- Title: Babymother
- Date: 19th December 1999
- Description:Anita's got style, energy and attitude - her ambition is to become the local dancehall diva. But before she can triumph with her 'rude girl' friends deejaying her lyrics on stage, she has to prove herself - and she has some growing up to do along the way. It's a rough road: bringing up two children alone on a tough housing estate is no easy matter, nor are her relationships with her mother, sister, and the children's father Byron - a singer with his own ambitions. BABYMOTHER is a reggae musical, alive with the vibe of the London streets, the fashions and glittering magic of the dancehall. BABYMOTHER features music by Beres Hammond, Carroll Thompson and Cinderella. BABYMOTHER - THE LONG SYNOPSIS Anita (Anjela Lauren Smith), a 'babymother' bringing up two children alone on a run down Harlesden estate, dreams of being a deejay queen. While in the studio with Byron, her babyfather and a local reggae star, Anita reveals her lyrical style. Byron is impressed and offers her the chance to perform in his show that night. Anita dresses up and heads off to the dancehall with her girlfriends Sharon (Caroline Chikezie) and Yvette (Jocelyn Esien). But just as she is about to step up onto the stage, Byron holds on to the mic and the limelight. Anita insults Byron from the dance floor and storms out. Anita's mother, Edith (Corinne Skinner Carter,) is a church-going woman who wants both her daughters to make their way in life. Rose (Suzette Llewellyn), her eldest, is doing just that. But Anita? Edith would support her wholeheartedly if she felt Anita was serious about being a deejay. But as far as Edith can see, she goes about it in the same slapdash way she does everything, leaving her mother to pick up the pieces and the kids. With Sharon and Yvette, Anita sets up her act, and dubbing themselves 'Neeta, Sweeta and Nastie', the girls lay down some tracks at Anita's flat. They are interrupted by Byron, ready to serenade Anita with 'Forgive Me Don't Come Easy'. She flings her chat back at him, 'I Don't Care'. Byron drives away, humiliated. Now the girls, relying only on themselves, try to interest Byron's manager, Luther (Don Warrington) into listening to their demo tape, but with no success. At a Bluesparty, Anita grabs the mic and the rude girls sing 'Boasty Bwoy', creating a frenzy amongst the women. Bee, Luther's rival promoter, takes note, as does her engineer Caesar (Vas Blackwood), who tries to hit on Anita. Sharon, seeing her friend is not interested, moves in on him herself. Things end badly when Dionne (Tameka Empson), Don Byron's date for the night, starts a fight with Anita. Already down, Anita must face the sudden death of Edith. Her sister Rose has a secret to tell, but before she manages to speak the words, Anita lets on that she has always known that Rose was her real mother, not Edith. Her spirit is broken still further when Byron, after failing to turn up at Edith's funeral, leaves for a concert tour abroad. Now Anita's looking after her children around the clock. Whatever the dancehall might do for her she will always be their mother "My deejay days over." But even in her despair the lyrics keep coming. Singing her new song 'Babymother' to her kids, she realises that she is a deejay, for better or worse. But to be taken seriously she must buy some studio time, which takes money she doesn't have. Anita walks into Rose's office. Rose thinks she has come to sort out their relationship, but Anita just wants cash. Rose, angry and hurt, refuses. Sharon's supposed boyfriend, Caesar, offers Anita a solution, free studio time in return for a 'date'. Anita turns him down flat. But, broke and desperate to record, she eventually agrees. At the end of the evening, Caesar tries it on, ripping at her clothes. Anita runs home to worse - her kids alone, babysitter nowhere to be seen and Rose on the doorstep. Caesar never delivers the studio time. So when Byron turns up on her doorstep, Anita agrees to take him back. She still loves him and he has a wallet full of money. After a night in each other's arms, Anita takes his cash, leaving an IOU. The girls finally cut their record. Anita and Rose meet at Edith's grave. For the first time, the two really talk. Rose explains that she too was a babymother but she couldn't cope, "Mum just took over....I went to college. Bit by bit I lost you." Having heard their sound Bee is seriously impressed and offers the girls a spot in her Artist's Clash against Luther. Unfortunately she makes the offer in front of Byron who, now that he knows where his money went, is angry. He considers