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Home , Joanna Lumley, Spike Milligan

COMING SOON

TO A TOWN NEAR YOU

PRESS KIT 10 August 2005, for immediate release Media release

The godfather of alternative comedy is back

Comic legend Spike Milligan, voted “the funniest person of the millennium” in a BBC poll and known to fellow comedians as the “godfather of alternative comedy”, always broke conventions and made up his own rules. Following in this tradition, the makers of a new documentary about Spike, have created a bold and unprecedented venture which will tour the east coast of Australia in August and September.

Led by a life-size doll of Spike, the tour will bring back memories and shed new light on this extraordinary man. It will include radio broadcasts, a live show featuring Spike’s eldest daughter Laura telling stories and reading some of his letters accompanied by musician Glenn Cardier who toured with Spike in the 80s, and a new documentary film.

The documentary film “I TOLD YOU I WAS ILL: THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF SPIKE MILLIGAN” sold out at its world premiere in Adelaide in February this year and has since played to packed houses in , Melbourne, Brisbane and the far North Coast of NSW.

The show brings tears of laughter and sadness as it takes audiences on a roller coaster ride through his life, reminding fans of his brilliant and outrageous humour and shedding new light on his tortured and troubled personal life. For the first time, his family have opened up their personal archives to reveal Spike as a father, brother and husband: a man of passion and contradictions who trod the thin line between genius and debilitating depression.

The producers of the film, Hatchling Productions, have been inundated with requests from Spike fans around the country to bring the film to their town, and have decided to take the show on the road as the SPIKE IS BACK: PICK UP A PEN TOUR.

“The ‘Pick up a Pen’ subtitle relates to how active Spike was with his pen,” said Laura Milligan.

“He wrote 83 books and was a dedicated activist and prolific letter writer who took a stand on many, many issues that he considered important”.

“The film highlights this aspect of Spike’s legacy and I will encourage audiences to get active with their pens again” said Laura. Special Spike pens will be available along with other Tour memorabilia such as T-shirts, bags, badges and the DVD of the documentary, which also contains a wealth of extra material.

“A life size Spike doll, with pen in hand, has been created to lead the Tour and will ride on top of the tour bus as it arrives in each town.”

“I call this ‘payback time’ for those nights when we were children and Spike would wake us, tie us to the top of his mini and take us out bunny spotting!”

“The Spike doll will welcome fans as they arrive, start the show and may even sign autographs.”

Ends Interviews: Laura Milligan and Glenn Cardier are available for interviews in all regional areas Photo opportunities: the Spike doll welcomes ideas for photo opportunities, no matter how outrageous or ridiculous.

For further information, photographs or interview opportunities: Carolyn Anderson: M: 0407 665 179 T: 02 6685 7251 E: [email protected]

For more information about Spike and the full story of this ground-breaking project, visit www.spikemilliganlegacy.com

Images to download

Jane and Laura Milligan in Woy Woy Glenn Cardier

PRESS KIT Spike is Back: Pick up a Pen Tour Page 3 About the documentary……

Film Finance Corporation Australia presents a Hatchling Productions film in association with 2005 Adelaide Film Festival

I told you I was ill: the life and legacy of Spike Milligan

An intimate portrait of comic legend Spike Milligan, a complex and multifaceted man who trod the thin line between genius and debilitating depression.

“We don’t have a plan, so nothing can go wrong”

PRESS KIT Spike is Back: Pick up a Pen Tour Page 4 Brief synopsis

I TOLD YOU I WAS ILL: THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF SPIKE MILLIGAN is an intimate and deeply personal portrait of comic genius Spike Milligan through the eyes of his brother, three daughters and third wife. Each saw a very different side of this complex and multifaceted man who forever changed English comedy and trampled on the notions of decorum and deference. For the first time his family have opened up their personal archives to reveal Spike as a brilliant, tortured and visionary man who brought laughter to millions around the world while battling debilitating depression.

