University and Dean Heritage Centre to present unique screening of iconic TV series
University of Gloucestershire and the Dean Heritage Centre will commemorate the life and work of one of the Forest of Dean’s most significant figures – renowned television dramatist Dennis Potter.
To mark the 30th anniversary of his death, the longstanding collaborative partners will present a unique marathon screening of one of Dennis Potter’s most popular and groundbreaking serial dramas, The Singing Detective, at The Palace Cinema in Cinderford.
The screening forms part of the University’s work with the Dean Heritage Centre that saw the Forest museum secure the late writer’s literary papers to set up the Dennis Potter Archive and the permanent Dennis Potter Exhibition.
Researchers and students at the University worked with the Dean Heritage Centre to catalogue the collection and to create the exhibition, and experts from the University manage the Potters Matters website, a resource for fans and researchers.
Ongoing work by the University and the Dean Heritage Centre has produced several events and exhibitions highlighting how Dennis Potter, who was born in Berry Hill, near Coleford, set and filmed elements of his work in his native Forest of Dean, including The Singing Detective.
Dr Jason Griffiths, from the University’s School of Creative Arts, said: “Large parts of the drama were filmed in the Forest, and as with Dennis Potter’s other locally filmed works, local people were employed as extras.
“He was a hugely important figure in the development of British television, but he never forgot the people and places where he grew up.”
The unique screening of The Singing Detective will take place at The Palace Cinema in Cinderford on Sunday, 9 June from 10am and 6pm. Tickets can be booked online.
The audience is encouraged to dress as characters in the drama, such as detectives, doctors, nurses, patients, or in 1940s period clothing. The screening will be introduced via video by world-renowned Dennis Potter expert and author Professor John Cook, a consultant to the Potter Archive.
Images: Dr Jason Griffiths looking at artefacts at the Dennis Potter Exhibition at Dean Heritage Centre, and a Singing Detective published script
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