast as Moira Crottie whose daughter Carol (Amy Nuttall) is the longtime partner of Robert Barrie whose wife, so we’re told, ran away years ago with another man.
Denise is an actress deeply rooted in the region – roles in Byker Grove, Spender and Auf Wiedersehean, Pet feature on her long CV – and she could hardly champion it more effectively if she were to walk around sporting a hat shaped like the Penshaw Monument or the Tyne Bridge.
“I heard a while ago from people in the business that the North East is one of the places really growing in the film industry,” she declared.
“That’s really music to my ears because I think we would all – even Amy who’s an unofficial Geordie – would love to work here all the time if we could.
“Wouldn’t we, James?”
This to Sunderland-born James Baxter who readily concurs – “of course” – and whose boyfriend role in episode one of Forever Home is a bit of an eye-opener, to say the least (“No spoilers”, pleaded the series publicists).
I first saw James nearly 20 years ago in a challenging play called Scarborough, by Fiona Evans, in which he played a schoolboy being romanced – abused? - by a teacher.
It was daring stuff and James shone, being nominated for an award for his performance on the Edinburgh Fringe and shortly afterwards heading to Emmerdale.
“I think,” went on Denise, warming to her theme, “that anybody I’ve spoken to in this business, if they’ve worked up here, will say the North East is one of their favourite places to work – not only because of the locations but because of the people.
“I think Geordies are known for being just so welcoming and we’ve got some incredibly talented people here on both sides of the camera.”
What would an ‘unofficial Geordie’ say about it?
Amy Nuttall, who affects a good North East accent and is put through the emotional wringer as Carol Crottie, says of the shoot: “It was just such a lovely, easy time, actually.
“It didn’t feel like work most of the time and people up here are just really friendly.
“I know I’m from the North West, although I’ve worked more in the North East, but northerners are renowned for being friendly.”
Hastily she added: “Not that southerners aren’t… but it just makes your day-to-day easier and we were looked after so well and had such an amazing North East crew. It made it all easy, to be honest.”
These can’t just be platitudes.
Amy was here not so long ago, filming The Feud, another six-parter for Channel 5 in which North East Screen also played a large part, and, as a 14-year-old, performed in a National Youth Music Theatre production, Aurelius – the Valiant Apprentice, at the Tyne Theatre & Opera House.
“You know, Kevin Whately’s brother Frank co-wrote the musical and directed me in it,” said Amy, a talented singer as well as an actress.
Kevin Whately also has a part in Forever Home. “Such a small world,” remarked James Baxter.
Lewis Cope, who plays Robert Barrie’s son Kaden, dances as well as Amy sings – not that either gets to demonstrate these talents in the Channel 5 drama.
Born in Hartlepool, he joined the cast of Billy Elliot the Musical at the age of 11, playing Billy’s friend, Michael. “I saw him in it,” said Denise.
Last year he was wowing TV viewers with his performances in Strictly Come Dancing and recalled a hectic few weeks when the Forever Home shooting schedule coincided with his commitment to the ‘Strictly’ live shows.
It had entailed a lot of travelling and late nights.
But he, too, had enjoyed being on location in Northumberland (look out for local landmarks, with Hexham getting a starring role in episode one).
“I live in London and every time I was coming here to film it didn’t seem like I was getting on the train to go to work,” said Lewis.
“It felt like I was going home. It always felt fun. I absolutely love being in the North East and would love for more things to be made here.
“Maybe then I’d move back.”
Cast Lewis in anything and it seems you’ll get a ready-made audience. He’s one of 14 children (nine boys and five girls) and all live in Hartlepool.
His parents were in Friday’s audience and a nephew, Alfie, was on screen, playing the young Kaden Barrie in flashback.
Lewis recalled being asked if he could supply photos of himself as a child because they were looking to cast the role. Lewis mentioned young Alfie, who has some acting experience, and he got the part. “He did audition,” laughed Lewis.
All praised the job done by screenwriter Clara Salaman in adapting the novel, tweaking it in places (Declan in the novel becomes Robert on TV, played by Douglas Henshall) without losing its narrative drive.
“It does keep you on the edge of your seat and it keeps you guessing,” said James.
“I’m hoping that because of those qualities people will enjoy it.”
One of the biggest page-to-screen ‘tweaks’ was relocating the story from Ireland to Northumberland, a decision motivated by cost and practicality.
Graham Norton, I was assured, had been happy with that and loved the TV treatment.
After the Tyneside showing of episode one, the cast lined up on stage for a Q&A chaired by Lisa Laws of North East Screen.
Denise Welch revealed that she had undergone eye surgery during the shoot, having suffered a detached retina, and recalled, to the embarrassment of producer Will Nicholson, his assertion that every North East actor had appeared in Vera, on which he had also worked.
She very definitely had not, she said indignantly, and she had been available.
And if he or anyone else wants to make amends, they could do worse than cast Denise in a period drama.
“I’ve always desperately wanted to wear a bonnet,” she declared.
And apart from “one spit and a cough in The Glass Virgin” she hadn’t appeared in any other of the many Catherine Cookson TV productions.
“It just infuriates me.”
Both on and off set, fellow cast members agreed, Denise had been a source of much of the fun and laughter during this latest North East TV adventure.
Her character, certainly, provides much of the justification for Forever Home, which in many respects looks rather bleak, being described as a dark comedy.
But judge for yourselves when the series is aired on Channel 5 (the first three episodes running Monday to Wednesday from September 14 and the last three on the same days from September 21).
Forever Home is co-produced by FilmNation Entertainment (under executive producer Kirstie Macdonald, who is from the North East and was on stage on Friday) and The Mediapro Studio.
Most importantly, it received support from the North East Production Fund which is administered by North East Screen – another example of what a bit of strategic funding can do.