Jane Milligan with Spike

“The godfather of alternative comedy” “Modern started with Spike Milligan” The funniest person of the millennium” BBC poll “A great inspiration” “Pure madness” Robyn Williams

PRESS KIT Spike is Back: Pick up a Pen Tour Page 5 One Page Synopsis

This is the definitive story of the man dubbed ”The Godfather of Modern Comedy”

For the first time, Spike’s family have agreed to open the archives and reveal the real Spike Milligan: visionary, comic, writer, father, husband, knight of the realm, and the most famous manic depressive in England. Featuring commentary from a cast of Milligans, including his brother, three daughters and third wife, plus Joanna Lumley, Michael Palin and , this intimate portrait uncovers the man behind the silly noses, funny accents and unending love of the absurd.

From 19th Century vaudevillian Ireland to an Australian backwater he satirically christened "the largest above ground cemetery in the world", and all points in between (including Rangoon, London and outer Lewisham), Spike’s story unravels like one of his scripts. Alternately comic, dramatic, romantic and often surreal, it paints a picture of an idyllic childhood tempered by war, depression and English weather, and casts a light on the reckless and sometimes tortured trail left by a man burdened with the gift of genius.

For centuries there has been debate about the connection between creative genius and mental illness and particularly manic depression, now known as . Aristotle asked in the 4th century BC "Why is it that all men who are outstanding in philosophy, poetry or the arts are melancholic?" English poet John Dryden wrote: "Great wits are sure to madness near allied" and throughout the 20th Century the claim has been made that "there is a thin line between genius and madness". The life and legacy of Spike Milligan adds a new chapter to this debate.

The central storyteller of the film is Spike’s youngest daughter, Jane Milligan. She and her sisters Laura and Sile have agreed for the first time to open their family archive and tell the story of their father as they knew him. They do not believe that Spike’s depression was inherited or that it has been passed down to the Milligan children and grandchildren. Jane speaks to people who were close to Spike during key periods in his life, and through these interviews and archive footage, the story of Spike’s life is re- examined and reviewed.

Much of the story is located in a small Australian town just north of Sydney called Woy Woy, where Spike’s parents lived for 40 years and where Spike made frequent visits. He wrote many of his famous books in his parent’s small weatherboard house and became involved in local campaigns to protect the environment and heritage of the area. Over the years, Woy Woy came to regard Spike as one of their own, and after his death, the town came together to stage a unique festival called Spikefest in honour of their famous visitor. Spike’s brother Desmond and daughters Laura and Jane played an active role in the festival, and Desmond allowed the crew to film in the Woy Woy house which is a treasure-trove of Milligan family history and memorabilia. His own archive plus Jane’s discovery of Spike’s old home movies shot in Woy Woy create a vivid picture of Spike’s family history in Ireland, and their connection to Australia.

The story of Spike’s professional life is revealed through his manager Norma Farnes, and colleagues such as Eric Sykes, Joanna Lumley, Eddie Izzard and Michael Palin. His children reveal what he was like as a father, sharing their memories as well as their photographic, audio and visual archives. Shelagh Milligan talks about Spike from the perspective of a wife and partner for 25 years.

This unique portrait of a man who changed the face of English comedy and left an indelible impression wherever he went is accompanied by a comprehensive web site with a rich array of additional features. A DVD is currently in production. The film includes a rich archive of Spike Milligan material from the BBC and ABC as well as valuable personal and family photographs, audio tapes and home movies of Spike with his family, where he claims he came closest to finding some kind of happiness and a sense that his life was worthwhile.

PRESS KIT Spike is Back: Pick up a Pen Tour Page 6 Principal Characters

Spike Milligan Jane Milligan (Spike’s daughter) Laura Tierney (Spike’s daughter) Sile Harrower (Spike’s daughter) Desmond Milligan (Spike’s brother) Shelagh Milligan (Spike’s third wife) Norma Farnes (Spike’s Manager)

And interviews with: Michael Sellers (son of ), Joanna Lumley (Actor), Eric Sykes (Comedian), Michael Palin (Comedian), Eddie Izzard (Comedian), (Film Director), Beverley Spiers (very close friend of Spike’s), Georga Malcolm (Spike’s Granddaughter), Paul Gunning (Historian), Myles Dungan (Radio Presenter and Author).

