Category Archives: Blackpool

Our film Changing Tides – now available on YouTube

Acting, Actor, Blackpool, Lancashire, Short Films, , , , ,

After time on the festival circuit, and limited screenings, our amazing film Changing Tides and the Making of Changing Tides are now online and ready to watch and share, so please do just that.

ABOUT:
Changing Tides is a punchy, realistic social drama that puts the spotlight on alcoholism, abandonment, and finding hope in unexpected places.

​Bea (Natasha Cottriall), early 20s, feisty and streetwise, works as a domestic carer. She has a new patient, Aiden (Rowe David McClelland). A bitter, aging alcoholic, who intimidates for sport, but she’s determined not to let him win.

​Their standoff softens when Aiden’s fragility becomes apparent. It shifts the power dynamic and forces her to take care of him. The balance tipped, and with his curiosity spiked, her unrelenting sarcasm wins him over.

​Bonding over dark humour and chips, he decides to stop drinking and be her friend. But when you’re an alcoholic, you can’t just stop.

Kathryn Georghiou – Writer | Director | Producer

The easiest way to find links to both of the films is on the House of Tales website:

If you want to go directly to the films then follow these links:

Another Film Premiere

Acting, Actor, Blackpool, Film, Filmmaking, Horror, Sheffield, , , , ,

Coming up – Second film premiere in a week.

How often can I say that? Never.

Delighted that BLACK DARUMA has a World Premiere Friday night at Spirit of Independence Festival in Sheffield.
From filmmakers Fionn and Toby Watts, this movie has Maximum Wattage!

A really unique horror film, I hope you can see it!

Black Daruma Tickets Here

Struggling with unemployment and a lack of purpose in life, Ryan impulsively buys a Japanese ‘luck’ doll at a local emporium and takes it home to his girlfriend, hoping his fortunes might change. Reluctant to entertain his wishful thinking and annoying pranks with the Doll, Louise finally persuades Ryan to throw the Doll away. But somehow the Doll reappears and tension in the house grows as circumstances for Ryan go from bad to worse.

Cast : David Castleford, Julie Higginson, Louise O’ Leary, Madeline Percival, Richard Galloway, Rowe David McClelland, Ruth Langrick

This follows the Premiere of CHANGING TIDES in Blackpool last weekend.

Beverley and I watching Changing Tides

A lovely evening with the crew who made it, and a very appreciative audience for a very emotional film. I cried at myself.

CHANGING TIDES has two more Cinema screenings coming up… Please check it out if you can.

CULTPLEX, MANCHESTER • Tickets here
50 Red Bank, Cheetham Hill, Manchester M4 4HF
8 October at 12:00-14:00

ARTHOUSE CINEMA, LONDON • Tickets here
159A Tottenham Ln, London N8 9BT
19 October at 20:00-22:00

Film Premieres coming up Sept 2023

Acting, Actor, Blackpool, Film, Filmmaking, Horror, Sheffield, Short Films, , , , , , , ,

It’s late in the evening, the last day of August, the last day of meteorological summer.
September 1st tomorrow.

Time to start thinking about putting the shorts away, and wearing jeans and long trousers again. Argh!

But I have good reason to dress up a bit! I have two movie premieres coming up in September. And tickets go on sale Sept 1st!

Hope to see you in a cinema soon!
Dx

CHANGING TIDES

From Writer / Director / Producer Kathryn Georghiou, and based on a true story, Changing Tides is a film about end-of-life alcoholism and finding hope in unexpected places.

Written & Directed by
Kathryn Georghiou

Starring
Natasha Cottriall and Rowe David McClelland​

Bea, a broke 22-year-old domestic carer has a new patient, an old, angry, alcoholic at the end of his life. After a turbulent start the two form an unlikely bond that changes both their lives forever.

Writer / Director / Producer Kathryn Georghiou says:
CHANGING TIDES is loosely based on my dad and I during the latter part of his life. He was an alcoholic, and that’s what killed him at the young age of 58.
The female character, Bea, a young, cocky domestic carer who has better things to do with her time.
Aiden is bloated and yellowing, looking older than his age because he’s been lost at the end of a bottle for many years.
First they fight. Control is power.
But when the realities of alcoholism force Bea to be the care giver, Aiden is forced to accept. This shifts their roles and instead of spoiling for war, they gradually bond over chips and sarcasm, and fall into parent and child friendship.
Aiden vows to change, but it’s not that easy when you’ve been living drink to drink for so long. Stopping altogether in an uncontrolled environment can only make things worse. And it does.
First the psychosis. Then the fatal discovery when Bea arrives the next day.
When Aiden is finally freed from his self-imposed prison, Bea is on a rollercoaster of emotions. Leaving his house for the last time, she realises there is hope.
He’s at peace. And she’s glad she knew him.

