Lancaster school pupils and The Thick of It writer team up on time travel film

Thursday, 11 September 2025 12:45

By Greg Lambert @greglam72

Dallas Road Primary School pupils filming their zombie/alien invasion film 'TIG!'

Pupils at a Lancaster school and an Emmy-winning writer have joined forces once again - this time to make a film about time travel.

Dallas Road Primary School, Lancaster Film Initiative and Ian Martin, writer on hit TV shows The Thick Of It and Veep, have launched a crowdfunder to get the project, 'Angeline', off the ground.

Ian has put together a writers room with the students and they have come up with the idea for a time-travel story about a girl from 1912 getting stuck in 2026 and trying to get home with the help of Dallas Road pupils.

The idea is to involve the pupils in every stage of the production and give them some real on-set experience.

A crowdfunder has been launched and the team needs around another £3000 to be raised, after receiving a match funding pledge from Lancashire County Council towards a £21,417 target.

They will be putting on quizzes and gigs as well as holding other special events at the school in the run up to try to achieve the required total.

Last year saw the release of their first collaboration 'TIG!' - a zombie/alien-invasion film, which was written by the pupils, with support from Ian, and produced by LFI.

The Dukes Cinema in Lancaster hosted a special screening of the film.

“The atmosphere was amazing, everyone was buzzing," said Lucy Wright, a director of LFI.

We were bowled over by how many people turned up to see the film and the feedback was terrific.

"We’re so grateful to The Dukes for hosting that event, and to Dallas Road for being so flexible and patient while we worked the filming around the school days. We’re really proud of the film, honestly, the whole experience was really special.”

Adam Newton, head teacher at Dallas Road, said: “At Dallas Road we’re always looking for ways to inspire our pupils beyond the classroom.

"Working with Ian and LFI on 'TIG!' was amazing and showed just how capable and creative our children can be. Now, with Angeline, they’re tackling the challenge of writing and producing a time-travel story, and doing it with real skill and enthusiasm.

"Projects like this enrich our curriculum, showcase the talent in our school, and give our pupils unforgettable experiences.”

Ian Martin approached the school in 2018 to see about putting together an experimental ‘Hollywood-style writer’s room’ with the pupils.

Ian was so pleased with the resulting script that he reached out to LFI to get the film made.

Unfortunately, Covid got in the way of filming, but LFI returned to the school in 2023 to complete the project.

“It was fantastic working with a young writers group to produce the TIG! script," said Ian.

“At that age (9-10 years old) they haven't got that adult thing of overthinking or trying too hard. They're utterly fearless.

"The current group are just as motivated and imaginative and I think they've put together a cracking story about a schoolgirl from 1912 who's catapulted into the 21st Century and has to find a way to go back in time, with the help of some very resourceful Dallas Road pupils.

"Lancaster Film Initiative gave the kids such a great immersive experience last time. With 'Angeline' we're looking forward to seeing the shooting script all the way through to final edit, without Covid colliding with it this time, fingers crossed.”

Will Shelmerdine, LFI director, said: “We’re thrilled by the support we’ve had so far, and the pledge from Lancashire County Council’s Sports and Culture Fund for match funding is fantastic, but we’ve still got a fair way to go!

"'Angeline' is a much more ambitious script than 'TIG!' was; there are more locations and a bigger cast as well as special effects to create (if anyone’s got a spare 1900s time machine, please do let us know!).

"Alongside that we’re aiming to have the kids more involved in all stages of production, and give them the opportunity to learn about filmmaking in a hands-on way. TIG! was a bit of an experiment, a first try. Yes, we raised a bit of money to cover costs but really it was an all-but-voluntary project, with the crew having to work filming around cheffing and barista-ing.

"This time we really want to be able to focus entirely on the filming to make sure the outcome is as good as it possibly can be. We’ve got some fun fundraiser events planned with the school too, so keep an eye out, we’ll be promoting them through our socials. We can’t wait to get started!”

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