Viva Lewes Issue #161 February 2020

Incidental Characters
A game of Consequences, set in Lewes
Benjamin Verrall, writer and director of the film
Incidental Characters says “playfulness is really important
to me. When I started writing the script,
I wanted to make a film about people. I thought
about the game Consequences. The film was going
to be called Consequences, in fact!”
I can see why: that game captures something of
the film’s nature. How the people we incidentally
meet can both “define us, and hold us back”. And
that, as well as challenging, this can also provide
a source of exploration and creativity. We push
against each other – and learn about ourselves.
Incidental Characters is also set entirely in Lewes.
Three of the four central characters (perhaps,
two mismatched pairs) work in a fictional book
publishers (McGinley’s) based in Lewes House
(where I sit, writing this). There are scenes in
Tizz’s, and various familiar local hostelries. One
character does my regular ‘loop’ over the near
Downs in reverse; towards the end, another walks
right past my door. It’s FUN to watch all this. But
the film is much more.
The (arguable) hero of the piece is Alf, “a proper
nerd, who miscommunicates all the time”, played
by Howard Perret. “It was important, however,
that Alf communicated with the audience. We
knew Howard was perfect for the role from the
first audition”, says Ben. “We spent a lot of time
finding the right ensemble cast and it was great to
watch the actors bring the characters to life.”
And why Lewes? “The practical answer is we
were making the film without much money. I’d
been learning film-making – writing and directing
– all my adult life, and eight years ago left the
London agency where I was working, frustrated,
and moved to Lewes. I put my money where my
mouth was and started Toffee Hammer. Most of
my time is spent making promotional films for
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