VAN-TASY LAND
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T’S the sitcom which was penned in a static home in West Wales by a first-time writer who had to remortgage her house in order to shoot the pilot episode.
And now, five years later, Down The Caravan has scooped a number of awards both at home and in the USA –and that’s despite the fact it’s still never been broadcast.
The 30-minute comedy recently picked up Best Welsh Film at the Cardiff International Film Festival as well as Best Woman Filmmaker and Best Director at the Accolade Global Film Competition and Best Short Film at the Global Film Festival Awards, both of which are based in California.
The brainchild of 39-year-old community carer Kay Lockett, from Llantwit Fardre, who penned it after attending a six-week creative writing course, Down The Caravan tells the story of Dai Hyatt, the dubious owner of a rural caravan park, whose ticker packs in while in bed with his mistress.
However, his family end up having an even bigger shock at his funeral service, with Dai revealing via a videotaped message that he’s leaving half his business to his long-suffering wife, the other 50% to his lover, in whose arms he’d passed away.
And to play the part of Dai, Kay and husband Jerry managed to blag one of Wales’ biggest acting stars, Matthew Rhys, who agreed to appear in it in between filming movies in the States.
“I cheekily gave a copy of Kay’s rough draft to Matthew when I picked him up from the airport one day,” said Jerry, a celebrity chauffeur. “And, after reading it, he said it was absolutely brilliant.
“But, when I went home all excited and told Kay, she was like, ‘Oh my God, you did what? I only wrote it for a laugh’,” he laughs.
Having remortgaged the house they share with their two teenage daughters in order to finance it, along with an additional crowdfunding campaign, the pair were finally able to get it filmed.
“It’s cost us about £130k to make – so we’ve got a lot riding on it,” said Jerry, adding that the full cast list also includes former Casualty star Jan Anderson, stand-up comic Mike Bubbins and Gavin & Stacey’s Melanie Walters.
The couple also pulled off another coup by getting Rhyl-born Sara Sugarman – of Very Annie Mary fame – to direct.
But it’s only now, years later, having submitted Down The Caravan onto the festival circuit via the free film submissions website filmfreeway.com, that broadcasters are starting to take notice.
“It’s all gone a bit crazy, to be honest,” said Jerry. “We’ve got a couple of channels which are showing interest, which is great because Kay has just finished writing another couple of episodes of the show.
“With a bit of luck it’ll end up being screened and we’ll have a full series for people to enjoy.”