Catch up with Matilda & Jayne Walden Q&A by Kiran Parmar
We are delighted to catch up with a very special guest and familiar face at Free Car Mag. From our previous stories, you no doubt remember she is a Guinness World Record holder for assembling a ‘Mr. Potato Head’ action figure from the legendary Toy Story films (read here), plus she is the proud owner of a 1972 Vanden Plas Princess (read here) and on top of all that you will recall her older brother is an excellent woodworker who appeared on Channel 4’s popular show ‘Britain’s Best Woodworker’ (read here). So please give a warm welcome back to Matilda Walden!
Hello Matilda and welcome back to Free Car Mag! Firstly, how are you and how is your Vanden Plas Princess?
She is very well at the moment, Billy is doing a bit of body work, nothing major, just a couple of rust blobs but he’s getting them sorted before they get worse. We also have an Austin 1100 which is such an awesome car, Maureen our Micra broke down last week and we recovered her with our Austin!
I hear you are currently working on a very special project. Can you tell us a little about it?
Yes it’s super exciting I’m making my first full length feature film called ‘Bridal Bay’. It’s a thriller and it’s going to be on Amazon Prime, it’s shot in Morecambe and the surrounding area. It includes a diverse range of characters; my mum plays a total nut job and she’s so funny and Reuben Oscar plays my former boyfriend whom I’ve just split up with. Chelsey Needham plays my best friend, there are other great characters also. It was brilliant working with my mother as she’s been in many productions including ITV’s ‘The Bay’, BBC’s ‘Life’, ‘Years and Years’ and ‘Cobra’. She’s has worked with Emma Thompson, Robert Carlyle and Lenny Abrahamson to name a few, so to have her on board was brilliant, not only for her acting ability but she great at getting the best camera angles etc. We have even been scared editing some of the scenes even though we shot it, so it’s not for the faint hearted.
That sounds fantastic! What made you decide to produce a film and what is it all about?
I decided to make my own film after speaking to many people and encountering my own negative experiences of the amateur dramatics clique. Countless amateur actors that have exceptional acting skills, really just do not get the chance to shine or show case their talents. From my experience some amateur dramatics groups do not pick by talent, they pick by friends amd family. Local groups that run the local pantomime can often over-power members of the community with their bullying tactics, they are also often involved in every local event/ group so are entwined with all the ‘locals’ so challenge them at your peril! Many will have lived in the same place all their lives and defy any offcumden coming into the area to join in. They have a fear of someone taking over their position and are generally supported by weaker members of the commuinty who fear them and fear challenging them, never rocking the Status Quo. I spoke to many people who have experienced the same negative responses as I have so I decided to turn it around to a positive and make my own film.
What made you interested in drama and acting?
I started as most youngsters do at a local amateur dramatics group where I live, it was run by a man initially and I really enjoyed it and I knew it was something I wanted to do in life, but he left so I went to a neighbouring town, but I didn’t have a good experience and I nearly gave in, but my mum contacted ‘The West End Playhouse’ in Morecambe and they were great. It made me realise there are other people out there that just want to produce great content, it boosted my interest in acting and gave me my confidence back, there were loads going on from Fringe performances to poetry festivals, I even got to interview Pam Ayres!
We know you and your brother are very much car enthusiasts. Are there any cars in the film?
Yes, there is ‘Maureen’ our Nissan Micra!
I understand you are currently shooting the film, can you tell us who else is involved and what is it like to shoot your own movie?
Its absolutely awesome, I’m loving every minute of it, I’m very lucky to have a professional actor for the lead male in my first film. He’s called Reuben Oscar and he’s been absolutely amazing and so dedicated, not only has he helped to make it professional, he made the whole experience enjoyable, positive and stress free. There are other local amateur actors as well including Chelsey who I have mentioned. I think the most difficult part of producing a film is the editing and continuity, especially if you film part of a scene then another part months later. I have been very lucky with so many people helping, we had a wonderful man called John who kindly lent us his house and his dog! He was so kind even leaving his house whilst we filmed as we kept moving him from room to room. I think he thought it was easier just to stay away, he was absolutely awesomewe can’t thank him enough. We also had subscribers from my YouTube that have very kindly sent in donations which helped immensely with all the costs.
We can’t wait to see your film, can you tell us when it will be out and where we can see it?
Its going to be out in October we are just finalising a release date as we still have a few scenes to shoot. You will be able to watch it on Amazon Prime.
I understand it can be a struggle for new actors to make it to the scene. What advice would you give to any young novice actors or actresses who want to follow their dreams?
It is such a difficult business to get into. My advice would be to do amateur dramatics but only if it’s a good group and not toxic, if it is toxic — just move. You could try and get an agent but usually they want people with experience, so try and get as much as you can.
One of my favourite classic car movies is ‘The Love Bug’ from 1968 starring Dean Jones, Buddy Hackett, Michele Lee and of course a Volkswagen Beetle with a big personality! What is your favourite classic car movie and would you like to see a modern remake of it?
I think something like ‘What’s up Doc’ or ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.’ I don’t think you could ever make them as good as the originals, make a new film rather than a remake. I will have to think of a story and make a film that involves classic cars for my next shoot, although I think Chitty just might take some beating!
It was fantastic catching up with you Matilda. Everyone at Free Car Mag wishes you, and everyone else involved in your film, all the very best luck and we are very much looking foward to watching your film on Amazon Prime. It just goes to show — if you have a dream, goal, and ambition if life, just go ahead a give it a go, no matter what obsticals other people may throw in your way! You can follow Matilda’s film journey, ‘Bridal Bay’ by following her Instagram page here.
