Q&A: In conversation with the creative team behind Face It

As part of BBC’s Culture in Quarantine commissions, comedy drama Face It explores how two women feel about their faces in our modern swipe-right world, and the unexpected impact of wearing Covid-19 face masks. In these character-driven monologues we meet straight talking Leonie and ambitious Abbey.

Join WFTV for a conversation with the lead female creative team behind Face It. We’ll be joined by creator/ writer and WFTV mentee, Miranda Walker, producer Michaela Hennessy-Vass and on-screen talent, Crystal Marshall and Abigail Cruttenden.

The panel will be discussing the writing, producing and development process of the films and the importance of on-screen representation, with Crystal and Abigail sharing insight to their process of bringing the characters from script to screen.

Face It is currently streaming on BBC iPlayer now, you can watch the films here.

Miranda Walker writes comedy and drama for TV, stage and radio. She wrote and created Face It, comedy drama monologues that explore how two women feel about their faces in our modern swipe-right world (currently streaming on BBC iPlayer). Other credits include The Now Show and The News Quiz for BBC Radio 4, children’s shows for CBBC and CBeebies, and comedy musical Fly Eddie Fly (book and lyrics) about Olympic ski jumping legend Eddie the Eagle, starring the man himself as interactive narrator. She also wrote the libretto for community opera Across The Sky, shortlisted for a Royal Philharmonic Society Award.

Michaela Hennessy-Vass has produced and developed TV comedy and drama for more than 20 years and is a former ITV Comedy Commissioning Editor. Her credits include Face It (currently streaming on BBC iPlayer), Benidorm, The Fattest Man in Britain, Ladies of Letters and Dara O Briain’s Go 8 Bit. She is executive producer for TellHerVision, an initiative to develop female writers’ rooms. She is known for nurturing and developing new talent from casting an unknown Robert Pattinson in a Catherine Tate comedy drama; developing an Edinburgh fringe show into a studio entertainment show to commissioning an unknown writer to create Benidorm.

Crystal Marshall, Face It: Leonie, now streaming on BBC Arts, is her first leading role. She graduated from the LAMDA foundation course in 2021, where she has worked closely with Tess Dignan, and is now studying BA Professional Acting at LAMDA drama school. Crystal frequently meditates as she finds it gives her peace, clarity, and spirituality and using affirmations to help strengthen her self-worth in life. Crystal’s goal is to advocate for facial equality in the arts. In addition, she wants to create equal representation for scars performers by telling authentic stories without pity or villain stereotypes. Her dream is to be a marvel superhero or a teenage angst series like SKINS, where her scar is not even mentioned.

Abigail Cruttenden’s most recent work includes Anna in Not Going Out for BBC and Anne Chamberlain in Munich: The Edge of Warfor Netflix. Her most recent theatre work was in Ella Hickson’s Swive at The Globe and on radio she plays Ellie in the comedy series, Alone. Other TV work includes Benidorm and Sharpe. On stage she has worked at The National Theatre, The RSC and several productions in the West End. Films include The Theory of Everything and Charlotte Gray.

Host - Bryony Arnold is a loud and proud disabled Drama Producer having worked on award-winning shows such as Peaky Blinders. She is currently producing a factual-drama for BBC & Netflix written by Jack Thorne & Genevieve Barr called Then Barbara Met Alan. Bryony is also a Co-Director for Deaf & Disabled People in TV which campaigns and champions for disabled talent in the television industry.

Event Schedule

18:25: Please join the webinar waiting room

18:30: Panel discussion

19:15: Audience Q&A

19:30: Finish

How will the online event work?

This event will be live streamed via Zoom.us. Viewing details will be sent via your confirmation.

Attending participants will not be visible to others and will be muted throughout the session. After the talk, there will be an opportunity for audience members to ask their questions to the panel by using the Q&A feature.

This event is for existing WFTV members only.

If you are not a member and would like to join, membership costs just £100 + VAT/yr , please click here or email admin@wftv.org.uk

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