Winged Daggers was originally written as an episode of BBC ‘Doctors’ from when Writer/

Director Richard Morelli was working on the programme. He felt so strongly about

his original concept though that he kept and refined it over the next few years in

the background whilst working in various capacities on other BBC shows. It

was only when Richard joined the Saints though, that the notion of

turning his work thus far into a film/play was developed.

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On the recommendation of a director friend of his, Richard

came along to The Saints wanting a stronger perspective on how

to act so as to become a stronger talent director (as opposed to a purely

technical one). It was only when he saw the production value Mark Smithers

(Lighting Director: Eastenders, Coronation Street, Doctors) brought to the sets and

 lighting for the company performance of ‘This Happy Breed’ however, that Richard really

started to put the pieces together in his mind. This was going to be an ambitious undertaking.

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A first draft was presented to the committee within three weeks of the previous play finishing.

This project was to be different - not just a play, but an unflinchingly dark humoured feature

film as well; addressing traditional gender roles, the two-step flow nature of trauma,

militarising children in the first world, the unprecedented prevalence of private

military companies in modern conflicts, and the battlefield of parenting;

To name but a few of the thematic commentaries dissected.

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It wasn't well received.

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Although, after removing some of the violence and naughty language –

everyone was happy.

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Green light.

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So, in marriage did come the production company ‘Little

Dark One Productions’ and drama company ‘The Saints’, to

pool resources and create the preposterously ambitious artistic

pursuit that is the dual-form play/feature film/pilot episodes of a series:

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‘Winged Daggers’...

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Shot in a day and a half for under £3000.

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A truly poignant middle finger to certain cash-grabbing film

schools/uni courses the world over and shining testament to what

a local group of otherwise untrained, largely autistic misfits can pull

off with the right level of collective hunger and utilisation of limited assets.

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