Peterborough was recognised as a hotspot for Northern Soul in the 1970s, so Elaine Constantine’s new film should evoke quite a few memories in the city for those who danced all night at The Wirrina.
Constantine steps back to that era for Northern Soul (showing at Peterborough Showcase on Saturday only, 7.30pm), a drama about two friends who encounter a burgeoning youth culture that changes a generation and influences numerous songwriters, producers, DJs and designers.
John Clark (Elliot James Langridge) is a loner in his northern community, one step out of time with the other young people and his parents (Christian McKay, Lisa Stansfield), until he meets Matt (Josh Whitehouse), who introduces John to the electrifying sounds and moves of Northern Soul.
The young men are swept up by this cultural movement and cannot resist the pull of the drugs and booze that are rife in the dancehalls. Friendships are tested to breaking point but the music plays on.
Newcomers Elliot James Langridge and Joshua Whitehouse are compelling in the central roles, as John and Matt, who, fuelled by amphetamines and ambition, discover the youth culture that changed a generation.
The stellar supporting cast includes Antonia Thomas (Misfits, Homefront), Jack Gordon (Panic Button, The Great Train Robbery), James Lance (The Look of Love, Boy Meets Girl), Christian McKay (Rush, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) and Ashley Taylor-Dawson (Hollyoaks).
Northern Soul writer Constantine says: “Not many people get to make a film in their lifetime. I’m one of the lucky ones. Recreating a story around the soundtrack to my youth is the most thrilling experience of my life. I hope so much that the younger generation can get as excited and inspired as we did when we discovered it.”
NORTHERN SOUL (15, 102 mins, Steve Coogan, John Thompson, Lisa Stansfield, Ricky Tomlinson, Jack Gordon, Antonia Thomas, Elliot James Langridge, Joshua Whitehouse).
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