Independent U.K. production outfits Fulwell73 and Empty Room Productions have partnered to develop and co-produce a feature film based on the true story of a Welsh community that hosted a drag show to raise funds needed to bring their church back from disrepair.
The project, which has the working title “Dragged to Church,” is inspired by the story of a desperate church priest in Wales who contacted local LGBTQ+ radio presenters and asked for help to repair the church, as a last resort. The result was a Christmas drag show and concert that ended up embodying the spirit of the festive season and literally raised the roof of the church once again.
Empty Room was formed last year by BAFTA-winning actor Eve Myles (“Keeping Faith”), Pip Broughton and Adrian Bate as a sister company to Vox Pictures. Myles is also set to star and will co-write the screenplay with playwright Peter Darney (“5 Guys Chillin’”).
Fulwell73’s Leo Pearlman and Heather Greenwood will produce alongside with Bate and Broughton for Empty Room.
Myles said: “This is a story of two communities that have a history of misconceptions about each other, a history of rebuking each other. This story is not just about the LGBTQ+ community or the religious community, it’s about hope, about coming together against the odds, about human beings getting out of their comfort zones, doing terrifying things, challenging themselves and their thoughts and being better for it.”
Darney said: “Being a gay Welsh writer, I am so excited to have this opportunity with Eve and the team at Fulwell73 to truthfully represent this world of vibrant LGBTQ+ characters in a film with mainstream appeal, and look at how, when any community understands another, they find that the things they want are never that different.”
Pearlman said: “In the very best tradition of great British comedy drama, we hope that this movie will connect with audiences far and wide and give everyone a much needed sense of joy and happiness.”
Fulwell73 is in production on feature “Cinderella,” starring Camila Cabello; starts shooting CW commissioned series “Republic of Sarah” in Montreal in the coming months; and recently announced it has optioned the rights to “Moondial,” Helen Cresswell’s children’s time-traveling novel, which will be developed into a new TV franchise, scripted by Matt Lopez (“The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”).