Principal Character Details

Spike Milligan Terance Alan (Spike) Milligan was born in Ahmadnagar, 100 miles from Bombay, on 16 . His only brother, Desmond Patrick Milligan was born in Burma in 1925. Their father, Leo Milligan, was in the , but his post was abolished in 1933, and the family sent back to London. In April 1940, Spike’s call-up papers arrived and he joined the British Army - D Battery in Bexhill- on-Sea - and his war adventures began. In 1944, he was sent to an officer’s rest camp south of Naples where he joined a dance band. From there he was posted to the newly formed Central Pool of Artists (CPA) near Naples and his career as a performer took off. After the war, he teamed up with ex-gunner, , Peter Sellers and to write a comedy show. The first recording of was made at BBC Variety headquarters on Sunday 21st May 1951 and went on to become an international sensation.

On the Spike Milligan website (www.spikemilliganlegacy.com), a series of icons provide links to detailed insights of Spike’s life. Scroll over each icon to reveal an intimate portrait of Spike as: - Godfather of comedy - Professional - Friend - Soldier - Citizen - Traveller - Explorer - Conservationist - Father - Family man - Romantic - Mentally ill - Looking Back (the alarm clock icon) provides a timeline of key dates/descriptions of the Milligan family and Spike’s life - Looking Beyond (the tombstone icon) provides Jane Milligan’s commentary about her father, his life and his legacy.

PRESS KIT Spike is Back: Pick up a Pen Tour Page 7 Jane Milligan (Spike’s daughter): Jane is Spike’s youngest daughter. She is 38, single and works as a professional performer and singer. She is the only daughter of Spike’s second wife Paddy, and lives in North London. She says of her father: “He was a wonderfully funny, sexy guy, unconventional, talented, great to be with, and I think he was very hard to resist. And he loved that. He knew he was a catch. I think he was certainly having affairs, probably several at one time. I know he made two other kids. But I know he was in love with my mother, which is a wonderful thing to know, because he told me that until the day he died”.

Laura Tierney and Sile Harrower (Spike’s daughters): Laura is 52, married with two children, Jay and Georga. She lives in Sydney and works part-time while maintaining an active interest in writing, drawing and cartooning. She is involved in the development of the Woy Woy comedy festival, Spikefest. Sile is 47 and lives in North London near Monkenhurst where the family lived until the mid 1980s. She is married and has three sons, Hasty, Callam and Brodie. She works in a local school and is on the committee of the Spike Milligan statue fund.

Desmond Milligan (Spike’s brother): Desmond is 79, married with one son and lives in Sydney. He is retired following a long and successful career as a graphic artists, cartoonist. He continues to draw and paint, and is also actively involved in Spikefest. He says of his brother: “He was a man of extremes. He was about three or four different people, all locked into one body. Some of them wonderfully passionate and saving of the world, and others mad as , raving and screaming at you. It was sort of like Jekyll and Hyde, but I suppose if you put the various facets of it together, it was the sort of mad genius that gave us the Goons and changed British comedy”.

Shelagh Milligan (Spike’s third wife): Shelagh Sinclair met Spike in July 1974 and they were married in 1983. They moved from North London to the south of England near Rye in 1988 and Spike died there in 2002. She is now in legal dispute with Spike’s four children over Spike’s last will and what will become of Spike’s estate and legacy. “I wasn’t attracted to Spike because of his humour. I was never a fan of his. But I loved his energy, and how he never behaved properly. Spike wasn’t a sycophant. He never could be. He thought differently from everyone else in the world as far as I’m concerned.”

