Richard Curtis takes 'love song to Suffolk' to Southwold

Comedy writer and producer Richard Curtis has donated a number of his films to an open-air cinema festival to support a town in Suffolk.

Curtis will host a question and answer session ahead of a showing of his 2019 film based on The Beatles, Yesterday, at Southwold's Outdoor Cinema, later.

He has a home near the coastal town and said the film was "my love song to The Beatles and to Suffolk".

Twelve films in total have been given to the cinema to show this summer.

The films which the couple have made available to the outdoor cinema without requiring a fee include favourites such as Bridget Jones's Diary, Love Actually, Notting Hill and Mamma Mia, Here We Go Again.

Curtis, whose partner Emma Freud grew up in the county, said he was "very passionate about Suffolk".

"I spend every day of every holiday here - we absolutely adore it - and particularly love Southwold."

Curtis will drive up the A12 from London to talk to the cinema audience later.

"I think I'm the only person who thinks the A12 is a romantic road," he said, looking forward to the evening's event on Southwold Common.

"It's going to be so beautiful - I've seen pictures of the cinema last year.

"I shall get on my bicycle, arrive and answer any questions from people in their deckchairs," he said.

His film Yesterday, which features Sheeran, was shot at various locations around East Anglia. Curtis says he likes to point out "little quirks" in the film, to give the audience something to look out for.

The film tells the story of Suffolk singer-songwriter Jack Malik, played by Himesh Patel, who claims The Beatles' hits as his own after an event in which the Fab Four are wiped from memory.

Asked about Sheeran's acting ability, Curtis described him as a "huge, huge, epic talent".

A percentage of the profits from ticket sales for the outdoor screening will be given to Comic Relief (founded by Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry) with the rest reinvested into the town.

Hannah Wright, Southwold's town development manager, said: "A lot of people have the perception that Southwold is a wealthy town, but because of lockdown, a lot of businesses have suffered as they are independents and rely on tourism."

She said Curtis and Freud had always been "great supporters of the town".

Curtis added: "Everyone is much more hopeful now, and I hope this will be the start of a mega summer for the town."

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