Hamilton actor supports fundraiser for film shot in Worthing

Jamael Westman, who played Alexander Hamilton in the West End production of Hamilton, has the starring role in short film Ice Cream and Doughnuts, which was shot entirely on Worthing Pier.

A cast and crew of 15 people filmed the 20-minute piece over the weekend of September. 19-20

However, due to the financial strain of coronavirus, the cast and crew are now raising money to cover post-production and future film festival entries.

Jamael Westman on Worthing Pier

Twenty per cent of the money raised will also be donated to the Theatre Arts Fund, which provides short-term relief for theatre workers and freelances across the UK.

The cast and the crew have taken to social media to gain support for their fundraising campaign.

The romantic drama follows a young couple, Robbie, played by Jamael Westham and Emily, played by Anita-Joy Uwajeh, as they contemplate their future together during a sunny afternoon stroll on Worthing Pier.

The film’s director, Reece Lipman, said Worthing was the perfect location to capture a feeling of classic, seaside “nostalgia.”

He said: “Robbie’s perspective in the film is massively about nostalgia.

“He came here as a kid and he loved it, and his happiest memories are on this beach, on this pier, with his family.

“And during this moment in his life, that idea of family is coming back, and he wants this with his kids.

Ice Cream and Doughnuts was filmed on Worthing Pier

“In Worthing, we could say that idea visually came really quickly. The amusements are really fun, there’s the wheel and the lido close by and the view out to the sea is beautiful.”

Passersby were welcomed as extras in the film, appearing in the background of shots at the pier’s entrance and in the arcade.

Max Marlow, a producer on the film, said: “Everyone seemed to want to know what we were doing and what we were filming.

“It would be an extra privilege to be able to finish the film so they can get to see their home town on screen.”

The team are keen to ensure people from the Worthing and the surrounding areas are among the first to see the finished film.

“We would love to find some cinemas locally in Worthing or Brighton to screen the film, or to host a film festival here.

“We would also like to host talks for young people from different backgrounds to show them that we have a diverse cast and crew. That was a big thing for our actors.”

Work on Ice Cream and Doughnuts is scheduled to finish in spring 2021.

To contribute to the fundraiser, visit https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ice-cream-and-doughnuts-short-film#/

**All photos by Alfred Barwick**