Norma Farnes (Spike’s manager): Norma Farnes began working for Spike at Orme Court in August 1966. She became his manager and stayed with him until his death. She still runs “Spike Milligan Productions” on behalf of his four children. She says of his legacy: “What’s in the pot now is going to stop because he’s not writing anymore so they will get the royalties from that but there comes a time when it will stop … and yes Yeats and Oscar Wilde & George Bernard Shaw – but how much do they earn from it? Not a lot ‘cos they’re not writing anymore.”

PRESS KIT Spike is Back: Pick up a Pen Tour Page 8 Partners in this production “I told you I was ill” is collaboration between Hatchling Productions and the following partners: ƒ Film Finance Corporation Australia ƒ 2005 Adelaide Film Festival ƒ South Australian Film Corporation ƒ ABC and ABC Content Sales ƒ RTE, Ireland ƒ The Documentary Channel, Canada ƒ Australian Film Commission ƒ NSW Film and TV Office

About Hatchling Productions HATCHLING PRODUCTIONS is an award winning production company creating multi-platform content for the international marketplace. The company specialises in documentaries for television and interactive digital content for DVD and on-line delivery. The company is also developing educational programs and two feature films. Whatever the subject matter, the Hatchling Productions approach is to shine light into the darkness, to find new and creative solutions to some of the great concerns of our time, and to tell universal stories than resonate with audiences around the globe.

Hatchling Productions consists of CATHY HENKEL and JEFF CANIN and is based in Clunes, in the Northern Rivers region of NSW. Since its formation in 1992 the company has produced over 30 programs including 5 documentaries for television, 20 commissioned works for the educational and training market, 5 self-initiated programs, 2 award winning short films, and two large-scale content rich web-sites. Their credits include “Walking Through a Minefield”, (SBS) “Losing Layla”, (ABC), winner of the ATOM award for Best Documentary in 2001 and nominated for an AFI Award, and “The Man who Stole My Mother’s Face” (ABC) winner of the Tribeca Film Festival award in 2004 for Best Feature Documentary and the Discovery Channel IF Award for Best Documentary in Australia in 2004. This program also has a web-site located at www.hatchling.com.au/face The team recently launched a new feature length documentary entitled “I told you I was ill: the life and legacy of Spike Milligan” at the Adelaide Film Festival and an associated web-site with dynamic content, animations and rare archive material at www.spikemilliganlegacy.com

Summary of recent successes and current activities:

2005 I TOLD YOU I WAS ILL: The life and legacy of Spike Milligan, ABC/FFC non-accord documentary in association with Adelaide Film Festival, The Documentary Channel (Canada) and RTE (Ireland). Distributed by ABC Content Sales. Launched at the Adelaide Film Festival to sold out screenings in February 2005 by South Australian Premier Hon Mike Rann. The film begins its theatrical release in Byron Bay on 8th April, 2005. The associated website was also launched in February 2005.

2003/4 THE MAN WHO STOLE MY MOTHER’S FACE, ABC/FFC non-accord documentary: a daughter’s search for justice for her mother following a traumatic sexual assault. • WINNER: BEST FEATURE DOCUMENTARY: TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL, New York • WINNER: DISCOVERY CHANNEL IF AWARD for BEST DOCUMENTARY, Australia • SELECTED: MELBOURNE & BRISBANE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALS • FINALIST: 2003 LEXUS IF AWARDS: Independent Spirit Award • FINALIST: CAPE TOWN WORLD CINEMA FESTIVAL • SELECTED: HOT DOCS, Canadian International Documentary Festival • NOMINATED: AFI AWARD for Best Achievement in Directing. • NOMINATED: FILM CRITICS CIRCLE OF AUSTRALIA award for Best Documentary.

