Today Matt and Sophie - who are playing the lead roles of Mark and Kate are joined by two other actors - Helen Fraser and Bill Treacher - both instantly recognisable. Helen played prison officer, Sylvia "Bodybag" Hollomby in the prison drama Bad Girls and Bill Treacher played Arthur Fowler in Eastenders...
Amazingly they both agreed to take on tiny cameo roles in Coming Home - Helen is playing a shopkeeper and Bill a vicar.
Bill Treacher as 'Father Alistair' has scenes both inside the church and in the churchyard.
Between takes Bill told me that he came out of retirement to play the role! He said that he really liked Rebecca's script and loved the name of our company - Mutt and Jeff - it made him laugh! He told Louis it was the first time in his career that he'd worked with deaf actors or a deaf director...
Some things are new for me as well. We're using the RED - an ultra high res digital camera that records footage to data files. Plus, we've brought our editor, Martha, to Suffolk so she will be assembling the material - virtually as it's shot...
Filming in the village shop in the afternoon with Helen Fraser. In between takes she tells me about working with some of the comedy greats - Dick Emery, Morcambe and Wise, the Two Ronnies etc and her recent guest appearance - with Tom Courtenay - in the Christmas edition of the Royle Family. Helen thinks that Caroline Aherne had seen them years ago in the original film of Billy Liar and wanted to unite them as an older couple.
I asked her why she said 'yes' to us. She told me her late husband was an Oscar winning sound recordist and, given that hearing was crucial to his work, had always been a big supporter of deaf charities/organisations. Taking part in Coming Home was almost like carrying on his commitment...
Some guy came up to me to say he was from the local parish magazine and would I mind if he took a few pictures of our rehearsal at the shop. I told him it was fine and asked him if he wanted to chat to Helen Fraser who was having a cup of tea. I was amazed when he turned it down. He said he didn't do 'words' only pictures...!