Robot Lady
Absurdist comedy about 30-something, Roberta, who attempts to rekindle her friendship with overworked mum, Becky, by transforming herself into a
toy robot.
Currently in pre-production, the 'Robot Lady' script has currently been selected for 3 film festivals : LiftOff Global, Essex Film Collective and Women's Comedy Atlanta Film Festival.
Core Creative Team
Robot Lady Short Film
Director
Anabel is a director and writer with a background in TV acting before her interests moved to working behind the camera.
Whilst completing her MA in Directing at Metfilm School in 2020, Anabel wrote and directed her graduation short, Contraband and directed comedy short, Hangxiety.
Contraband is an unusual take on an abortion story with a focus on the absurdity of the abortion process, rather than the moral dilemma, as well as the humour of strong female friendships with cast members Gwyneth Keyworth (Alex Ryder, Defending the Guilty) as protagonist, Ruby, and Elly Condron (Belfast, I Hate Suzie), as supporting lead, Cara.
Contraband made official selection at BAFTA and BIFA qualifying festival, Norwich Film Festival 2021.
Writer
Megan Hockley
Megan is an East 15-trained actor, with credits ranging from Shakespeare’s Globe to Sky’s Comedy Shorts.
Megan started her writing journey as a music journalist and blogger. In 2014, she began writing theatrical monologues and character comedy sketches for her own performance, culminating in co-writing the 2017 Edinburgh Fringe comedy play “A Voyage of the Easy Sisters.”
Following an autobiographical theatre-making intensive with Bryony Kimmings, Megan wrote and self-produced ‘Loser’, a solo show for Camden Fringe that subsequently toured in London and the South East during 2018.
Megan has been working with 'Robot Lady' director Anabel Barnston for nearly a decade, and their co-written sitcom pilot ‘Expenses Only’ boasted cameos from the likes of Blue Peter legend Janet Ellis and W1A’s David Westhead, as well as their frequent collaborator Paul G Raymond (Horrible Histories, Buffering).
Megan continues to develop her craft in writing for different media with work-in-progress theatre performances at Battersea Arts Centre, Poplar Union and other London venues. She shares all the film ideas that didn’t make it via her tongue-in-cheek Instagram project, Films I Can’t Be Arsed To Write.
'Robot Lady' is Megan’s first short film.
Producer
Megan Smith
Megan is an award winning producer, writer and actor.
Megan’s next narrative short ‘I Called You’ is due to be released in 2023.
Prior to ‘ I Called You’, Megan had international film success with her two comedy shorts ‘Surgeons’ (2021) and ‘Best Friends’ (2020) .