PRESS KIT Spike is Back: Pick up a Pen Tour Page 9 Websites: www.hatchling.com.au/face - companion to “The Man who Stole my Mother’s Face” www.spikemilliganlegacy.com - companion to “I told you I was ill”

In development: UNDER THE TURBAN. A window into the Sikh community of Australia through the eyes of one fascinating family. A 4 x half hour series. The company is also developing three other documentary projects, two feature films and a major DVD on sea turtles. Other Hatchling Production highlights include:

2004 CROSSING THE LINE: training DVD for long-line fishing industry on sea turtle handling. 2003 COASTAL DREAMING: The Casuarina Beach Story. A DVD for Consolidated Properties. 2001 LOSING LAYLA, ABC/FFC, documentary about birth, death and grief • WINNER: 2001 ATOM AWARD. • HIGHLY COMMENDED: DENDY AWARDS. • NOMINATED: AFI AWARD Best Achievement in Directing 1999 WALKING THROUGH A MINEFIELD, SBS Documentary about Jabiluka uranium mine

1996 TAPA TRADITION, Fiji TV Traditional Fijian village life,

1995 TORIKA’S DAY, Fiji TV A Day in the Life of a Fijian Girl,

Other achievements:

• “The Man who Stole My Mother’s Face” has been picked up by The Sundance Channel for broadcast in the USA and by Women Make Movies for non-theatrical distribution of the DVD. • The film been sold in six countries, (The Netherlands, Israel, Canada, South Africa, Denmark and USA) with sales pending in Germany and the UK. It has also been selected for screening at 15 international film festivals including: International Film Festival, Israel, Köln Film Festival, Germany, Irish Film Institute Festival, Festival of Women’s Movies, Netherlands, One World Film Festival, Czech Republic, 31st Flanders Film Festival, Belgium and Commonwealth Film Festival, UK. • Losing Layla sold internationally in 16 countries and continues to generate interest worldwide. A DVD of the film with added features is in development to be launched in conjunction with a new book with the same title by Vanessa Gorman later in 2005. • Cathy Henkel is doing a PhD research project with QUT (Queensland University of Technology) on the development of screen industries in regional areas with a focus on the Northern Rivers Region of NSW. The research has three industry partners: The Northern Rivers Regional Development Board, Northern Rivers Screenworks and Hatchling Productions and will provide new research data of interest to regional development and screen industry organisations. The final report will be delivered as a DVD in 2006.

PRESS KIT Spike is Back: Pick up a Pen Tour Page 10 Image Gallery

There is a comprehensive image gallery on both the disc provided with this pack, and on the website (www.spikemilliganlegacy.com/image_gallery.htm). Each full size image is a large file suitable for 300dpi printing. The average file size is 1Mb, so if you are accessing images online, it may take several minutes to download these files on slow connections.

The following thumbnails show some of the images available:

Jane Milligan Jane Milligan Jane Milligan Jane Milligan with Spike signing autographs at Spike's grave

Jane Milligan Jane Milligan Jane Milligan Jane Milligan with Spike (2) with Spike (3) and Michael Palin and Michael Palin (2)

Jane Milligan and Joanna Lumley Joanna Lumley Cathy, Sile and Jane Laura Tierney at and Jane Milligan and Jane Milligan (2) with the Milligan Spikefest, Woy Woy grandchildren

Jane and her nephews Director Cathy Henkel On location in Ireland Cath, Jane, Laura outside Carpenters filming Jane Milligan and Conan filming at Milligan's Cave

Sile and Jane Laura and Jane with Jane in Ireland Jane with , outside Munkenhurst Laura's daughter Georgia Spike's first manager

Shelagh with Jane inside her Sile and Jane Portrait of Jane one of Spike's grandfather's house, out the back of Milligan paintings Sligo Monkenhurst

PRESS KIT Spike is Back: Pick up a Pen Tour Page 11

Jane at Monkenhurst Cathy and Sile Jane with Norma Farnes with Spike's letters Spike's mini

Jane Milligan Director Cathy Henkel Desmond Milligan at Spike with a reflective with Jane Milligan Spikefest, Woy Woy young Prince Charles

Desmond Milligan Desmond Milligan Michael Palin Lyndsay de Paul close-up close-up (2) and Jane Milligan at the Spike Statue Fund launch

Reg Bennett with Reg Bennett with Spike Eddie Izzard and Spike with third director Cathy Henkel Cathy Henkel wife Shelagh

