11th August 2010

BRIDPORT: Gala screening of Tamara Drewe

The Electric Palace in Bridport is hosting a Gala screening of Tamara Drewe on Friday 17th September, with writer, Posy Simmonds and director, Stephen Frears in attendance.

As Tamara Drewe included filming in the nearby locations of Salwayash, Dorchester, Beaminster and Yeovil, the Gala screening at the Electric Palace in Bridport will make the evening even more special with the director, writer and cast collectively returning to Dorset for a final time.

With a full British cast and crew, this is set to be a wonderful Gala and has already received outstanding reviews from its special screening out of competition at the Cannes festival as well as being hailed as “fantastic fun” The Observer, “a British comedy that actually makes you laugh” Marie Claire and “One of the best films of the year” The Daily Mail

The evening will have an introduction from Posy Simmonds MBE, writer and illustrator of the well-loved graphic novel Tamara Drewe, which had a long standing feature in the Guardian newspaper and upon which the film is based. Simmonds’ writing of Tamara is filled with lust and humour and was as in turn inspired by Thomas Hardy’s Far From The Madding Crowd.

Frears found having Posy Simmonds’ illustrations as a reference point an aid: “It was very, very liberating. Literally there was a storyboard if you chose to think about it like that. Frequently we would do things and you’d look at it in the book and say – well, I can’t improve on that. It tells you everything you want to know.”

Following the screening, Stephen Frears will speak about the making of the film and complete the evening with a Q&A opportunity.

Although a red carpet event, the Gala evening will have an informal dress code to reflect the spirit of the film.

The doors will open at 6.45pm, with an introduction by Posy Simmonds at 7.15pm. Tickets for the Gala screening are £30 each and are selling out extremely quickly. For your chance to walk down the red carpet at the Electric Palace, Bridport please reserve tickets now by telephoning Bridport Tourist Information Centre on 01308 424901.

All proceeds will support Pilsdon Community and Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Tamara Drewe is released in cinemas nationwide on September 10th 2010.

Picture: Jemma Arterton as Tamara Drewe