69

In December of 2025, I was asked to participate as part of the principal cast in the debut independent film ‘69’ by renowned Royal Court playwright Leo Butler. I’d met Leo while I was involved in The Marlowe Writers’ Room (Leo is the resident dramateur at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury). When he told me about the part, I found the idea so hilariously madcap that I agreed to do it pretty much there and then. The day of filming was so much fun: I was thrilled to work with Sangeeta Sharma (a good friend and my scene partner) and equally thrilled to meet Kulvinder Ghir from Goodness Gracious Me, a hugely amiable and talented actor. When I first met Leo, I had no idea he was even interested in producing a film, let alone editing and directing one! I’d joined The Writers’ Room simply because I’d never done any screenplay writing before and also because I’d previously had a blast co-creating a play with a bunch of other writers for the Marlowe Studio, again under the guidance and tutelage of Leo himself. The play was a collaborative effort that saw pupils from the Marlowe Youth Theatre taking roles that we’d written and really creating something special from them. It was performed at the Marlowe Studio in July, 2024. To find out more about the film ‘69’, check out Pickpocket Films or the British Film Database. To find out more about the Marlowe Writers’ Room, click the link above.