Notes From A Hole In The Floor: Part 2

Jack Thorne is the writer of The Scouting Book for Boys, a Celador, Screen East and Film4 production, directed by Tom Harper, which starts shooting this September. An acclaimed playwright, he has previously worked on 'Skins' and 'Shameless'. Here he opens up his diary of the shoot.

The Scouting Book for Boys follows young David, played by rising star Thomas Turgoose (This Is England; Somers Town), who lives with his friend Emily on a caravan park on the Norfolk coast. Rocked by the news that she has to move away with her father, David helps Emily to hide out in a remote cave. But as their secret becomes more complicated, David's world begins to transform in ways he never imagined.

September 5
Went to a wedding tonight, which was notable for two reasons:

i) I got to have a proper chat with Andrea who is co-producer on the film and, according to Ivana, amazingly amazing. Got to say she seems great. She was able to fill me in on the final weeks prep - they're all in Norfolk now and seemingly having a great time. It is quite strange to talk about the film with someone so specifically involved in it and yet someone I haven't really properly talked to before. Guess I'll have to get used to that.

ii) The couple getting married - Steve and Katherine - performed the most amazing first dance I've ever seen. I don't think Steve will mind me saying that he's not the most coordinated person in the world. In fact, it's a bit of an effort for him to stand up straight at times. But this dance - which they'd taken lessons for - was awesome. Awesome because Steve didn't suddenly turn into Fred Astaire but instead looked fragile and worried and he didn't exactly count every step, but he kept his eyes firmly fixed on Katherine throughout, with her giving him signals that it's all okay and he's doing fine.

It got me thinking about Scouting Book, which is a love story of sorts, and how we represent that love. Because the characters never actually say 'I love you'. I'm not sure I have ever had characters say I love you in anything I've written, partly because I've never said it myself (I've tried twice, for those that are interested, and fucked it up both times). But we do sort of know, almost instantly, they are in love and this love is slightly unconventional. I went home and looked over the scenes again and checked they sort of had that intense fragility I so admired in Steve and Katherine. I think they do.

September 14
Filming has started and I get an excited call from Tom to say they've turned over. He's warned me in advance that now I'm the ex-wife and shouldn't expect much from him from here on in. In fact, he clarifies, I'm his ex-ex-wife; despite our mini-break not being that long ago, Paul, the production designer was his wife during prep, but now filming has started he's an ex-wife too, and now Robbie the DPP is where it's at. The analogy when Tom explained it to me got slightly confused at this point, because he started saying that maybe actually we're all mistresses and Ivana is his wife, but I don't think she is - I think she's a sister or something. Anyway, it was lovely to hear from him. And lovely to hear that the world is not turning all sorts of wrong ways.

On another note I am now an investor in the film. In order to shoot on 35mm me, Ivana, Christian and Tom have all had to put up a relatively small amount. It's so worth it.

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