Family funeral firm stars in film project

Independent family funeral firm, JB Shakespeare, starred in an online project. The company, which has served Croydon since 1877, contributed to a two minute short film for the Mute Series.

The single shot dramas are created by Andy Lambert, a London-based director of TV commercials. He said: “I was on a shoot in Barcelona and the schedule got slightly jumbled up, which meant that we were going to have a free hour or so left over at the end of the last day.

“I had a crew, I had actors, I had props… it seemed a shame not to use them for something. Maybe I could make a short film? I just didn’t have a script, “ said Andy.

For this film, JB Shakespeare provided bearers who had to lower a body into a grave … to say more would spoil the plot.

Filming took place at St Pancras and Islington Cemetery and featured a JB Shakespeare hearse and the company’s staff.

Mark Rouse, part of the four-man Shakespeare team that included Steve Hooker, Steve Kennedy and Del Mortimer, said: “That’s the first time we have lowered the same body into a grave thirteen times in an hour!”

This is not the only time Shakespeare’s have been involved with the film industry. The firm provided a hearse for the James Bond Skyfall movie but sadly the footage ended up on the cutting room floor.

To see this film and others in the series view: www.muteseries.com.

Chris Dighton, managing director, said: “We are always happy to help with this sort of work which makes for an enjoyable diversion so long as it does not impinge on the service we offer our funeral clients.”

For more information go to www.jbsfunerals.com.