Producer/director Director Cathy Henkel Director Cathy Henkel Cathy Henkel and Cathy Henkel and filming Desmond Milligan producer Jeff Canin

Sile, Wendy and Jane Spike meets Desmond Milligan Desmond at Walking Queen Elizabeth and Mayor of , Backwards parade, Spikefest 2003

Beverley Spiers Glenn Cardier Cathy Henkel Charlotte Robson, at Orme Court wife of Spike's therapist

PRESS KIT Spike is Back: Pick up a Pen Tour Page 12 The making of the film by director Cathy Henkel

The idea for the film began when, after finishing our previous documentary, “The Man who Stole my Mother’s Face”, our sound mixer said in parting “I hope the next film will be a comedy”. With these words in my head, I stopped in at Woy Woy on the NSW Central Coast my way home to visit a friend of mine, Nina Angelo. Nina told me about a committee she was part of called Spikefest and their efforts to create a festival in honour of Spike Milligan who’d spent so much time in Woy Woy. I didn’t know this, and in fact realised how little I knew about this comic legend that had infiltrated my childhood through The Goon Show and had somehow profoundly influenced a whole generation of comedians and the nature of comedy itself. So I began reading and researching Spike’s life and found so much more that intrigued me. He wrote 83 books and was a campaigner for the environment and animal welfare in the 1960’s before it was common for celebrities to speak out on these types of issues. He suffered manic depression (now known as bipolar disorder) most of his life, and was very outspoken about it. He defied conventions and notions of decorum and lived by his own set of rules. He was profoundly sensitive and compassionate and quietly supported many people and organisations who wrote to him for help. He signed his letters “love, light and peace”. The more I read, the more I began to think he would make an interesting subject for a film. And after spending almost four years focussed on survivors of sexual assault, this felt like it would be a more light- hearted and entertaining journey.

So in September 2003, I packed my camera and headed to Woy Woy in the lead up to the first Spikefest. I stayed there for six weeks, getting to know the festival organisers and people who’d met Spike and had stories to tell. I met Desmond, Spike’s brother and he opened up his parent’s house to me. Inside I found a rich Milligan museum, and together with the stories and archival material Desmond showed me, revealed a man very different from the public perception of Spike, the mad comedian. Then Spike’s two daughters turned up. Laura, who lives in Sydney, is Spike’s eldest daughter from his first marriage and with her was Spike’s granddaughter, Georga. Laura’s youngest sister, Jane, Spike’s only daughter from his second marriage, also came to the festival, all the way from London. When I heard the two daughters talking about Spike as a father, I became really interested. Spike created an unbelievably magical, creative and wildly chaotic childhood for them, and the quality and depth of his relationship with his children, revealed through letters he wrote them as well as stories they told, really surprised me. It also became clear to me that Spike’s legacy was in jeopardy since he died, because of what was happening within the family and what Jane calls Spike’s “close circle of people”. The effects of the dispute were felt right throughout the family and this deeply disturbed and saddened me. My relationship with the daughters grew, and they came to trust me and opened up their family archive to the film. I offered to make the film from their perspective as it was a unique perspective that had not been seen publicly before, and as a way of reminding people of the enormous breadth and depth of Spike’s legacy and finding a way to maintain and preserve it for future generations.

During the shooting period, I kept a diary of events and wrote them up for our website which we launched in its early form in late August 2004. This became the place to communicate with Spike enthusiasts who were already contacting us about the film, and wanting to know how things were progressing. Extracts from these “blogs” are included in this press kit and can be found on the Spike web-site. These provide anecdotes and details of the shooting period of the film.