Changing Tides will have a limited cinema release before an exclusive run at film festivals for approximately one year. After that it will be made available on streaming platforms.

The cinema screenings are part of a four film ‘Made in Blackpool’ event, an evening celebrating four short films made in Blackpool by House of Tales and Out of the Ark Productions.

  • Saturday 23 September – 19.30 screening (doors at 19.00) at The Regent Cinema, Blackpool – the *premiere* screening of Changing Tides
  • Sunday 8 October – 12.00 at Cultplex, Manchester
  • Thursday 19 October – 20.00 at ArtHouse Cinema, London

General release tickets go on sale on 1st September.
Full details / buy tickets  here:
https://www.thisishouseoftales.com/screenings

If you have been affected by a parents drinking or you’re worried about someone who is, get in touch with Nacoa (National Association of Children of Alcoholics – https://nacoa.org.uk/), who are an excellent UK charity that provide help and support for everyone affected by a parent’s drinking, young and old.

BLACK DARUMA

Not just one premiere in September – there’s another! 

Black Daruma is a uniquely shot film, told entirely from the perspective of a doll. Made by local filmmakers, Fionn and Toby Watts, the film will have its world premiere at the Spirit of Independence Festival in Sheffield, Sept 29th.

Struggling with unemployment and a lack of purpose in life, Ryan impulsively buys a Japanese ‘luck’ doll at a local emporium and takes it home to his girlfriend, hoping his fortunes might change. Reluctant to entertain his wishful thinking and annoying pranks with the Doll, Louise finally persuades Ryan to throw the Doll away. But somehow the Doll reappears and tension in the house grows as circumstances for Ryan go from bad to worse.

Cast : David Castleford, Julie Higginson, Louise O’ Leary, Madeline Percival, Richard Galloway, Rowe David McClelland, Ruth Langrick

Premiere – Friday September 29th, Showroom Cinema, Sheffield – Tickets available here – https://www.showroomworkstation.org.uk/black-daruma-soi

Greetings from the Frozen North! Warm up with Sketch Up!

Acting, Actor, audiobook, Blackpool, comedy, Covid-19, Family, health, Humour, Lancashire, Sheffield, Voiceover, , , , , , , , , , ,

Ey up from the Steel City!!! Hope you’re all doing okay, staying warm and staying safe.
I write this on the 39th day of Lockdown 3. It just goes on and on doesn’t it?

But, thankfully, I have something to tickle your funny bones on these cold nights.
I’m a member of Sketch Up! – a group of Actor’s, Writers and Voice Artists, that got together to record comedy sketches, directly from the mind and nimble fingers of Rachel E. Thorn

We were due to perform these LIVE!!! Yes, LIVE!!! with an audience, at the renowned Leicester Comedy Festival. But, alas, a Global Pandemic thwarted our bid for Global Sketch Comedy Stardom.
Live comedy’s loss is, however, your gain…
Thanks to the power of T’interwebs, you can enjoy our sketches in the comfort of your very own home/car/van/tent/workplace/ears…  via the Leicester Comedy Festival  – until Feb 21.
We’ve already had a 4-STAR REVIEW  (“a delight…with a bit of bite!”) and lots of lovely feedback which is great. Its free to listen (you bloody old misers) online – 45 comedy sketches – listen all in one go or individually.
They range from the surreal to the domestic and sometimes incorporate a bit of both but nowhere will you find even the vaguest reference to the dreaded pandemic!

Sketch Up! Comedy sketches written by Rachel E. Thorn, Produced by Gerard Fletcher & Melanie Crawley, Performed by Ali Mylon, Gerard Fletcher, Letty Butler, Melanie Crawley, myself, and Rachel E Thorn.

Here’s the Soundcloud link 

 

Happy Birthday Benjamin!

Last weekend was a happy/sad one… My eldest son Benjamin turned 19. He lives just outside Blackpool, and with Lockdowns and Tiers, etc, we haven’t seen each other in person since last August.
Sadly Benjamin, my daughter Sophie and my youngest son, Joseph, lost their mum, my ex-wife Jane, to Covid just before Christmas. It’s such a difficult time for everyone. And it’s really hard not seeing my children, when all I want to do is hug them.

I posted a link to my Ko-Fi account in case anyone wanted to send Benjamin a bit of birthday love. And many of you did, thank you so very much! It made his day!

Benjamin has now created his own Ko-Fi Page, so if you’d like to check it out and send him the price of a a coffee, cake, or even more, the link is here….

