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 into a series 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/pilot 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

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

technical one). He quickly fell in love with the group and it's undiscovered potential.

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A first draft of Winged Daggers was presented to the committee within three weeks of the previous

Saints' play finishing. This project was to be different - not just a play, but an unflinchingly

dark humoured feature film and first two episodes of a series in one package;

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...

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It wasn't well received.

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

the promise to deliver Winged Daggers was ultimately honoured.

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Green light.

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So, in marriage did come the production company ‘Little

Dark One Productions’ and am-dram company ‘The Saints’, to

pool resources and create the preposterously ambitious

artistic pursuit that is the tri-form production:

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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 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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