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‘We’ve been mugged’ – Music venue still haven’t been paid by feature film

ByReport2

Jan 22, 2025

THE team behind a Wirral music venue say they feel "robbed" after the makers of a new feature film failed to pay them.

Thornton Hough Village Club and Bar was used as a set, 'green room' and changing room by the cast and crew of Fackham Hall throughout November and December last year.

Written by comic Jimmy Carr and starring Damian Lewis, the film has been described as a 'Downton Abbey spoof in the vein of Airplane! and the Monty Python movies'.

The film used a number of locations in the village including Thornton Hall and St George's Church.

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According to a recent report in the Daily Mail the film has been hit by a "financial collapse part way through filming, with backers pulling out, and none of the cast or crew have yet been fully paid."

The report said the situation led to Wolf Hall star Lewis demanding he and fellow cast members be paid with other crew members and Carr deferring their payments.

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Posting on Facebook, the venue, said: "We’ve been robbed.

"This all seemed quite exciting at the time. They hired the club as a green room for eight days, and also used us for changing rooms, cast promo shots and interviews, and changed our window into a ladies outfitters ‘Tailor Swift’ for one scene.

"Up to 14 hours a day for eight days, getting up at 6am to open up for them, closing at 9pm, and cleaning up after their mess everyday. One night we couldn’t open so we also lost income. We haven’t been paid for any of it."

Volunteer venue manager, Neil Johnson, said: "Someone highlighted the Daily Mail report to me about them running out of money and actors threatening to withdraw and at the time I overheard arguments about some of the production staff not getting paid and I believe they downed tools at one point."

Fackham Hall is being made by Two & Two Pictures and Mews Films, an offshoot of Archery Pictures and Neil says he has contacted them repeatedly about the money owed to the venue.

"They have responded to say a new backer came on board before Christmas and they were waiting for funds," he said.

"The costs we've incurred our utility costs like heating and water and they're all coming out by direct debit so we're out of pocket.

"Also we couldn't open for a time and foolishly I didn't add that to the invoice because we'd agreed what they were going to pay – it started off as just using us a green room but it became much more than that as they were filming and doing promo shots of the cast and using a room for meetings so it was much more than we agreed."

The historic venue was built by the first Viscount Lord Leverhulme and opened in 1904 but is now run as a not-for-profit venture providing live music, a function room and bar.

"It's taught me a lesson and feels similar to when we were broken into ten years ago and we lost £2,000," added Neil.

"I feel like we've been mugged and the worse thing is we invited them in."

Two & Two Pictures has been contacted for comment.

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