Buy a coffee for Benjamin McClelland
All contributions are very much appreciated.

 

Check out my Lockdown Logs

A reminder, I post daily Twitter and YouTube Lockdown Log updates, featuring 2 Minute 20 Second updates on the boring minutiae of my Lockdown life. Really selling that, aren’t I?
Here’s the YouTube Playlist…

Thanks for dropping by! Subscribe to this blog at the bottom of the page, or follow any/all of my socials, top of the right hand column!

Stay safe m’ducks!
Dave X

Watch MOCKDOWN! for Sun Aug 23

Actor, Blackpool, celebrities, Celebrity, Chat Show, comedy, Covid-19, Emmerdale, Film, Humour, ITV, Lancashire, stage, Summer, theatre, TV, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Greetings fellow earthlings!

Had a great MOCKDOWN show Sunday night, with three fantastic guests…

Emmerdale actor TONY AUDENSHAW, was here to chat about how his shed kept him busy during lockdown…

Actor, writer, singer, social media star, and Lockdown SitCom creator FANNI COMPTON…

And we travelled to France to chat to my friend DOMINIC RAINFORD – he’s done panto, opera, Scooby-Doo and Shakespeare – now he’s entertaining the crowds at Disneyland Paris.

[Guest info below video]

IF THE VIDEO ABOVE IS NOT AVAILABLE – PLEASE WATCH ON FACEBOOK LINK BELOW…

Back next Sunday for more! Stay safe me hearties!
D x

GUEST INFO:

Tony Audenshaw attended Guildford School of Acting, Tony enjoyed a few years acting and directing T.I.E. and filling multiple roles at Thorpe Park, theme park in the summers.
A few pantos at Oldham Coliseum and a load of commercials for the likes of Barclays Bank, Quorn and Tetleys Beer led to bits on Brookside and parts in other popular telly and the films Going Off Big Time and Ken Loach’s Raining Stones. And he’s played Bob Hope in Emmerdale since 2000.
A lover of variety and light entertainment he was thrilled to do Stars in Their Eyes twice (Kenny Rogers and Roy Wood) and appear on the likes of Blankety Blank, Family Fortunes, Harry Hills TV Burp, The Chase and Celebrity Mastermind.
He’s been singing with the covers band White Van Man since 2001, contributing regularly as ‘Tony’s Trials’ to the Running Podcast Marathon Talk, is a keen birdwatcher and helps run a weekly community quiz in his hometown New Mills, Derbyshire.
Guest Links:
Tony Twitter: https://twitter.com/TonysTrials
Tony In The Shed YouTube Channel – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTzmZ05_P-3yK6PGUbR-Lyg

Fanni Compton is an Actress, Writer, Social Media Creator & Recording Artist based in the North West.
Her dreams of becoming a prima ballerina were dashed when she was told that her ankles were too weak.
She then tried her hand at varying jobs, but it didn’t take long for her to realise that she was on the wrong path  – graduated Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in 2010.
Since then he’s done hundreds of sketches and monologues for Social Media, started her music career and  has a Television Comedy Pilot in post production entitled Nowhere Close. And she’s made full use of the 2020 Pandemic to develop an Online Sitcom called Lockdown Lifeline.
Guest Links:
Fanni Music website: www.fannicomptonmusic.com
Fanni YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCJU6ZsSSC22CyM2hQ43B7Dw

Dominic Rainford – Raised in Blackpool, Dominic trained in Musical Theatre at LSMT (London School of Musical Theatre). Since then he’s had a varied career going from Panto to the English National Opera. Scooby-Doo to Shakespeare. Dungeon creature to Drag Queen and has now swapped one tower for another as he’s living and working in France at Disneyland Paris.
Guest Link:
Dominic Twitter: @DommyPoppins

SUPPORT ARTISTS:
Equity Benevolent Fund  
Equity Benevolent Fund YouTube Channel
My Ko-Fi link

MOCKDOWN! streams live on Sunday evenings at 8pm (UK) on my Actor Facebook Page and on my YouTube Channel. There are also occasional Mockdown Confidential shows on Tuesday evenings.
Previous shows are on my Actor page, and are also available as a Playlist on YouTube

SUPPORT MOCKDOWN:
My Ko-Fi Link –Ko-fi.com/davemcclelland
PayPal – paypal.me/DaveyMcC

MOCKDOWN contains video clips which are not owned by myself, they are found on YouTube, and used during the show to demonstrate my guest’s work.
No infringement is intended.

