DREAMLAND BIG PICTURE
PRODUCTION
FOR MERMAN’S NEW SKY COMEDY DRAMA, DREAMLAND, THE TEAM HEADED TO MARGATE TO CREATE A SHOW FILLED WITH BRIGHT SEASIDE COLOURS, BUT WITH A DARK EDGE TOO
D DETAILS
Production company Merman Broadcaster Sky Writers Emma Jane Unsworth, Gabby Best, Sarah Kendall, Sharma Walfall Cast Frances Barber, Freema Agyeman, Lily Allen, Gabby Best, Sheila Reid, Aimee- Ffion Edwards, Kiell Smith-Bynoe Commissioner Jon Mountague, director of Comedy, Sky Studios Director Ellie Heydon Executive producers Sharon Horgan, Alex Moody, Clelia Mountford, Alex Moody Producer Jane Bell Showrunner, Associate producer Emma Jane Unsworth Cinematographer Rob Kitzmann First AD Chris May Production Design Simon Walker Art Direction Ellie Jones Costume design Helen Woolfenden Make up Jo Jenkins Locations Mandy Edwards Editors Mark Henson, Garrett Heal Colourist Joe Stabb Sound recordist Simon Dyer Re-recording mixer Gavin Allingham
reamland, which releases on Sky in April, is the latest in Merman’s slate of comedy drama series. It follows
in the footsteps of hits Motherland for the BBC and Bad Sisters for Apple TV+. Based on a BAFTA-winning Sky short and
named after the Kent town’s amusement park, the six-part series is firmly in the Merman mould, with interesting, mostly female characters, directed, produced and written by women. “That blend of comedy drama is quite a
delicious mix to us,” says Clelia Mountford, co- founder of Merman and executive producer for Dreamland, “darker secrets, but always navigating through comedy.…It starts with this family dynamic that we all recognise.” Dreamland is the story of a working-class family
living in the seaside town of Margate. When one of the sisters Mel, played by Lily Allen, returns home, her revelations threaten to destroy fragile relationships. Sister Trish played by Freema Agyeman is pregnant with partner Spence’s (Kiell Smith- Bynoe) child. Her two sisters, Clare (Gabby Best) and Leila (Aimee-Ffion Edwards) rally round with mum (Frances Barber) and Margate legend, nan (Sheila Reid). A lot has changed since the short, released in
2017. While producer Jane Bell and cast members Frances Barber, Gabby Best and Aimee-Ffion Edwards are still on board, Morgana Robinson and Sheridan Smith are replaced by Lily Allen and Freema Agyeman. Co-founder of Merman Sharon Horgan wrote the original; a team of women writers took on the series. “You could see that there would be other stories to tell,” says Mountford. “It was a good springboard.” “We had to work out what the central
dramatic question was, who the family were,” says Mountford. “We looked at possibly making it more relevant to contemporary life and casting a mixed-race actor…So we could explore that family dynamic.” As well as a seaside fun town, Margate is an erstwhile UKIP stronghold. Sky head of comedy Jon Mountague and
Sky commissioner Alex Moody (who worked on Motherland at the BBC) supported Merman, “all of us trying to struggle to find the show,” says Mountford. “But once we found it, it was full steam ahead.” Mountford and Horgan had sounded out Lily
Allen after her success in the West End. Dreamland is her first major TV role. “She’s an interesting,
original choice and we have to think in an original way for Sky in terms of casting,” says Mountford. “But it’s not the Lily Allen show, it’s an ensemble. Equally important was the casting of Freema.” With cast in place and script coming together,
Ellie Heydon was brought in to direct. Heydon is an actress-turned-director, who has directed theatre and award-winning short films. Dreamland is her first long form TV directing gig. Merman loved her shorts, her ideas, her
enthusiasm. “She really understood the characters and the show,” says Jane Bell. “She spoke the same language as the cast,” adds Mountford. The plan was to surround her with trusted crew. “It was key to get those relationships where there’s the experience, but not necessarily the ego, so what you get is just a lovely bunch of people,” says Bell. While Heydon didn’t have the TV experience, her
“THAT BLEND OF COMEDY
DRAMA IS QUITE A DELICIOUS MIX FOR US”
time in the theatre gave her practical insight. “Theatre directing is more hands on, you have the creative reins, it sets you up for TV in a brilliant way,” she says. She was involved
early in the writer’s room and made a point of
asking each cast member to share a meal with her. “As soon as I met them, I could lean into their sense of humour and see how to make the most of the dynamics between each sister. “It took about a week and half to gauge what
each individual actor needed… facilitating the actors so they feel that they can have valuable input, rather than paint by numbers.” Gabby Best and Kiell Smith-Bynoe, “both very good improvisers and really fun… they needed a lot more freedom and looseness.” With Sheila Reid, “everything’s funny, she’s a wonder woman of humour.” Costume, design, make-up fed into each
character through careful planning. Heydon created a production bible that
she describes as “a pitch document, with the tone, framing, the look, the colour, the feel, key references... So, we were all on the same page.” Costume designer Helen Woolfenden, make-up artist Jo Jenkins, production designer Simon Walker “took it and ran with and created vision boards beyond my wildest dreams.” The colours were largely bright and garish, “an
injection of a summer holiday,” says Heydon. She worked with Walker on a colour scheme based around a beach ball. “It manifested for each sister with a colour on the ball, each colour a jumping
Spring 2023
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