Upstaged

2005, 90 minutes

Its hard to be an actor in the city, but what would you do if you were born in Crewe?

UPSTAGED is an unashamed feel-good film from start to finish, and one sure to capture the imagination of a wide-ranging audience. The plot centres around a group of enterprising students who strive, against all odds, to achieve their dream of acting on the big stage. The youngsters decide to stage Shakespeare’s Macbeth at Crewes Lyceum Theatre and recruit Eric Shepherd, a once feared and respected theatre director, whose own career has been cut short by injury (played superbly by Phil Cool in one of three roles). Packed with fantastic performances – from the young actors as much as stars like Alexei Sayle and Norman Lovett - the film, like the play they eventually put on - is a triumph of perseverance and self-belief.

---