himself the reggae star. Anita's place is at home. She refuses to back down and Byron storms out. Anita waits for the front door to slam but it doesn't. For once, Byron stays through tough times. Dionne makes her move. Jealous of Anita, she knows where to hit Byron, "I see Neeta about while you away...with that guy Caesar. I hear he give it to her good!" Byron needs no more. He drags Anita out of the recording studio and all but beats her, just managing to pull himself away. Then Sharon, furious with Anita for going with Caesar, attacks her friend. As the clash draws nearer, Bee is under pressure from Luther and in need of a headline act. Byron, still smarting from Anita's 'betrayal', agrees to be her secret weapon, even if it means crossing Luther. The big night arrives and Anita and Sharon are still not talking. Anita explains why she did what she did. Sharon accepts her apology and 'Neeta, Sweeta and Nastie' are back together and ready to challenge all. However at the dancehall, Bee drops a bombshell,"You're not playing." When they hear Byron being introduced, Anita realises that he has crossed her. Byron's performance, 'Return of the Don', wins the clash for Bee. As a last resort, Anita begs Luther to let her play on his stage. With nothing to lose and angry at both Bee and Byron, he agrees. Byron and Anita face each other in the spotlight. At first it seems Byron can't be beaten but eventually Anita's chat strikes a chord with the crowd. Byron is lost for lyrics. The audience scream for Anita as the winner of the clash. The babymother from nowhere, odds stacked against her, has pulled off the coup! THE FILM - BABYMOTHER BABYMOTHER is a music film, it's bursting with music, the story told in the lyrics on the lips of the characters. The music lives, breathes, and dances through the whole film. Reggae music you know it is the heartbeat BABYMOTHER is a film about the ambitions and passions everyone can connect with. Its theme is universal - a love story. I still get butterflies when you walk into the room I'm mesmerised by the smell of your perfume... BABYMOTHER captures its own unique corner of life - a world with all its own slang, style, walk, music and attitude. No need no ring 'pon we finger to be a man's wife The loving wha' we have man want that for life We live in the gym non stop exercise And the body wha' we have make man stand up and rise BABYMOTHER is a London film from one little known part of London called Harlesden, the hard-core of reggae music in Britain. Filmed on location on the streets, estates, record shops and dancehalls of NW10, BABYMOTHER is a fresh take on the capital. A North West Ten we a step it Is our end and we jus' can't lef' it A North West Ten we a make a move And we have not a thing fi go prove BABYMOTHER has its own magic in its dancehall setting. It's all about style and fashion - the leading ladies all drop dead ghetto gorgeous from head to toe. The textures of the dancehall costumes, crazy hair dos, and dazzling jewellery are all full of fun. We got the flava, we got the style Original Rude Girls, fresh all the while BABYMOTHER relishes the contrasts of its world: Its cinematography contrasts the peacock coloured magic of the dancehall against the drab concrete of the estates. Its performances contrast the on-the-street sassiness against the at-home traumas of family life. Its story contrasts love against the ambition to make a dream come true. Every women have a right to find her own destiny Know her strength, weakness and ability Through its music, costume, and storytelling BABYMOTHER has its own style and language as a film; fast moving yet packing an emotional punch; smooth developing shots into a sharp gritty world; a small local scene filmed in wide screen cinemascope. BABYMOTHER was commissioned by David Aukin, then Head of Channel Four Films, in 1993. The development and filming process have been an extraordinarily exciting and creative time for writer/director Julian Henriques and producer Parminder Vir, both feature film debutantes. The two were deeply involved in all aspects of the project: researching locations, characters, and costumes; casting, both newcomers and established actors; commissioning original songs and score. Their learning curve has been steep, often nerve wracking but ultimately rewarding, as their vision gradually grew into a film both are immensely proud of. Julian Henriques: "The most fantastic thing about working on BABYMOTHER, has been discovering the special moments in the final film, that I hadn't even dared hope for when we started out." THE PLACE - HARLESDEN "Me a step it ina