Member Article

The Sharp Project to be base for Victoria Wood’s TV musical drama

The Sharp Project, Manchester’s pioneering production facility has been chosen by Endor Productions to serve as the central production hub for Tubby And Enid, a new one off BBC musical drama written and directed by Victoria Wood and starring Imelda Staunton and Michael Ball.

With production and set builds underway at the site, producer Paul Frift and executive producer Hilary Bevan Jones will make extensive use of stage space and support services at The Sharp Project for filming, while also taking out office space from which to coordinate production on location in Manchester and Liverpool, as well as at stages with Dock10 at MediaCity.

Combining four purpose built stages from 3,700 sq. ft. up to 29,800 sq. ft. alongside four green screen studios and flexible office work spaces ranging from 500 sq. ft. to 1,300 sq. ft., The Sharp Project was also chosen due to its potential to provide Endor Productions with access to a range of ancillary services accessible via the broad range of tenants based at the facility able to support TV productions.

And with the new 360,000 sq. ft. drama hub set to open its doors in May 2014, the opportunities for production companies to benefit from The Sharp Project’s unique philosophy will only continue to grow.

Hilary Bevan Jones, CEO at Endor Productions, said of the decision to work with The Sharp Project: “With Manchester and the surrounding regions contributing so much to Victoria’s wonderful tale, it just wouldn’t have been right to see this production come together anywhere else in the country.

“We’ve already received an extremely warm welcome from everyone at The Sharp Project and we’re excited about working with the team here to make the most of everything Manchester and the North West has to offer.”

Sue Woodward, Project Director at The Sharp Project, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Tubby And Enid to The Sharp Project, and are excited about playing our part in helping to make Manchester a vibrant part of this production.

“TV drama in the North is in great shape and we’re all looking forward to seeing what is sure to be another stellar piece of television emerge from the region.”

‘Tubby and Enid’ is based on the stage show ‘That Day We Sang’ which premiered at the Manchester International Festival in 2011 and has just completed a run at the Royal Exchange Theatre. The show will air on BBC 2 at Christmas.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .