Judi Dench, Jennifer Saunders, Bally Gill, Russell Tovey and more to star in Alan Bennett's Allelujah film

Photography has started for the film version of Alan Bennett's Allelujah, adapted from the stage show first seen at the Bridge Theatre.

Appearing in the film will be Jennifer Saunders, Bally Gill (who recently won the Ian Charleson Award), Russell Tovey, David Bradley, Derek Jacobi and Judi Dench, with the screenplay adaptation by Heidi Thomas (Call the Midwife) and direction by Richard Eyre (Notes on a Scandal).

Ben Smithard (The Father) is director of photography, with costume design by Jacqueline Durran (Little Women), make-up and hair design by Naomi Donne (Skyfall), production design by Donal Woods (Downton Abbey) and composition by George Fenton (The Lady in the Van).

The piece is set in a geriatric ward of a small Yorkshire hospital on the verge of closure. Pathé will distribute the film in the UK.

Allelujah ran at the Bridge Theatre in summer 2018, receiving a glowing review from WhatsOnStage's Sarah Crompton.

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