PRESS KIT Spike is Back: Pick up a Pen Tour Page 13 The post-production phase of the film was from September until early January 2005. Producer Jeff Canin and I then headed for Adelaide to complete the sound mix, grading, graphics and inserting of the animations. We decided early on to use a selection of Spike's funny sayings as chapter links and to animate the character of Spike and some of his children’s work. There was an air of mania throughout the edit, partly induced by Spike and the material and partly by the looming deadlines. Spike kept us laughing, even when we were dealing with the difficult and unfunny aspects of the story and we tried to keep to the spirit of: "we don't have a plan, so nothing can go wrong". However, when you are editing a feature length and two television versions of a film, you have to have a plan, and it has to be clear. Our plan was to show the personal side of Spike, what he was like as a father, brother, husband and friend, and how his personal life and his "illness" affected both his family and his work. This meant the film was going to be a mix of humour and sadness, and would roller coaster from one mood to another just like Spike did when he was alive. He was very open and articulate about his manic depression and we wanted audiences to hear in his own words, what it was like for him. We also wanted to show how the family dealt with it and how profoundly it influenced his work. The inclusion of the dispute over Spike’s will and the conflict between Spike’s children and his third wife Shelagh was always a difficult issue. I did include it in the first version of the film, motivated by a desire to tell the truth as we knew it, and to convey the deep emotion and distress felt throughout the family because of these events. The children had not yet publicly told their side of the story and this was a way to do so without going through the British tabloid press. Also they hoped that by telling of their version of the story, they might bring about some clearer understanding and resolution within the family. As it happens, this has occurred. The children have withdrawn from the legal battle and there is now hope of a resolution within the family. I decided to change the ending of the film after the Adelaide screenings and the first three screenings in the Northern Rivers region for two reasons. Firstly the ending as it stood dated the film and I wanted an ending that was more timeless. I therefore decided to put the story of the conflict over the will onto the website where it can be easily updated. Secondly I wanted an ending that was more uplifting and reminded people of the enormous amount of active support Spike gave to a wide variety of causes and issues and how he believed that it is the individual who can make a difference. I decided that, in the end, this was the resonant message I wanted audiences to take home with them. The website was launched at 11.15pm on Sunday 20 February 2005, while Spike's eldest daughter Laura was driving home from a publicity function with web director Kerry Sunderland and Laura’s friends Nina and Trish (who are on the Woy Woy Spikefest committee). It was a suitably 'virtual' and madcap moment all at once because, while Kerry was on the phone, there was some confusion about which way to turn and the Milligan clan got themselves lost. One hour later, Nina pulled into a petrol station and discovered the group was about 70kms north of where they wanted to end up. Dressed uniformly in Spike Milligan Legacy t-shirts, the petrol station attendant enquired whether they were members of a religious group. The Cult of Latter- Day Milligan’s was officially born. The film was launched at the Adelaide Film Festival on Tuesday 22nd February by the premier of South Australia, Hon Mike Rann. Desmond, Laura and Spike’s granddaughter Georga attended the premiere and 350 Spike masks were handed out to the audience. The screening was sold out and a second screening on Thursday 24th was also full. The audience and media reaction to the film to date has been extremely positive. As the end credits of the film say, the story continues at…..www.spikemilliganlegacy.com

PRESS KIT Spike is Back: Pick up a Pen Tour Page 14 Credit list of key creative personnel Produced by Cathy Henkel and Jeff Canin Written & directed by Cathy Henkel Edited by James Bradley

Website produced & written by Kerry Sunderland, Evolve Media Website developers: Chris Joyner, Jason Sidoryn, Kipp Brady, Malte Wiegand, Katalyst Web Design Website host: RUCC

Title sequence: Rapt Animations Animators: Murray Debus and Jon Kudelka Character voices: Jonathon Atherton

Music: Spike Milligan, Glyn Lehmann, Glenn Cardier

Cinematographers: Cathy Henkel, Richard Butchins, Richard Kendrick, Additional camera: Hugh Miller, Mike Rubbo, Ian Spruce Sound recordists: Jeff Canin, Conan Fitzpatrick, Matthew Moline, Trish Waddington, Rainier Davenport Sound post production: Pete Best, Peter Smith, Tom Heuzenroeder, Best FX

