Extraordinary Stories, Captivating Visuals
At Pick Up Pictures Limited, we bring new narratives to life through our unique storytelling approach, blending extraordinary visuals with the everyday experiences of ordinary people. Our first series, COME DANCE WITH ME, chronicles the struggles and triumphs of the Hauxwell family during challenging times. Join us on this journey as we explore the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
New Website: https://www.pickuppictures.com/
"Challenging preconceptions one story at a time."
Our Services
Epic TV
We are working in association with award winning Epic TV to form an East Anglian Creative Hub.
Their cinematographers and special effects geniuses have worked for most of the major film and TV companies and employ innovative techniques to create stunning visuals that enhance our storytelling.
Epic have the old Anglia TV studios plus three studios at what was RAF Coltishall. Jon Davenport is Executive Director there and oversees production and will direct our Sizzle Reel to provide proof of concept. AJ Thursby is DoP.
We believe that every frame should evoke emotion and draw viewers into the narrative.
We'd love to see Norfolk and Suffolk become the new place to be for making High End TV and Film.
Pick Up Pictures Limited
We are aiming to establish East Anglia as a creative hub with our new writing that creates original storytelling that marries stunning visuals with strong drama.
Our first production COME DANCE WITH ME is a six part series, based on a true family story, that chronicles the lives of the Hauxwell family, working class people in Darlington, who try to survive lack of employment, and very challenging losses, plus the Second World War. There is also disablity and death to with which to contend.
Each member of the Family has a dream and we see these dreams as Hollywood dance sequences like a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movie. The two main protagonists Lillian and Joy have directly opposing visions. One would like to be a professional dancer, and teacher like her Mum, while her sister wants shops and money.
Television Production
We specialise in producing high-quality television series that tell compelling stories about ordinary people. Our unique visual style brings these narratives to life, engaging audiences in unexpected ways.
Graham and Karen are highly visual and high concept storytellers seeking to entertain but also challenge preconceptions with each story.
COME DANCE WITH ME flips between the world of dreams and the gritty reality which our characters survive with dark humour.
"I urge you to support Come Dance With Me. It shows how a working-class kid has to battle to make it in the world of Ballroom. This story could have been my story – and it’s the story of anyone who struggles against disadvantage to find their success in the world.”
The Late Len Goodman - Patron
Gallery
Transforming ordinary lives into extraordinary stories.
Investment Opportunity
Join us on this remarkable journey! We are looking for investors and are SEIS eliglble which could bring significant tax relief of up to 50% and a share in helping create a uniquely English story of a Working Class family surviving against the odds ... and then there is Ballroom, Drama and the allure of the Hollywood of Astaire and Rogers.
Contact us for a pitch deck outlining this significant opportunity.
Creative Team
Karen Lynne
Producer Writer
Karen is an experienced Producer, actor, singer, dancer, and a published playwright and screenwriter.
Karen’s extensive writing credits include a play about Vera Brittain in which she starred, called NEVER GOODBYE, SING AS WE GO co-written with Graham in which she brought to life Gracie Fields and she told her family story in the hit play COME DANCE WITH ME, a story where ballroom meets a gritty, humorous and yet dark story of a family surviving against the odds.
Her most recent play A QUESTION OF ERROL FLYNN, distills her lifelong expert knowledge of Errol Flynn, to pen a study in addiction. The play is a clear eyed view of Flynn with dark humour, physical fist fights, sword fights, and verbal jousting. It got rave reviews.
Karen’s acting credits include working with Topol on the anniversary tour of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. She also played Catherine Cookson in TOM AND CATH, a musical by John Miles. Phylliss Monkman in THE GOLDEN YEARS OF JACK BUCHANAN. Flo Manero on the National tour of SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER.
Graham Howes
Producer Writer
Graham is a Producer, writer and co writer for many shows – he is a veteran of the industry working for forty years as an actor, screen and theatre writer, and a theatre director of complex and large scale projects.
Acting Career highlights include Opera North as Senator Lyons in the two shows OF THEE I SING and LET ‘EM EAT CAKE. Scheinkopf in FAME in the West End. Claudius in HAMLET for ESC. Warbucks in ANNIE. Noakes in ARCADIA. Both Henchard in MAYOR OF CASTERBRIDGE and Dr Frankenstein/Walton the explorer in FRANKENSTEIN.
Film credits include: LOVE’S KITCHEN TV: Clumsy Roger for BBC’s MODEL MILLIE series, Head of the JIC in WHY WE WENT TO WAR – award winning trilogy of plays on the Gulf War.
DIRECTED: SWEENEY TODD, KISS ME KATE, GULF ARABIAN NIGHTS 1 AND 2, two plays, which he wrote, cross fertilising Arabian Nights with the story of an Aunt with a westernised niece sheltering from allied bombing in Iraq. And a commedia version of PINOCCHIO which he wrote and directed. And many more
Richard Marcel
Creative Director and Choreographer
Richard Marcel is our Creative Director and choreographer. He's one of the industries most sought after talents.
His expert knowledge of a diverse range of dance styles, have led him to work with artists such as Madonna, Kylie Minogue, The Spice Girls, Diana Ross, George Michael, Liza Minelli, Tom Jones, Mark Ronson, Sienna Miller and Olivia Coleman.
As a specialist movement choreographer, Richard has worked on numerous TV commercials for top Brands
Richard has provided full concepts for television shows such as Lip Sync Battle UK, Strictly Come Dancing, X-Factor, So You Think You Can Dance, The Royal Variety Show, Comic Relief, Children In Need and many other primetime television shows.
Feature film credits include Kick-Ass2, Cuban Fury and The Wedding Video.
Theatre credits include choreography for Godspell (West End), Burn The Floor, Riverdance: Heartbeat Of Home and he directed the stage show Conga in Monaco.
Come Dance With Me excerpt from 2019 show
Discover the captivating story of the Hauxwell family in our first series, 'Come Dance With Me.' This unique production blends the glamour of Hollywood with the resilience of everyday life during challenging times. Join us on a journey that celebrates the extraordinary in the ordinary.
Here is a brief clip which captures some of the Theatreical magic of our stage version is a very roughtly captured sequence involving brilliant Actor/Dancers Steph Elstob and Sam Archer. The digital set was designed by award winning West End designer Will Simpson.