A new British sci-fi comedy mockumentary featuring Johnny Vegas and Stephen Fry will host its exclusive gala premiere at Everyman Muswell Hill on Thursday 27 March.
Time Travel Is Dangerous, a film which gets to the heart of British humor in an unprecedented depiction of the Haringey suburb of Muswell Hill, will be released in over 100 UK and Ireland cinemas the following day.
Director Chris Reading co-wrote and produced the action-comedy with Anna Elizabeth Shakespeare and Hillary Shakespeare, seamlessly blending the authenticity of a mundane London suburb with an extremely surreal science fiction dimension.
Reading said: “Ninety percent of the film is real, then we’ve put some science fiction elements into it to take it into a bonkers world, and obviously dropped in some known cast.”
The cast is a blend of established actors like Vegas, Jane Horrocks, Sophie Thompson, and real-life Londoners, such as the vintage shop owners Ruth Syratt and Megan Stevenson.
Narrated by Fry, the plot follows Ruth and Megan playing characters based on themselves, as they travel to the past to steal vintage items on a time machine.
The filmmakers describe the duo on their official website as local legends whose shop is a community hub and creative space frequented by many well-known residents.
The film had its world premiere at the Austin Film Festival in October 2024, and since then was screened in venues all around the world such as the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival and the Boston Science Fiction Film Festival.
Image credit: Rich Maskey, director of photography and Chris Reading, director
It has been showcased at more than ten film festivals across the US, Italy, the UK, and Brazil, with more screenings to come.
Reading said: “We were a bit worried that some of our jokes wouldn’t land, some things would get lost in translation due to subtitles, but it actually did go down very well with the audience and it was nice to get some great feedback from international viewers.”
This Thursday in Muswell Hill, the film’s gala screening will be preceded by an introduction from the filmmakers and followed by a live Q&A session, terminating with a reception featuring drinks and refreshments.
The feature gradually developed out of a collaboration between Reading and bric-a-brac shop owners Syratt and Stevenson.
He said: “We initially wrote sketches, shot scenes, experimented and jotted down ideas, and before we knew it, it was growing into a bigger project.”
Image credit: Rich Maskey, director of photography and Chris Reading, director
It was only after the team met the Shakespeare Sisters that the goal evolved into a feature-length film, as he teamed up with them to write and produce it.
The director expressed his team’s enthusiasm about the film’s homecoming.
Reading said: “We took a lot of inspiration from Terry Gilliam films, Paddington, and mock-docs, which obviously the UK is very famous for, so hopefully British audiences will really connect with it.
“I wanted to do something where the audience would come out and go, ‘I’m not quite sure what I saw there’, something that was different.
“The film starts with a mock-doc, Spinal Tap vibe and then ends up with something more cinematic, more Terry Gilliam’s Time Bandits.”
He also emphasised the artistic decision to begin the film as a mockumentary to connect with audiences.
Reading said: “I think it’s a good way to establish the real world before you start introducing lots of fantastical, sci-fi elements.
“Everyone understands the mock-doc language, so it is an easy way to set off on an equal footing with the audience, everyone knows the rules.”
Feature image: Time Travel is Dangerous official trailer cover image courtesy of Rich Maskey and Chris Reading
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