The Leaving of Lower Headrow film

Aim

Set in 1907, Eliza recounts how she slayed her tormentor, Bertram Thackley, and fled her humble beginnings in Leeds for America.

The Leaving of Lower Headrow is a powerful story of resilience — a David and Goliath tale. In a world facing climate crisis and political uncertainty, it reminds us of the strength of the human spirit and the importance of never giving up, even in the darkest moments.

Adapted from a monologue of the same name by Lizzie Treadwell, the script for The Leaving of Lower Headrow is a collaboration between Lizzie and myself, Sam Judd. It was originally intended for the stage but quickly we realised the story we wanted to tell would work better on the silver screen. 

It will be set in a Victorian style music hall in 1907 and it will feature one of the oldest forms of creative expression, dance. I have made the decision to include dance firstly to give the piece a sense of movement and rhythm but also because how we dance reveals a lot about us. The way Bertram and Eliza might dance, who have similar working-class upbringings, could well be completely different to someone from the same time period but who was born into society’s upper-class. You equally can tell a whole range of emotions through dance and movement from love and lust to anger and fear. Dance gives voice to what words can’t express and adds an extra level of meaning to our interactions.

For the dance sequences I am taking inspiration from The Red Shoes (1948) directed by Powell and Pressburger. See the particular scene below:

I want the piece to be gothic with haunting imagery speaking to the Edwardians’ love of a good ghost story. It will be a film which you will be able to feel on a sensory level with shots making full use of the music hall location and its design. I want you to be able to feel its history seeping out of the screen. The audience will leave feeling sensory enriched with a desire to discover the history around them.

We aim to work in partnership with the Northern Film School building upon the success of the collaboration which came about during the making of my last short film My Friend Orson Welles. We will provide their students and alumni with opportunities to develop their skills, showcase their talents and gain professional credits as valued members of the film crew. The senior crew members will provide mentoring to the students throughout the production process. Ensuring that as well as leaving with a professional production credit, they will also have vital insider knowledge from professionals currently working in the industry.

Meet the team.

Co-writer 

 Lizzie Treadwell:

“ I am a historical fiction writer with a passion for bringing the early 20th century to life. 

As a parent carer for two children with SEN, writing is something I’ve built around my family life. To me, it's not just a hobby, it’s a constant thread that has carried me through challenging and meaningful moments of my life.

I am part of the Otley Writers group, with work published in two of their anthologies, ‘Earth Tremors’ and ‘The Guillemot Hall Hotel’. Three of my short historical plays have also been selected and  performed in the Otley Pub Theatre. I also have a novel about the Titanic currently in development.

What drives my writing is allowing the reader to feel the past, to understand a time period on both a sensory and a human level. 

I am especially drawn to social history. How people lived, adapted to change, and how their circumstances shaped their lives.

I’m particularly passionate about writing female characters of strength who endure, change and find their voices.

The Leaving of Lower Headrow is set in Edwardian Leeds, a time of stark contrasts. Places like Quarry Hill were marked by poverty, whilst developments like Frank Matcham’s Victoria Arcade (now the Victoria Quarter) represented wealth, ambition and a fast changing society.

At the same time the rise of transatlantic steam ship travel opened up new opportunities. Many people from places of poverty like Quarry Hill, excitedly boarded these vessels full of hope for a new life in America. In November 1907, the RMS Mauretania, the largest and fastest of these steamships, left Liverpool for her maiden voyage to New York….

The Leaving of Lower Headrow is the story of a young woman with nothing but a dream, finding strength, facing her fears and finally achieving peace and happiness. At its heart is a message of courage and choosing hope and freedom even when the odds are stacked against you.”

Co-writer, director and producer 

Sam Judd:

“Film and the moving image are my greatest passions. Ever since my first cinema trip to see Toy Story 2, I have been enchanted by the magic and wonders of the moving image. It has provided my family and I with escapism in the darkest of times. It is natural then that filmmaking is where my career has led me.

As a filmmaker I am very much drawn to the people on the fringes of our society and ways of life which have not been typically explored on screen before. To me, that is where the most interesting stories lie. 

After the completion of my last short film My Friend Orson Welles, I was hungry for another project to sink my teeth into. A new challenge. More creative fulfillment. The Leaving of Lower Headrow provides that creative fulfilment. As someone known for his work in comedy, it is also a chance to test my other creative muscles.

In 2019 I graduated from The Northern Film School. Since graduating I have done a variety of different jobs in the film industry. In 2025 I took the leap and wrote, directed and produced my first film out of film school, the previously  mentioned My Friend Orson Welles. The film did extremely well with a successful run at Leeds International Film Festival and winning Best Actor in a short film at Berlin Indie Film Festival. The Leaving of Lower Headrow, is a continuation of that journey and I know has the potential to do just as well, if not better.”

With the ambitions and vision this project has, this fund will be crucial in building the right team to fulfil my interpretation of this fabulous story. We feel it is important to pay our cast and crew fairly for the time and effort they have put in. Therefore this fund will help us ensure that will happen.

Also, as I did in my previous film, we aim to bring in various disabled and neurodiverse creatives to be a part of this production, thus it is crucial funds are in place to ensure their safety and comfort during the shoot. With me being a full-time wheelchair user and Lizzie having ADHD, we both feel this is really important and is about giving back to our community. This is not a tick box exercise for us, this is making sure unheard voices are being heard. I have already proven my commitment to increasing representation and championing disabled and neurodiverse artists both through my film work and through the highly successful disabled led comedy night You Can Laugh You Know. This film will continue in a similar vein with access embedded into the very DNA of the production.

With the right team, accessibility measures and vision, I believe I can make this film the best it can be. I hope to have this film screened across the world in various film festivals and to inspire other creatives to stand up (in my case not literally) and tell their stories.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 14th July 2026 at 5:50pm