PERFORMING TOM
Project overview by Bryn Rogers, Chester Bell
Concept
Plot: Rhys, an ageing Tom Jones impersonator, struggles to balance his declining act with his fractured home life.
With the trauma of divorce and a communication breakdown with his adult son, Rhys attempts to reconnect with his despondent family who are hurt by the inattentive priorities of his act. Before retiring his ‘Tom’ for good, Rhys prepares for one final goodbye tour. Faced with the prospect of neglected venues and an ageing audience, Rhys senses his own mortality and dissociates further and further into the machismo escapism of performing Tom Jones. Struggling to reclaim his manhood/youth his behaviour becomes progressively self-destructive as his primary conflict is laid bare; lose ‘Tom’ or lose himself.
Who are we?
Bryn Rogers
Project Lead/Director – Manchester
“My research explores the tensions that arise from the messaging of popular culture/iconography, specifically the construction of masculine/hegemonic identities and how we as an audience consume them. Based in Manchester since 2016, I have translated my background in Fine Art into my current work in visual art and Freelance + Narrative Filmmaking.”
Chester Bell
Writer/Producer – Manchester
“Growing up in Manchester, I’ve seen the city’s structural makeup transform in recent years. My research centres around the self, and one’s role and agency within a society which is constantly expanding, making people seem smaller. I initially studied Politics, before developing a love for screenwriting. I like to explore great, societal themes through more personal stories, through a mixture of drama and comedy.”
Films of Inspiration
