❉ A short and sweet vignette about social awkwardness from John Dredge.
Regular readers of We Are Cult will be familiar with the work of comedian and musician John Dredge, as seen & heard on Mark Ellen and David Hepworth’s music podcast Word In Your Ear, from our coverage of his poptastic singles and EPs with his combo The Plinths to his recent chat with WAC scribe James Collingwood about his comedy influences and inspirations.
Following a successful 2023 film festival tour garnering garlands from the likes of the Golden Lion Film Festival (Critics Choice Award), Pigeon Laughs International Short Comedy Film Festival (Semi Finalist), The White Rose International Film Festival (Official Selection) and Asia Film Festival (Best Short Film), today (Friday 1 September, 2023) sees the online premiere of SPLORRY, John’s seven-minute short film co-written with and directed by Victor Hampson of Oxar Productions, and with a small cast including Alison Harris, Cici Clarke and Rebecca Diaz.
The short film’s synopsis runs as follows:
Comedy short about a man’s regret for a very awkward situation. After Andy bumps into a woman and causes her to drop her bag, he tries to apologise, but his embarrassed rambling only makes the situation worse…
Here’s what We Are Cult‘s Jay Gent had to say about this small but perfectly formed featurette:
Have you ever said the wrong thing and the more you try to dig yourself out of it, the worse the situation seems to get, and then you find yourself endlessly replaying this embarrassing chain of events in your head?
This relatable scenario is the opening premise of comedian and indie musician John Dredge’s latest short film, as its economical run time follows the ingenious measures its hapless protagonist takes to to rectify his social faux pas, with a timey-wimey twist.
Cut from the same cloth of dour yet whimsical everyday English surrealism as the antics of Graham Fellows, Chris Sievey and Vic & Bob, this is a short and sweet, small-scale vignette about social awkwardness and foot in mouth syndrome with an ingenious conclusion and satisfying pay-off.
Watch Splorry on Youtube:
‘Splorry’ (Short 2023).Written by Victor Hampson and John Dredge. Starring: John Dredge, Alison Harris, Cici Clarke, Rebecca Diaz, Victor Hampson. Directed by Victor Hampson. Running time: Seven minutes. IMDb page.
❉ John Dredge on Twitter | John Dredge on Instagram | Oxar Productions on Twitter. | Oxar Productions on Instagram | Victor Hampson on Twitter. | Victor Hampson on Instagram.
❉ Jay Gent is editor of We Are Cult. She has contributed to a number of magazines, websites and books including 1001 TV Series You Must Watch Before You Die and Scarred For Life Volume Two: Television in the 1980s and edited (with Jon Arnold) charity anthology Me and the Starman (now available by Cult Ink on Amazon).
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