Catherine Called Birdy
From Friday 7 October, Prime Video Comedy drama
Set in medieval England, this one-off adventure follows teen Catherine (Bella Ramsey), AKA Birdy, as she navigates her way through the dangers of the era and tries to avoid the horrible suitors her parents Lord Rollo (Andrew Scott) and Lady Aislinn (Billie Piper) have in mind for her. Deancharles Chapman plays Catherine’s brother while Joe Alwyn is her uncle.
Catherine Called Birdy
Available: Friday 7 October Genre: One-off comedy drama
Game of Thrones star Bella Ramsey swaps the power and politics of Westeros for life in 13th-century England in this medieval comedy drama. Set in 1290, the movie follows the fortunes of Lady Catherine – known to her friends and family as Birdy because she keeps pet birds – the youngest child of Lord Rollo (Andrew Scott) and Lady Aislinn (Billie Piper). Birdy’s family have a grand title, yet their grand home, Stonebridge Manor, has seen better days and the 14-year-old is furious when she hears her broke father wants to marry her off to a wealthy man for a pile of cash.
‘Her joy and passion doesn’t fit with the societal role she’s been assigned,’ says Bella, who plays the film’s teen heroine. ‘She’s basically trying to forge her own path in a world that’s stacked against her.’
Husband from hell?
To her father’s exasperation, Birdy manages to discourage all suitors, until the repulsive Sir John Henry Murgaw (Paul Kaye), AKA ‘Shaggy Beard’, comes calling…
‘The film has a strong message, which is don’t try to quash the female spirit,’ adds Sherlock star Andrew. ‘Birdy is a young and talented person who can’t be contained in a cage, which I think is where the Birdy metaphor comes from.’
With a supporting cast also including Sophie Okonedo, Russell Brand, Lesley Sharp, Joe Alwyn, Dean-charles Chapman and David Bradley, this film was adapted for the screen by Lena Dunham, creator of hit US comedy Girls. So it was a dream project for Bella.
‘There are some scripts and characters that you feel like they’re already in you. That was definitely the case with Birdy,’ she says. ‘Even though this is like the same time as Game of Thrones, the stories are opposite ends of the spectrum.
They’re totally, totally different.’