A Simple Films Development project THE TOUR OF 2718 RIVERSIMPLE JOHN FILMSSTATION LTD ROAD THE BIGProducer: Stuart Cresswell SHIPWriter: Julie Welch Nova Scotia,River John, B0K 1N0 : TELEPHONE 1-902-701-2483 Armstrong’s [email protected] EMAIL Australians won 8 successive test matches, a feat International mini-series, unequalled in test historical sports drama match history. A STORY OF IMMENSE CHARACTERS. FOR INSTANCE... WARWICK ARMSTRONG - THE BIG SHIP Huge in stature and personality on and off the pitch, Armstrong battled and battered opponents and had a long-running row with Tour Manager Syd Smith to protect his players. He was built to win - and bent the rules to meet Warwick Armstrong’s touring Australians, 1921 his ends. ARCHIE MACLAREN - THE OPPORTUNIST Aging ex-England Captain, cast aside by the MCC, he chipped away at the establishment to have the chance to pick an English team of no- hopers who would provide one of the greatest upsets in sporting history. NEVILLE CARDUS - THE CRICKET ROMANTIC Lord Tennyson batting bravely one-handed Archie MacLaren (L), 1921 Cricket writer and critic who has influenced sports journalists since. The David and Goliath “Australians have made game at the Saffrons was “the only scoop of my cricket a war game...with career.” an intensity of purpose too deadly for a mere JACK GREGORY - THE DEMON BOWLER game.” One half of Australia’s twin-pace bowling attack, described as ‘fearsome’ he was Wisden’s Neville Cardus top cricketer in 1922. The Tour of The Big Ship |TV Mini-series | International co-pro potential | Historical Sports Drama THE TOUR OF THE BIG SHIP! PAGE2 The Saffrons - The cricket pitch in Eastbourne that was the venue of Armstrong and MacLaren’s historic game C.B. Fry - superstar and polymath RANJITSINHJI - THE MAVERICK BEHIND THIS PROJECT Market potential Top English cricketer and Indian Prince, controversy was never far away. "Many of JULIE WELCH - WRITER Examples: his off-the-field exploits with Archie Sports journalist, author and screenwriter, MacLaren ... will probably never be known, possibly best known for writing “Those Glory, but it seems clear that sometimes they were Glory Days” (1983) produced by David “Bodyline” - not averse to conducting themselves in the Puttnam, about another set of sporting greats, an Australian TV mini- fashion of E. W. Hornung's fictional the Tottenham Hotspur soccer team of 1961. series (50 x 7) “I absolutely love this idea. The characters leap character Raffles, the cricketing starring Hugo Weaving, off the pages, the personal stories are full of burglar." [Wilde] told the story of the potential, the historical background is immense. I passionately want to dramatise it.” 1932-3 Ashes tour. It was a ratings success. C.B. FRY - THE NATION’S HERO JUSTYN BARNES - CO-WRITER/EDITOR Although 49 at the time, he was still Writer, editor and consultant with 2 decades regarded as a top athlete, but seemingly Oscar-winning experience. Editor of 30+ books, including “Chariots of Fire” ridiculous injuries and conspiracies within bestseller “Tuffers’ Cricket Tales” with Phil the MCC prevented him from playing and Tuffnell, “Four more weeks: Diary of a stand-in produced by David possibly changed the course of the series. Captain” with Mark Ramprakash and “The Puttnam, tells of the Reduced History of Cricket”. Also editing quest for athletic JACK HOBBS - THE ABSENT STAR biographies of Andrew Flintoff, David Beckham, supremacy at the 1924 Without a doubt, had Hobbs - one of the Jonny Wilkinson and Robbie Williams. Olympic Games. best batsmen the world has seen - been STUART CRESSWELL - PRODUCER With a $6m budget it available, the English would have put up went on to gross more more of a fight. His injuries kept him from Experienced in international co-productions, Stuart is also a published author and than $60m. playing for England, but not it seems, from documentary director. He established Simple playing for his County. Films in 2008. “The Bridge Rising” an Cricket is played and international co-production from 2013 is already watched all over the being tipped for awards at festivals this year. world. For more information contact: Simple Films, River John, NS. Canada | 902-701-2483 | www.simple-films.com .