Films

Magpies & Mischief

From Prose to Play

When former banker, Cameron McPhail decided to turn his children’s story Magpies and Mischief into a stage play he came to us to document his journey. Employing director Michael Vivian to train a troupe of actors over an intense two week period, Cameron put on a show for the people of Jersey in 2019. With interviews from cast and crew we were able to create a mini documentary film which saw Cameron’s dream brought to life. In particular we loved filming the puppets which were created specifically for the shows – these really brought the charm of Cameron’s books to life.

Gallery

Lead rat on stage in Magpies & Mischief Michael Vivian talks about adapting the prose into a stage play. Actors bring the magpie puppets to life on stage.
 
We love bringing our broadcast television experience to client projects and creating this mini documentary allowed us to do just that. Combining carefully filmed long-form interviews with footage of the rehearsals and play itself gave us enough material to tell Cameron’s story in an engaging way whilst creating a record of the events for future viewers to enjoy.

Top Three Requirements

    • Tell Cameron’s story and capture interviews with Michael and the cast.

    • Focus on the bespoke set props and puppets.

    • Film the cast enjoying their visit to Jersey.

Client Brief

Create a mini-documentary following the writer, director and troupe adapting a children’s book into a stage play – with its first outing at the Arts Centre in Jersey, Channel Islands.