Discover one Britain's best kept theatrical secrets as documentary feature film Barry & Joan is released in cinemas this spring on 6th May 2022.
Barry & Joan is a unique and joyful insight into the creative world of Barry and Joan Grantham, two British eccentrics who have kept the skills of British vaudeville alive for over seventy years. Since becoming stage-struck lovers in 1948, Barry and Joan have taught, danced and acted alongside the greats of British film and theatre. They are the last of the golden generation of vaudeville acts, eager to pass on their legacy and passion to future generations.
An energetic couple, they have been treading the boards for over seven decades. He was an incurable performer who loved to cross-dress. She was a dancing piano genius. She spotted his legs when they met in a musical. Seventy-five years later, they are still married, performing, and teaching. This quirky and delightful documentary takes us on a journey through the lives of Barry and Joan's rich history as performing artists and creators on stage and screen. They are emblems of expressive freedom, having built a repertoire of performance spanning from television and Music Hall to drag and nude theatre.
Novices and performing arts professionals alike travel from Europe and the US to hone their skills and expand their craft under the methodical chaos of Barry and Joan's workshops on Vaudeville, Eccentric dance and Commedia dell'Arte at the Sands Film Studio in London. Their story is a treasure trove of inspiration for the playful and open-minded. As their magic unfolds before us, the joyous enthusiasm the pair share for performance and each other is infectious and it becomes clear that they just didn't have time to grow old.
Making her feature film debut director Audrey Rumsby, who studied under Barry and Joan, describes the film as ‘about artists and people who devote their lives to play. I don't claim for a single moment that the artists in this film are "doing it best" or are perfect in any way. It's about the experience of finding a craft, learning it, cherishing it, and devoting one's life to it. Barry and Joan symbolize a way of life, and a possibility for what you can be and who you can love, and what you can create if you’re willing to be your own quirky self. That idea is the root of Commedia dell'Arte, Vaudeville, Music Hall, and Eccentric Dance. Thank you for stepping into our world. I hope you like it here as much as I do.' See the trailer at the link above.
