ghost light
ghost light
30 minute film / UK / 2020 / arri alexa LF
dir. Hope Dickson Leach / National Theatre Scotland / Edinburgh International Festival
writers. JM Barries / Vlad Butucea / Pamala Carter / Richard Conlon / Jenni Fagan / Robert Softley Gale / David Greig / Phillip Howard / Kieran Hurley / Franz Kafka /Jackie Kay / Matthew Lenton / Gail Watson / Jackie Wylie and Hope Dickson Leach
producer. Wendy Griffin
cinematographer. Kate Reid
Director Hope Dickson Leach was invited by the NTS to make a love letter to theatre which could be viewed across the globe in the absence of the 2020 Edinburgh International Film Festival, and she had 5 weeks in which to do it. From this initial brief to delivery! Hope, fortunately, is an absolute creative tour de force and along with producer extraordinaire Wendy Griffin, they were utterly unphased by the scale and timeframe of what was being asked. A week later we had a script, 2 weeks on we were shooting! This was a wonderfully exciting project to be part of, by its nature spontaneous and with that a delightful untethered creative freedom I had forgotten existed, working with a small crew, an even smaller budget and immense good will of all involved. I am so grateful to my magnificent camera and lighting team who went above and beyond pulling together to help make this beautiful film which was broadcast on BBC One Scotland on what would have been the first day of EIF 2020, receiving 5 star reviews across the board!
A series of ‘behind the scenes’ posts about the creative and technical process can be found on my Instagram page
press and reviews
The Guardian: “a feast of dreams from the National Theatre of Scotland”- ✭✮✮✮✮
The Herald: “(a) movingly realised cinematic poem”- ✭✮✮✮✮
The Scotsman: “an extraordinary filmic love song to live theatre” - ✭✮✮✮✮
The Stage: “This is something of a triumph, eschewing nostalgia to celebrate successes and hinting at the ones to come.” - ✭✮✮✮✮
Cor Blimey blog: “This isn’t only a love letter to the industry, it’s a heartbeat – a pulse throughout time which ripples across the minds and moods of the nation – of the world, into a realm of plywood forests, costumed scandal and familiar lights which will never be extinguished” - ✭✮✮✮✮
All Edinburgh Theatre: “This touching and beautifully constructed work does justice to those on both sides of the curtain.”- ✭✮✮✮
The Times: “a glimpse of how theatre feels and why it matters”- ✭✮✮✮
Wee Review: “a poignant metaphor for theatre, live performance and the arts while theatres remain closed.” ✭✮✮✮
Stage Door: “a shadowy, elusive thing that reminds that while theatre is ephemeral it shines brightly in our memories and can offer a guiding light towards the future.”
British Theatre Guide: “a reminder of what we are all missing in 2020 and can hope to enjoy again in a year’s time.”
London Grip - “the National Theatre of Scotland’s gritty, angry, wistful, yearning contribution to this year’s tribute to the cancelled Edinburgh arts festival”
Joyce McMillan mention BBC Radio 4’s Front Row on Friday 14 August (26 mins 35 seconds in) “the most absolutely beautiful evocation of theatre that anyone who loved that artform could wish to see”
Ghost Light discussed on BBC Radio Scotland’s The Afternoon Show (starts around 15.46)
Frame grabs from Ghost Light
