The Review Stewarton Spring 2020 | Page 24

24 To place editorial email [email protected] drama in dunlop! Dunlop provided the backdrop for Channel 4’s latest crime drama. The village provides the setting for the fictional community of Kirkdarroch as David Tennant and Cush Jumbo star in ‘Deadwater Fell’. But, for me, this is just the beginning. During my studies in Event Management, I enjoyed learning how events, films and television series, amongst others, act as catalysts for tourism. Throughout my degree, I always returned to the idea of developing tourism in my local area. I was lucky enough to be an extra in this mini-series, which Villagers & visitors came together to watch the premiere episode at Dunlop Community Cinema. Picture - Charlie Jamieson The thriller tells the story of a seemingly happy family who are found murdered following a house fire. Without any spoilers, this week’s episode will see a conclusion to the four-part drama. To celebrate the finale, Dunlop Community Cinema invited the community to their FREE screening at the local village hall, after the success of their premiere evening. For the first episode, the committee organised a red carpet and surprised guests with a private video message from the director. In a previous interview, Lynsey Miller, of Kilwinning, revealed that the village played a key role in aiding production of the four-part drama when it was filmed over a number of weeks last year. Lynsey’s family joined the audience of nearly 200 as they sat down, with great anticipation, to watch the premiere. The village looks forward to seeing some new and familiar faces at the finale event. New Facebook and Instagram accounts have been set up to promote the village, with its new-found fame. Ruth Wilson, a local resident who is passionate about developing tourism in the area, told the Review Magazine: “I was so excited when I heard a large production company were coming to film in Dunlop, with big names like David Tennant and Cush Jumbo. It’s been fantastic to see the primary school, local church, village shops and our idyllic scenery on the tv each week. I enjoyed watching the finale in the company of locals and seeing our community spirit come to light again. further sparked my passion to share the beauty of this wee Scottish village with others. Hence, I created Visit Dunlop. In the year ahead, I hope to establish a social enterprise to promote and enhance our tourism offering and would like to thank the cast and crew for speaking so highly of their time here. It’s amazing to read all of the positive things being written, and spoken, about Dunlop at the moment. The village now features in Condé Nast Traveller, ‘Britian’s best luxurious travel magazine’. For a wee quiet village in East Ayrshire, that’s quite something!” Dunlop Community Cinema's exciting start to the year. Dunlop Community Cinema started the New Year with a bang thanks to the Deadwater Fell effect. Our gala showing of the first episode was a free event and our audience helped raise a fine sum in donations to Brightest Star, a charity set up to support bereaved families. Having enjoyed the filming in the village over the summer, our sold- out audience included a large number of extras who then enjoyed spotting themselves, friends and family on the big screen. With pre-theatre meals on offer from Struther Restaurant and Merito this was a real community event and was such a success that we then screened the last episode to similar acclaim, adding the Village Hall to the list of pre- theatre meal deals on offer. Following on from the excitement of seeing themselves on screen, our audiences have returned to the cinema for more familiar fair from Oscar- winning ‘Judy’ to ‘Woman at War’, a quirky Icelandic film about quiet woman who leads a double life as an eco-terrorist. Our programme for the rest of the season equally diverse. We have a romcom, a whodunit, action and adventure, a Spanish drama, a documentary about the man with the most famous hand in football, a coming- of-age comedy, and a bittersweet tale of the cultural differences in a Chinese/American family. To top it all off, we will be ending our season on the eve of Dunlop Gala day with a singalong for all the family. We hope there is something in our programme for everyone and would love to see you there. Friday films start at 7.30pm and our Sunday films at 3pm. We open 30 minutes beforehand for you to stock up on popcorn, ice cream and refreshments. Remember to bring your Dunlop Cinema Loyalty card as once you have seen five films, you get your sixth visit free. We hope to see you soon! Adult £6, Child £4, Family tickets £16. Dates Friday 27th March Longshot Local eateries saw additional trade during the series. Picture - Freya MacDonald Friday 3rd April Knives Out Friday 24th April Pain and glory Friday 15th May Booksmart Friday 5th June Yesterday Sunday 19th April Jumanji: The Next Level Sunday 10th May Diego Maradona TBC Locals lined up to be extras. Picture - Andrew Pinkerton The Farewell