Coming up on MOCKDOWN! Sun Aug 23 @ 8PM

Acting, Actor, BBC, Blackpool, celebrities, Celebrity, Chat Show, comedy, Emmerdale, Film, Filmmaking, Humour, ITV, Lancashire, Mockdown, Politics, stage, Summer, theatre, TV, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Coming up Sunday Aug 23 on Mockdown!

You need HOPE in this time of global pandemic – and this week I have Bob Hope, Emmerdale actor TONY AUDENSHAW, here to chat about how his shed kept him busy during lockdown…

I have actor, writer, singer, social media star, and Lockdown SitCom creator FANNI COMPTON…

And we’ll travel to France to chat to my friend DOMINIC RAINFORD – he’s done panto, opera, Scooby-Doo and Shakespeare – now he’s entertaining the crowds at Disneyland Paris.

They’ll be here to chat about their lockdown experience – and what they have coming up next…

Join us on Sunday night at 8pm.

WATCH HERE – LINKS TO LIVE STREAM ON SUNDAY 8pm:
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2696242707145898&extid=eEoemMEnPp4Ky5nH
YouTube –  https://youtu.be/XwM7XDIsGHs

MOCKDOWN AUG 23 TRAILER:

GUEST LINKS:
Tony Twitter: https://twitter.com/TonysTrials
Tony In The Shed YouTube Channel – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTzmZ05_P-3yK6PGUbR-Lyg
Fanni Music website: www.fannicomptonmusic.com
Fanni YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCJU6ZsSSC22CyM2hQ43B7Dw
Dominic Twitter: @DommyPoppins

SUPPORT ARTISTS:
Equity Benevolent Fund  
Equity Benevolent Fund YouTube Channel
My Ko-Fi link

MOCKDOWN! streams live on Sunday evenings at 8pm (UK) on my Actor Facebook Page and on my YouTube Channel. There are also occasional Mockdown Confidential shows on Tuesday evenings.
Previous shows are on my Actor page, and are also available as a Playlist on YouTube

SUPPORT MOCKDOWN:
My Ko-Fi Link –Ko-fi.com/davemcclelland
PayPal – paypal.me/DaveyMcC

MOCKDOWN contains video clips which are not owned by myself, they are found from YouTube and used during the show to demonstrate my guest’s work. No infringement is intended.

Mockdown! Ep. 3, Panto & Theatre

Acting, Actor, Blackpool, comedy, Covid-19, Manchester, Mockdown, Politics, stage, , , , , , , , , , ,

Hello m’dears!

Hope you’re all keeping safe and well in these strange times.

Had another episode of MOCKDOWN! on Sunday night, with my lovely guests Chris Clarkson and Ian Fox.

The link to the recorded show is below, join us for lots of chat about theatre and pantomime  – and what the future may hold for live entertainment in a post-Lockdown world.

Stay safe my pretties!!

Dave x

New Barry Pigeon Protects…

Acting, Actor, Barry Pigeon Protects, Blackpool, comedy, Film, Humour, Lancashire, Short Films, TV, , , , , ,

Ep 6 live now….. but is Barry?

Season 1 of Barry Pigeon Protects reached a shocking finale on Friday….

I had a great time shooting this with the fab writer/director combo of Kurt Brookes and Andrew Birtwell. Well done lads!

What happens to Barry now???? Time will tell…

If you haven’t seen the whole series, here’s your chance… Follow this link for the whole series playlist. Follow Barry on Twitter here.

Wishing you all a super weekend!

Dave

I’m in BARRY PIGEON PROTECTS. Episode 5 out now!

Acting, Actor, Barry Pigeon Protects, Blackpool, comedy, Computer, Film, Humour, Lancashire, Short Films, , , , , , ,

I am so proud of our web series. I hope you’re enjoying it!

A different format this time for you….. This week Barry discusses the declining quality of flies, toilet time and boiled eggs….

One more episode to go now – and it’s a doozy!

Have a superb weekend my Little Valentine’s!

Tons of love

Dave

I AM BARRY PIGEON. Ep 4 out now

Acting, Actor, Barry Pigeon Protects, Blackpool, comedy, Family, Film, Humour, Lancashire, Short Films, TV, , , , , , ,

Another weekend. And another episode of Barry Pigeon Protects for you.

I had a great time shooting this series. Please take a look. Not long now until the explosive finale of Episode 6!!!!

You can see the whole series of Barry Pigeon Protects here so catch up if you haven’t seen it yet.

And the Barry Pigeon Twitter feed is great too! I wish I could say the funny words came out of my mouth, but it’s all down to the wonderful writers Kurt and Andrew!

Have a great weekend! And a Very Happy Birthday to my amazing son Benjamin! 14 on Sunday. How the years have flown. I love you Son!

Dave