Sutton Coldfield Festival of Arts

Kitty Aldridge will sign copies of her hit novel Pop, set in Sutton Coldfield, at Waterstone’s on Saturday July 12 at 1pm.

Renowned actor Patrick Stewart is poised to star in a movie version of Pop, to be filmed in Sutton.
Stewart, who appeared as Jean-Luc Picard in the Star Trek films, has been signed up for the title role in the long-delayed project.

He replaces the late Richard Harris, whose death in 2002 came during pre-production for the film.
Harris’s son Damian will direct Pop, which tells the tragi-comic tale of a 13-year-old girl who goes to live with her widowed grandfather and his dog in Sutton after her mother dies.

The coming-of-age story is set during the long hot summer of 1975. Pop knows everything - he’s quiz champion of the Plough And Harrow and his ambition is to appear on Sale Of The Century. Maggie knows about the great comedians - Max Wall, Ken Dodd, Tommy Cooper, Eric and Ernie - about country music, and about how her mother died.

Aldridge has herself written the screenplay, and filming will take place “on location in and around Sutton Coldfield”, according to a source at Random House, which published the novel.

“The idea is to cast an unknown 13-year-old girl and equally unknown mongrel dog!” the source added.
Shooting has been mooted to start at the end of this year, after Stewart has finished the Broadway run of Macbeth and completed the role of Claudius in the RSC production of Hamlet.

Andrew Karsch will produce the project with Simon Bosanquet of Generator Pictures.

Damian Harris told ScreenDaily.com earlier this year that the film, set against the contrasting backdrop of preparations for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee and the advent of punk, would show how Pop helped his granddaughter to cope with the trauma of losing her mother.

Kitty will also sign copies of her latest novel Cryers Hill.

Other local authors appearing on the day include Anne Bennett (2pm), Christine Coleman (3pm), and John Bassett and Patrick Hayes (3.30pm).

The bookshop will round off the afternoon by hosting some readings by members of Centrestage School Of Speech & Drama at 4.30pm.