NW10" BABYMOTHER opens a window on a very distinctive world, hidden away in London NW10. With codes of honour and behaviour, awash with colour and energy, its heart is the dancehall and its beat is reggae music. Henriques wanted to highlight this unique and powerful sub-culture, hitherto unseen by mainstream audiences: "Most of what we call culture is rarified - put in boxes and sold as tickets. What I wanted to do was show something different. This world has its roots in black British working class culture. It is organic, developing and is a way of life. Within this uniqueness however, the stories we tell are universal - a woman trying to find her voice, mother-daughter relationships, men and women." Harlesden is BABYMOTHER's home. It is the background on which Henriques paints his story, its locations are his locations, his characters reflect those walking down the High Street every day. Much of the research for the script was conducted literally on the writer/director's doorstep. Both Henriques and Parminder Vir have lived in the area for the past fifteen years. Harlesden has been an important centre for black music since the first Caribbean immigrants settled in the capital during the early 1950s. Now four generations strong, Harlesden's black community has built a thriving music industry almost wholly independent of outside help. Reggae music has been at the hub of this industry and as dee-jay Super Flex exclaims in his self penned lyrics: "We deal with reggae music round the world and come back so that's why we beat out reggae music non stop." Entwined in Anita's story and serving as its constant backdrop, are the different limbs that make up the body of Harlesden's music business: the independent record labels, the recording studios, the pirate radio stations, the sound systems, the record pressing plants, the music distributors and record shops, and, of course, the dancehalls. Henriques "wanted to go to the heart of the music, so locating the film in Harlesden made sense. It has its own source of development, its own future and its own past. It is the real reggae centre of the UK, rivalling even Kingston, Jamaica for its productivity and its originality." With the music arrived a lifestyle, language, food, dress style, and social values reflecting an entire black British experience - Caribbean restaurants and grocers, clothes stores, barbers, religious centres - which combined with the music make this area a stronghold of black expression and achievement. Offering hope and a future for many people who otherwise, left to face the harsh wind of life in the inner cities, would be facing a stark reality. This is vital for Julian: "I wanted to reveal an aspect of so-called 'ghetto' life that would make people think again before dismissing it. To show how much people can achieve with so very little. Next time you look at the harsh grey monoliths that make up an estate like the Stonebridge Park where much of Babymother was shot, just think what unbelievably productive and exciting things could be going on behind those windows." Production Designer Choi Ho Man worked hard to capture the essence of Harlesden: "Even though you might have an image of a place, it doesn't always translate well on camera, especially with a project like this where most of the audience won't know the area or key reference points. So we used loads of street locations - people moving up and down, cruising about, meeting in shops and barbers, chatting. In Harlesden, life is lived very publicly out in the community, so hopefully it's all there on film in a way people can relate to!" For the director, basing the film so clearly on a 'real' place brought its own responsibilities: "Yeah, I've got a responsibility to Harlesden because the film is set there. It was vital that there was mutual respect between myself as the film maker and the community. ... my aim is to show something of what it is like in one particular area. Harlesden is in fact very different from Tottenham or Brixton. It has its own character which is a key component of BABYMOTHER." THE MUSIC - REGGAE "I love many different forms of music, but reggae is the one that most accurately expresses a lot of the feelings I have - the beats, the melodies, the lyrics, the whole atmosphere. It speaks for me and to me and in the film hopefully from me." Julian Henriques. Henriques previous film, We the Ragamuffin, offered a tantalising glimpse of UK reggae music, a form transplanted from Jamaica and imbued with the realities of modern day, inner city Britain. In BABYMOTHER, a musical featuring ten original songs, reggae becomes the backbone of