For one night only, the writers and stars of the BBC’s offbeat mockumentary about rural living, This Country, which aired on the BBC earlier this year, were live on stage on Saturday in a special This Country Rocks the Cotswolds event.
Organised by Rock the Cotswolds, and held at The Corn Hall, Cirencester, the event had been a sell-out for weeks.
The mockumentary, This Country, was conceived by Cirencester siblings, Daisy and Charlie Cooper, as their unique take on the lives of young people in modern rural Britain. The talented team, who attended Deer Park School, still live in the town.
Our amazingly enthusiastic audience came from across the UK.
In the series’ first episode, Daisy’s character ‘Kerry Mucklowe’ famously said: ““I got enemies in South Cerney, I got enemies in North Cerney, I got enemies in Cerney Wick. I got enemies in Bourton-on-the-Water.”The audience on Saturday night weren’t going to let the gag go. One audience yelled from that back of the hall “Got any enemies in Blunsdon?” and Charlie, aka Kurtan Mucklowe, yelled back: “No, but I went to Blunsdon market once and it was a bit sh*t.”
Even Adam Henson, of Countryfile fame was there!
Each episode of the 30-minute comedy (filmed in and around Northleach) reveals the mundane lives of cousins Kerry and Kurtan Muklowe (played by Daisy and Charlie) in exquisitely funny and sometimes poignant detail.
Also on stage during the two-hour evening, which was compered by the brilliant Steve Knibbs, BBC Points West reporter (or as his mates know him, Knibbsy, were series’ director Tom George and producer Simon Mayhew-Archer,
along with a host of characters from Slugs, (Michael Sleggs),
the vicar (Paul Chahidi),
Martin Mucklowe (Paul Cooper – Daisy & Charlie’s dad in real life).
Our intrepid audience were also treated to some never-been-seen-before clips of the upcoming second series, currently being filmed around Cirencester.
Rock the Cotswolds showcases Cotswold talent, and Daisy and Charlie have it in spades. They were funny and engaging, and it was fascinating to hear how the series got started from the director and producer as well as key cast members.
We can’t wait for the next series.
Rock the Cotswolds is a not-for-profit campaign created to promote the talent and creativity of the area.
It is sponsored by Crowe Clark Whitehill in Cheltenham – their belief in what we’re doing and generous support helps keep the campaign alive and kicking!
