A Bournemouth lecturer will begin filming a horror short in the town this July.
Richard Batt, founder and Artistic Director of Revive Theatre and a Performing Arts lecturer at Bournemouth and Poole College, is bringing Gran Dead to the screen after developing the feature-length story for almost 20 years.
The short film combines dark comedy and psychological horror, following an elderly care-home resident whose experimental treatment appears to reverse dementia before events take a more unsettling direction.
Batt said he wrote the first version nearly 20 years ago, but believed he did not then have the experience needed to make the film properly.
He said: “This feels like the right time. I finally feel I have the skills, the team and the experience to do the story justice.”
Gran Dead is being made as a proof of concept for a longer screenplay and will bring together experienced industry professionals with emerging filmmakers and performers from Dorset.
The cast includes Emma Blake, who played Heidi in the BBC’s 1974 adaptation, and David Burton, who has appeared in productions including Only Fools and Horses and The Thursday Murder Club.
Batt said the film explores ageing, memory and identity, adding that the fears which work most effectively in horror are often “much closer to home”.
Filming begins in Bournemouth in July, with the completed short expected later this year. The production is also seeking further local support as preparations continue.
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