the film. During the years the film was in development, Henriques and Parminder Vir went on a journey in search of the lyricists, composers and producers who could put sound to their vision - running workshops, talking to a multitude of musicians and performers both locally in Harlesden, nationally in the UK and also in the home of reggae music, Kingston, Jamaica. Julian Henriques: "None of the people who were eventually commissioned to write the songs had ever written to a brief before and I think what they have produced fits each scene extraordinarily well. Every character has a sound and a vibe of their own. I also think the mix between international stars and local heroes is just right!" The musical score covers a whole range of reggae inspired and related styles such as Ragga, Dancehall, Lovers Rock, Street Soul, Jungle, Drum and Bass, so the film can truly reflect the mix that fills the streets and estates of west London. How different these styles can be is highlighted by the alternative sounds used for Anita's musical numbers and for those of Don Byron: Anita has a taste for a hard ragga beat, Drum and Bass, and Dancehall whilst Byron sings in a much smoother, traditional Lovers fashion. Dancehall is the current Reggae style, taking its name from the outdoor clubs where this music was played by the sound systems at a time when it was banned from the Jamaican radio airwaves. Reggae music is a living popular music and a culture originating from the ghettos of downtown Kingston, Jamaica. Though sometimes associated with the gun violence endemic in these areas, reggae is an alive and changing musical form often with an uplifting beat and message. Reggae is also a world wide music. It has a huge following in Japan and Europe. These markets currently bankroll the industry. The Music Consultant and co-writer of several of the numbers in the film was Carroll Thompson, a highly talented singer, songwriter and producer whose roots straddle both the church and the dancehall. After having a No. 1 hit with the Lover's Rock classic, 'I'm So Sorry' in 1980, Carroll went on to work with some of the biggest names in popular music including Stevie Wonder, Soul II Soul, UB40 and The Pet Shop Boys. At the same time she recorded five solo albums and had crossover and club hits with both Courtney Pine and Movement 98. She is one of the few women to have reached positions of international acclaim in the reggae world. Vir recognises the importance of Carroll to the film: "She is our rock!" Anita's quest to carve out a reputation for herself in the dancehalls echoes the careers of two other women who wrote music for the film, the Harlesden dee-jay Cinderella and Trilla Jenna from North London. Henriques underlines this: "They were certainly inspirations for the character of Anita." Two of Jamaica's most successful artists, Beres Hammond and Mikey Bennett, also wrote tracks for the film. Hammond has been acclaimed as Jamaica's most soulful singer/songwriter since the mid-'70s and "he's my favourite writer!" says Henriques. Today, whilst his remarkable success as a mellow solo artist continues, he also runs Harmony House, a label responsible for recording the best up and coming talent. Mikey Bennett is best known for co-writing and producing Shabba Ranks' worldwide hit, Mr Loverman. Talent from the Harlesden area brought in to work on the soundtrack included Carlton 'Bubblers' Ogilvie, the rough cut band on the stage for the finale and Super Flex. All giants of the NW London scene, they brought the essential local feel to the film's musical story. Parminder also saw the success of Bubbler's work producing the songs for Wil Johnson, who plays Don Byron: "Wil was like putty in his hands, Bubblers just drew the songs from deep in his belly. It was fantastic to watch in Bubbler's studio. He discovered his voice and fell in love with it." Harlesden is a useful location for a musical film, because of its proliferation of recording studios: "You fall over them in Harlesden. There is such an enormous variety of producers and places to lay down the tracks that you get a great richness and texture to the different songs." THE LYRICS - DEE-JAY STYLE Deejaying, also known as chatting and mcing, is to Reggae music what rapping is to Hip Hop music. Indeed according to some sources it was Jamaican dee-jaying that inspired American rapping. Henriques: "I wanted Anita to chat rather than sing as chatting is more powerful, especially for a woman." Reggae dee-jaying originated in Jamaica during the 1940s, when local sound-system operators would play the latest American R & B records on their mobile