The cast for Jo Brand’s first film, based on her novel The More You Ignore Me, has been announced. The film will star Jo Brand, alongside Sheridan Smith as Gina and Ella Hunt who will play her daughter Alice. They will be joined by Sally Phillips, Sheila Hancock, Ricky Tomlinson, Lisa Stansfield and Tom Davies.
The More You Ignore Me tells the story of a mother and daughter living with the mother’s schizophrenia. As you might guess from the title, the film (and novel) is set in the 1980s with The Smiths featuring heavily due to Alice’s crush on Morrissey. Jo draws on her knowledge of mental health from her time as a psychiatric nurse to tell a story that shows a tender portrayal of mental illness.
Director Keith English said: “It’s not often you read scripts as unusual and as good as this one. Jo has used all her insight gained during her years as a psychiatric health worker to create a story that pulls no punches, but makes you laugh and leaves you with a wonderfully positive feeling at the end.”
The film’s Producers Genesius Pictures say The More You Ignore Me “provides a sometimes stark, yet comical insight into life within this quirky household, whilst addressing mental health issues and their impact on the family”.
Filming commences today in Blackpool, we will keep you posted!
