Truelove Tours has been supported using public funding by the National

Lottery through Arts Council England - www.artscouncil.org.uk

Banner Photograph Copyright © Sheila Burnett 2001

 In 2008 Truelove Tours began pre-production on it’s first foray into  digital film making and the character of Manly Truelove returned in a feature length faux documentary comedy, entitled

“As I Remember Thrigby” which was adapted from ‘Manly’s’ original Edinburgh stage show.

Produced and directed by Darren Gooding on a shoestring budget, the film was shot in HDV over the course of 2008/2009, utilizing a minimal production crew, but drawing on a huge diversity of regional talent, as the film introduced us to an array of eccentric characters; previously only alluded to in Manly’s unreliable ramblings.

Robert Bamberger starred as the tragic, fated Sir Thrigby Tree-Frog; to whom Manly so clearly has taken a destructive interest. Natasha Hutchinson took the roll of Manly’s terrifying domestic and chauffeur, Mrs. Cox-Knightly and Anthony Robert plays Thrigby’s strange and remarkably violent theatrical agent, Gilgamesh Pronk.

The project benefited from the exceptional good will of a number of East Anglian arts and leisure venues including The Mercury Theatre, Hylands House, The University of Essex’s Lakeside Theatre and last, but by no means least, Colchester Arts Centre itself; all of which generously lent their support and resources, to this heroically low budget endeavour.

The film received a preview screening on Saturday March 28th 2009 at Colchester Arts Centre. In a triumph of post modern irony and plain, old-fashioned incongruity the converted church hosted the ‘World Premiere’ of this feature length entertainment. The great and the good of North Essex dusted off their dinner jackets, buffed their shoes and polished their tiaras, for an evening of Hollywood-Style glamour with “Manly” himself in attendance for the grand stagger down the red carpet.

A re-edited version of the film received its London Premiere the following year at 195 Piccadilly the home of BAFTA.

For a look at the finished film check out our Trailers page.