disco equipment. Inspired by jive-talking US DJs, Count Machuki then became Jamaica's first ever rapper or deejay when he began toasting over the music in a bid to further excite the crowd. King Stitt and U Roy popularised the deejaying style on record by which time Jamaica had gained independence and formed its own recording industry. The beat too, had changed. By 1963, American R & B had given way to Ska, which in turn was superseded by Rocksteady and Reggae. Rival owners would travel far and wide to hunt down rare tunes, or when local facilities allowed, cut exclusive dubplates to play against one another. These early battles were the forerunners of today's reggae sound clashes, although significant developments took place en route. Right from the start reggae was highly competitive, each sound system or 'sound' having a fanatical following. Henriques explains: "One of the ways of illustrating what dancehall means, what kind of supporters each posse has, is to compare them to football teams. It is that passionate." Initially these contests or sound system clashes were held to see who could play the most popular tunes. Today a sound wins a clash on the basis of the exclusiveness of the specials or dub plates it has commissioned from leading artists. The volume and 'weight' of the actual sound quality has also always been taken into account. Dee-jays then became a crucial factor, their exhortations helping determine the outcome. By the mid-'70s, dee-jays were firmly established as recording artists in their own right, with their differing styles and lyrics keenly compared. Often they would be on the microphone all night long as Jamaican open air dancehall sessions traditionally last until dawn. It was during such sessions that they perfected the art of 'riding' a rhythm, finding the phrasing and delivery required to fit the beats exactly. The lyrics they used were also of vital importance, usually improvised on the spot and accommodating any subject or event. Such lyrical battles, like that between Anita and Byron at the climax of BABYMOTHER, were a contest of the Dee-Jays' quickness of wit and style. By the time of Bob Marley's death in 1981, deejays were enjoying widespread popularity, with Yellowman the first to be signed by a major record label. Dancehall came to England when the cassettes of Jamaican sound-systems started circulating circa 1978. Now, two decades later, UK sounds and deejays are often the equal of their Jamaican counterparts. The success in the '80s of sounds like Saxon with their 'fast chat' and 'cockney/yardie' style, gave the UK a sound all its own, influencing those 'back a yard' and inspiring an entire generation of UK dancehall talent. Henriques stresses that the dancehall is about more than music however, it is a way of life. It is about the clothes and the moves, the girls and the boys living out their fantasies: "The dancehall offers a kind of escape and a way for dreams to come true. Its the Cinderella syndrome - go to the ball looking beautiful and meet the partner of your dreams." For Don Warrington playing Luther, this whole scene was as much a revelation as it will be for most audiences: "I didn't know about this world but I found it absolutely riveting to be part of it. It has its danger and its problems but at the same time the feeling of joie de vivre it exudes is extraordinary." Anjela Lauren Smith (Anita) knows the dancehall well, but when she was younger her parents saw it as something to be frowned on: "My mother would never have dreamed of letting me go there! The music was something I did know as my older sisters played it all the time." How people look is as intrinsic as the music. The dancehall has developed an extravagant style all its own, bringing in a host of influences - seventies disco, punk, new romantic, all sorts. The clothes are a serious business. Henriques explains the reasons: "In a lot of working class cultures, people put on a very big show when they go out and that's what I wanted to emphasise - the richness, the colours, the fun and the confidence that contrast with the often dismal housing estates where the characters live." Wil Johnson playing Byron: "The flamboyance and competitiveness, even in what people wear, is a way for people to overcome lives that can be pretty harsh - its uplifting for them, like saying we might not have much but tonight we are special!" This is why even the way people hold themselves, the way they walk and pose, is full of pride. Henriques chose L'Antoinette Stines, the Artistic Director of L'Acado to work with the leading performers: "L'Antoinette was immensely