Third BBC Drama ‘Loving Miss Hatto’ Announced For Ireland Bringing UK TV Drama Spend In Irish Economy To €13 Million For First Quarter
Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan TD, today confirmed that a new BBC drama LOVING MISS HATTO will film on location in Dublin this coming April. The project will be directed by Irish director Aisling Walsh whose credits include the award winning SONG FOR RAGGY BOY and is scripted by Victoria Wood. LOVING MISS HATTO has an Irish budget of approximately €2 million, bringing UK TV drama spend in the Irish economy to €13 million for the first quarter.
Minister Jimmy Deenihan said "LOVING MISS HATTO is the third UK television projects to be confirmed for Ireland in recent months, as a result of the newly announced Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board (IFB) International Production Fund and a UK trade mission organised last year by the IFB bringing the total value of these projects to €13 million in terms of investment in the Irish economy. The film and television continues to deliver employment, creating opportunities for Irish creative talent. This announcement today will provide employment for 70 Irish crew, 30 cast and 200 extras."
VEXED to be directed by Kieron Walsh (THE SAVAGE EYE) and Ian Fitzgibbon (A FILM WITH ME IN IT) and RIPPER STREET were announced for Dublin last month. LOVING MISS HATTO will film on location around Dublin and will be produced by Octagon Films (The Tudors, Raw, As if I'm Not There) and Left Bank Films for the BBC with financing from Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board.
Commenting on the news Irish producer James Flynn of Octagon Films said ‘' We are delighted that a company of the calibre of Left Bank who have produced, amongst many other projects, THE QUEEN with Helen Mirren and THE DAMNED UNITED with Michael Sheen, have decided to return to Ireland after their successful experience here with FATHERS AND SONS in 2009.''
Irish creative talent working on the major TV drama include recent IFTA winner Anna Rackard (Stella Days) as production designer and Costume Designer Alison Byrne (When Harvey Met Bob, The Take).
LOVING MISS HATTO is the story of the greatest fraud that has been perpetrated in the classical music world and how a married couple in the 70s, sitting in their small bungalow in Royston, Hertfordshire, was able to pull it off and stars Francesca Annis (The Libertine) as Joyce, and Alfred Molina (Spiderman 2) as her husband Barrie.
RIPPER STREET is an eight part TV series which will be produced in Dublin by Tiger Aspect, Lookout Point and Element Pictures for BBC with financing from the IFB over a period of 19 weeks. The project is set to invest €8 million in the Irish economy and will lead to local job creation and spend on goods and services in this market. Over 250 Irish cast and crew will be employed in the production of RIPPER STREET.
VEXED which is to be directed by Irish directors Kieron J Walsh and Ian Fitzgibbon will invest €3 million in the Irish economy in terms of local spend and will employ 100 Irish cast and crew. VEXED is produced by Eleventh Hour and Newgrange Films with financing from the IFB.