Online Grade & graphics: Dale Roberts, Oasis Post Australia Consultants: Barry Stevens, John Edginton, Barry Dowdall, David Jowsey Narration recording: Matthew Williams, Matthew Gulliford Production accountant: Belinda Roberts Edit assistants: Liliana Munoz, Barbie English

Line producer, Ireland: Paul Tully Production assistants, London: Lisa James, Emma Mitchell Production assistants, Woy Woy: Trish Waddington, Conan Fitzpatrick

Cathy Henkel with Jane Milligan & Michael Palin

PRESS KIT Spike is Back: Pick up a Pen Tour Page 15 About the filmmakers Hatchling Productions Hatchling Productions was formed in 1992 by Cathy Henkel and Jeff Canin to produce documentaries, educational and training videos and short films. The company established the first digital post-production editing studio available for hire in the Northern Rivers region of NSW. Since its formation, Hatchling Productions has produced more than 30 programs including five documentaries for television, 15 commissioned works for the educational and training market, five self- initiated programs, two on-line documentaries and two short films. They have won numerous international awards for their work including the Tribeca Film Festival Award in New York for Best Feature Documentary and the Discovery Channel IF Award for Best Documentary in Australia in 2004.

Cathy Henkel - writer/director/producer Cathy has worked as a producer, writer and director of documentaries, educational and information videos since 1988. This followed a 10-year career working as a director of theatre, particularly youth theatre. Her first documentary for television was HEROES OF OUR TIME (broadcast in 1991 on the ABC series "True Stories"). This first inside look at Greenpeace during one of its direct action campaigns was co-written and directed with Catherine Marciniak and produced by Film Australia.

Cathy’s subsequent directing credits include TAPA TRADITION, WALKING THROUGH A MINEFIELD, THE MAN WHO STOLE MY MOTHER'S FACE and I TOLD YOU I WAS ILL. Cathy also now has a decade's experience as a cinematographer, shooting almost all the education and training videos she has directed for Hatchling Productions. She was also director/DOP on the documentary WALKING THROUGH A MINEFIELD for SBS and producer/DOP on LOSING LAYLA for the ABC. Cathy shot most of the personal interview material with her family and friends and much of the police investigation in THE MAN WHO STOLE MY MOTHER'S FACE, and was principal cinematographer on I TOLD YOU I WAS ILL.

Cathy is a founding member and Chair of Northern Rivers Screenworks Ltd, and has served on the national Board for the Australian International Documentary Conference. She is currently on the board of SPAA (Screen Producers Association of Australia) representing documentary producers. Cathy completed a Master of Arts Degree at Queensland University of Technology in 2001 researching the development of creative industries in the NSW Northern Rivers region, and has commenced a PhD further exploring this topic.

Jeff Canin - producer, sound recordist Jeff worked for Greenpeace International as a sea turtle campaigner for seven and a half years, based in London, Florida and Amsterdam. In 1991, he met Cathy Henkel on a sea turtle nesting beach in Queensland and they decided to team up together in life and in work. In 1992, following the birth of their daughter, SamLara, they formed Hatchling Productions to produce environmental, social issue and community-based documentaries and establish a digital post-production editing studio in the Northern Rivers region of NSW.

Since then Jeff has worked as a producer, editor and sound recordist. His editing credits include: LOGGERHEADS and JABILUKA, and Production credits WALKING THROUGH A MINEFIELD, LOSING LAYLA, THE MAN WHO STOLE MY MOTHER’S FACE, I TOLD YOU I WAS ILL, two websites (www.hatchling.com.au/face and www.spikemilliganlegacy.com and many educational and information videos and DVDs. More recently, Jeff has established DVD production facilities at the Hatchling studios, and with partner Cathy Henkel, is currently developing a major series for television, two new documentaries and two feature films.

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Contact Details

Hatchling Productions 119 Elliot Road CLUNES NSW 2480 Australia

Ph: +61 2 66 291449 Fax: +61 2 66 291089

Email: [email protected] [email protected]

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