important. One of the things she did was to give each of the girls a way of walking that reflects their character, I call it their 'textured walk'. For example, Anita is vulnerable but she knows any sign of weakness will lead to disaster. So all her movements denote confidence, even arrogance - head up, hips swinging, eyes daring anyone to cross her - everything she does has attitude." THE WOMEN - THE BABYMOTHERS At the centre of BABYMOTHER are women: Anita and her friends, dynamic and full of love for life, launching themselves into the world and overcoming all obstacles; Rose, uptight and alone, trying to come to terms with her new relationship with her 'daughter'; Edith, churchgoing Grandmother full of love for her children and their children but worn out by life; and Bee, determined to succeed in the macho world of the dancehall. Each of these three generations of women survive either without men or in spite of them. Julian Henriques: "The motivation was to show what women can achieve. The fact that the men they have to deal with might seem unsympathetic was a side effect, I certainly didn't set out to portray them negatively. I was fascinated by these women who are determined to have a good time and remain in control of their lives." 'Babymother' is a term that, depending on where you are, can have both positive or negative connotations. In Jamaica, it is a term of respect that a woman will command as mother and head of the household. In the UK, however, its meaning is more ambiguous. From a woman's point of view, it can mean that she is in control. But for men, it often signifies they have the power. Having and supporting numerous Babymothers can even be a status symbol, like driving a flash car, and in this context it is an insult. Henriques hopes the film will encourage a positive interpretation: "I called the film Babymother because it contains two very strong, warm and emotional words. I hope that the film will change the negative understanding of the term and make being a Babymother something to be proud of." THE CAST ANJELA LAUREN SMITH - ANITA "Research wasn't hard for me because where I live, people described as 'Babymothers' are common. I've known loads of them." Anjela has been performing since she was eight years old when she joined the Oval House Theatre Group, because her sister ran the restaurant. "I used to sit there, like I imagine Anita might have done, cutting pictures of famous black women out of magazines and watching films like Carmen Jones. I remember thinking that there must be more to life than school and church and all the things that surround a traditional, black working class family." She moved into modelling at seventeen, when a hairdresser spotted her potential: "She said I could be a model if I shaved my hair off, which eventually I did!" Although Anjela had a fantastic time, working for designers like Helen Storey, travelling and "doing swanky parties", she was drawn back to acting, starting with classes at the City Lit. BABYMOTHER is Anjela's second film. The first was Respect (2-C Productions) in which she co-stars with Gary MacDonald. She has appeared on television in London's Burning (LWT), Dance Energy (Channel 4) and The Jonathan Ross Show (Channel 4). "It was like I was fated to play Anita. My agent even phoned up the casting director and said 'I've got your Babymother sitting here with me!' " CAROLINE CHIKEZIE - SHARON "Sharon is convinced she is absolutely gorgeous and that everyone wants her. Meanwhile back at the ranch..... she finds out otherwise!" Caroline trained as a dancer after deciding that university was "not for her." She has recently signed a recording deal with RCA but when asked if she wanted to be singer she replied, "I want to do absolutely everything except bungee jump!" JOCELYN ESIEN - Yvette "Yvette is a feisty, man-beating, rough woman. Not like me at all!" Jocelyn came straight out of her training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama to start filming BABYMOTHER, although she had previously appeared on television in, The Fast Show (BBC) and Douglas (BBC). "The one thing I have in common with Yvette is her sense of humour. She's definitely the joker of the group. Other than that, if I saw her in the street, I'd cross over!" WIL JOHNSON - DON BYRON Wil found Don Byron and the world he inhabits very easy to relate to, but there was one thing that did require some practice: "I really had to brush up on my vocal style! It was my first singing role so I was pretty nervous. A friend of mine lent me a warm-up tape and I used to drive along in the car making all these silly noises!" Wil has had a wide ranging career in both film and television. Prior to BABYMOTHER, his film credits included Midnight Breaks (Channel 4), Mirrors and Memories (Black Pyramid Films) and Rouge (Corazon Productions). On television, he played Lysander in Steve Unwin's A Midsummer Night's Dream (BBC), DC Skelton in the first two series of the phenomenally successful Cracker (Granada), and Stevie in Anna Lee (Carnival), as well as appearing in Rides (Warner Sisters), Teaching Matthew (BBC) and White Goods (Witzend Productions). For Wil, now is the perfect time for BABYMOTHER: "At the moment, reggae music is really visible, with a universal appeal. Also, although this is a black British film, the first in a long time, it's not an 'issues' film. It deals with situations that are recognisable to everyone - male/female relationships and people chasing their dreams." DON WARRINGTON - LUTHER For Don, best known as Phillip in the hit comedy series Rising Damp, and acclaimed as a classical actor, playing Luther was a real departure: "I was surprised even to go up for this part. I thought there must have been some kind of mistake! It's certainly not the sort of part I'm usually considered for so it was a wonderful opportunity to show I could do something different." Don was overjoyed to be part of a film that was not about the relationship between black people and the wider society: "I'm tired of stuff that depicts us as though we're in thrall to white people. At last, a film that gives us our own life - there are these people and they have their problems and they deal with them. This is joyous because it's not about racism, it's not about the system, it's just about them." Don has worked widely on the large and small screen. Films include Kenneth Branagh's epic Hamlet (Castle Rock), Lion of Africa (Simba) and Camping (Nordisk Films). On TV, he has appeared in Six Days of Justice (Thames), Club Havana (BBC), Holding the Fort (LWT), Chillers (Yorkshire) and To Play the King (BBC). "It was curious because the moment I read this part I knew I could play it, although Luther is completely unlike me. I'm just glad Julian took a risk!" SUZETTE LLEWELYN - ROSE "As an actress, you're offered a lot of two-dimensional parts - I mean if you've only got three metres of material, you can't make a wedding dress! But Rose is a multi-layered character, so she was a real challenge." Suzette's film credits include, For Queen and Country (Working Title) starring Denzel Washington, Stephen Frears' Sammy and Rosie Get Laid (Vivia), Terry Jones' Personal Services (Zenith) and Playing Away (Channel Four Films) directed by Horace Ove. On television she has played regular lead roles in The New Statesman (YTV), Surgical Spirit (Channel 4), Rockcliffe's Babies (BBC) and Black Silk (BBC), as well as appearing in Running Late (BBC), Menace Unseen (Anglia) and Lynda La Plante's Widows (Thames). "The only drawback with Rose is that she doesn't get to sing!" DIANE BAILEY - BEE Bee is Diane's first acting role, although she did appear as a dee-jay in Julian Henriques previous film We The Ragamuffin. In fact, dee-jaying, as 'Militant Dee' is Bee's day job! It was in conversation with her during the filming of Ragamuffin, that Julian first had the idea for BABYMOTHER: "She started telling me a bit about her life, how she really enjoyed going to the dancehall with her girlfriends rather than with guys. Something in that conversation stayed with me and became the seed for BABYMOTHER." Diane, coming from the dancehall scene, had no problem relating to Bee: "I liked playing her because she had to be different people, something I recognise. She can be really nice, but when it comes to business, she can never let down her front. She can't afford to be seen as vulnerable." Although Bee is a newcomer to acting, her intuitive performance certainly impressed those on set, none more so than Don Warrington: "Diane was a dream, she responded absolutely truthfully. When she's a famous movie star, I hope she remembers me!" VAS BLACKWOOD - CAESAR Vas is well known as both a comedian and an actor. He is best known for his appearances as Winston in The Lenny Henry Show (BBC) and as a regular in Casualty (BBC). On film, his credits include Anneka (Rosewood), By Far (Aimimage) and Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels (SKA Productions). Apart from those mentioned above, he has a long list of television credits including Radical Chambers (BBC), Only Fools and Horses
- Broadcaster:Channel 4
- Collection: Channel 4
- Genre:Music
- Producer:Formation Films ltd
- Transmission Date:19/12/1999
- Rights:Worldwide
- Decade: 1990s