New film on Suffolk myths and legends calls for local actors

Once Upon a Time in Suffolk is the latest project of FILM Suffolk. Penned by local writers, this is an anthology film that will feature established local myths and legends, as well as newly imagined ones set across Suffolk, bringing together a total of nine diverse tales celebrating our region’s heritage.

The film is also committed to finding cast and crew members exclusively from this region, showcasing the creativity that East Anglia has to offer.

The film will be crowdfunded and is looking to start production in mid-July for a 2025 release.

For more information, visit: www.filmsuffolk.org.uk/ouatis

This anthology film was conceived by the FILM Suffolk team of Nick Woolgar, Matthew McGuchan, Julien Mery and Ruth Selwyn-Crome. Image: FILM Suffolk (Image: FILM Suffolk)Once Upon a Time in Suffolk is the latest project of FILM Suffolk. Image: FILM Suffolk (Image: FILM Suffolk)

Which stories will be featured?

Briar and Daughter by Rachel Davies

The story opens with the heavily pregnant Rebecca entering the office of specialist solicitors Briar and Daughter, seeking help for a dire situation. She reveals to inexperienced Nellie Briar that she has made a dangerous pact with a fairy named Clay, resident in local Bradfield Woods. In exchange for her firstborn child, Rebecca was given great wealth – but now she regrets her decision…

Crossing the Earth by Nat Bocking

This tale centres around Anne, a widow, her neurodivergent son Timothy, and his relationship with the Yoxman statue that overlooks the A12. For Tim, his fascination with the Yoxman and his belief in its magical properties represent his way of coping with the loss of his father and the world around him.

Crossing the Earth by Nat Bocking will feature the Yoxman statue. Image: PA (Image: PA)

Ethel by Jonathan Ruffle

Inspired by the famous Suffolk legend of the Wild Man of Orford, Ethel centres on Miriam, a bored thirty-something grappling with the mundanity of her life, and her unlikely encounter with a mysterious entity in the waters off Shingle Street. The only thing that makes life bearable for Miriam is her passion for sea swimming and it’s during one such outing that she spies something – or someone – uncanny.

Ethel centres on Miriam, a 30-something woman who loves to swim in the waters off Shingle Street, who spies something - or someone - uncanny. Image: PA (Image: PA)

James and Flora by IJ Taylor

This story is narrated in a classic fairy-tale style, revolving around the lives of a middle-aged brother and sister who share a simple yet profound life in their little cottage. Set in a world almost outside of time, it imagines the siblings tested by hardship and finding salvation from an unexpected source of magical aid.

Mawhini by Alex Freimuller

Mawhini is an old East Anglian term for a scarecrow, and this fairy tale has a strong overtone of folk horror, as a callous Farage-alike character hoping to make a killing in the countryside property market falls foul of the ancient spirit that protects the land.

The Painters by Darius G Laws

The year is 1811. John Dunthorne discovers that his friend and rival, the artist John Constable, is planning to lower himself to portrait painting and is keen to find out more. It turns out that Constable’s subject is none other than the fairytale princess Rapunzel, trapped in the nearby Freston Tower.

In The Painters, the Princess Rapunzel is trapped in Freston Tower. Image: Newsquest (Image: Newsquest)

Red by Lisa Hurcum

A suspenseful spin on the classic Red Riding Hood, this is a darkly comic tale set amongst the streets of Lowestoft. Rory is a naïve and hapless fitness freak, while Sassaba is an enigmatic fellow runner who takes an unhealthy interest in him. Flattered, Rory agrees to an evening date that will have fateful consequences.

The writers of the Once Upon a Time in Suffolk read through their scripts. Image: FILM Suffolk (Image: FILM Suffolk)

Suffolk Summer Dreams by Carol Connor

Auditions for a village am-dram musical version of ‘A Midsummer Night's Dream’ are graced by the presence of two odd, unexpectedly talented strangers who claim to be real fairies.

The strangers’ presence is met with disbelief and mockery, with the group’s domineering leader Clare leading the charge. However, in the spirit of am-dram, they are allowed to audition alongside the regulars and demonstrate beguiling gifts.

Suffolk Summer Dream is a twist on Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Image: PA (Image: PA)

Widdershins by Bev Barnett

In the 18th century, we witness the brutal world of smugglers and the superstitions of a small village, where children chant about fairies and the devil, creating a backdrop of eerie folkloric menace. Meanwhile in the present, young Mia and teenage Dan grapple with their fractured family life. Mia is obsessed with fairy tales and her belief in her family's magical lineage, contrasting with the angry clashes between her brother and their downtrodden mother.