Do you fancy having a Crazy Summer with Brian Foster?

Derry's top playwright Brian Foster has appealed to local people to help him make a full length Irish feature movie.
Brian Foster with the star of Maire, a Woman of Derry, Carmel McCallion.Brian Foster with the star of Maire, a Woman of Derry, Carmel McCallion.
Brian Foster with the star of Maire, a Woman of Derry, Carmel McCallion.

Brian, famous for penning blockbuster plays such as Maire – a Woman of Derry, The Butterfly of Killybegs, A Miracle in Ballymore and From the Camp to The Creggan, has written a feature length comedy Irish road movie, That Crazy Summer.

Brian said: “Now that I’ve finished the script I have two options. I can go down the normal route of sending it out to various film production companies in the hope that one of them will take it on. But I know from my twenty years experience of writing my own plays how incredibly frustrating and time consuming this can be. You can wait six months, a year, two years, for a decision to be made. Even then a proposed production can fall apart at the very last hurdle. Which is why I gave up looking for outside producers for my own plays a long time ago and instead took to producing my own.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I believe that with That Crazy Summer I have on my hands a script that could be developed and produced entirely with local (and further afield) skills and assistance, including finance.

‘“Some of the early scenes in the movie take place in Derry, the remainder in various locations throughout Donegal. I think the story has tremendous commercial potential as it is heavily music/dance influenced. The idea for the story came to me when I watched the recent BBC TV show ‘Keepin’ ‘er Country’ which focused on the tremendous growth throughout Ireland of country and western music and country jiving dance. I believe that That Crazy Summer can do for Irish country and western music/dance what The Commitments and the recent Sing Street did for their respective musical genres.

“I want to hear from anyone who wants to be part of a hugely exciting project. I want to hear from technical people, from directors, producers, executive producers, from just about anyone with experience (however limited) of film making.

“I would especially welcome contact from anyone involved in fund raising for this type of project.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I also want to hear from actors and musicians from Derry, Donegal and beyond. So if your appetite is whetted, why not get in touch. Just email me at wbrian

[email protected] and tell me briefly who you are and what you can bring to the table. I will then email you a copy of the script.

“ A first meeting will then be set up, probably in The Millennium Forum, to plot the best way forward.”

Brian’s new play, When The Bogside Spinster Met The Carndonagh Stud plays The Millennium Forum from Wednesday 16th Nov to Saturday 19th November.

Related topics: