Filming for a ghostly short film near Bury St Edmunds is set to begin after more than 2,000 hopefuls submit taped auditions.
The Lost Palace will be filmed at Great Ashfield House, in Great Ashfield, later this month. The film centres around Kate, a real-life woman who was stationed in Suffolk as a Land Girl during the Second World War.
Great Ashfield House was home to a Mrs Hollond and her two daughters, and Kate visited to record how they were contributing to the war effort.
While the house was formerly a fashionable hub for literary society, the family had slowly withdrawn from the world after the death of Mr Hollond.
Decades on, the house was the family home of Edward Spreull, creative producer of Shelbourne Films, who grew up surrounded by objects the Hollonds left behind.
It was the discovery of one of Kate’s letters that provided the inspiration for this film.
“The letter is dated 1943, and is such a treat for us to have,” explained scriptwriter and producer, Lucy Andia.
“Kate described the house as a ‘lost palace,’ so the idea is that Great Ashfield House becomes this timeless entity where the three ladies are from, which actually fits the true story.
“These were real women, and they did almost live outside time. They weren’t connected with the outside world, and were living in clothes that were dated 50 years before.”
While the story is based on real people, Lucy and the rest of the team have allowed their imaginations to run wild.
“It's a ghost story with a twist. We liked the idea of a ghost who doesn’t know she’s dead," said Lucy.
“It’s the journey of the ghost realising that she is actually dead.”
Lucy, along with fellow producer Edward, director Frederick Shelbourne and cinematographer Estefania Carpio are excited to begin work.
“We’ve had over 2,000 applicants for the four roles, which we were not expecting,” said Lucy. “We’ll be finalising casting this week.
“Because our Crowdfunder is still underway, we don’t know how much money we’ll have.
“It's still a work in progress, but at the same time, it’s happening very quickly.”
Filming for the Lost Palace is due to begin on June 25.
To donate to the Crowdfunder, visit: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/lost-palace
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