balletLORENT is proud to announce that Snow White: The Sacrifice, the first full-length film to be shot in West Newcastle since Get Carter, is now in production.
The West End area of Newcastle is receiving a tongue-in-cheek moniker of ‘Scotswood’ as the local community comes together for this exciting new project.
Co-directed by Game of Thrones actor Ben Crompton, Snow White: The Sacrifice is a dark, gothic reimagining of the classic fairytale, for those aged 16 and over. The film tells the story from the perspective of the Wicked Queen, Snow White's mother, diving into mature themes such as the terror of aging and the devastating idea of murder.
The 21-strong cast includes 9-year-old Willow from Benwell, a pupil at Bridgewater Community Primary School, who plays the young Snow White. Scotswood dancer Geoff Hopson takes on the role of the King, and 38-week-pregnant Natalie MacGillivray portrays the Doe. The film is a screen adaptation of Liv Lorent’s acclaimed dance theatre show of the same name, which premiered at Newcastle’s Northern Stage on Halloween 2024 and is currently touring the UK.
Filming took place at balletLORENT’s studio at the John Marley Centre on Muscott Grove, where a temporary black box film studio was been set up. Ten local children, aged between 9 and 12, are involved in the production—six of whom live in the West End. They are all members of balletLORENT’s free Youth Academy, which meets weekly at the John Marley Centre to engage in dance-based activities.
Written by former poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy, the film is narrated by Sarah Parish, known for her roles in Mistresses, Cutting It, and the BBC mockumentary W1A. The production team also includes co-director Alex Ayre, winner of a 2025 Royal Television Society North East and Borders award, with costumes by Nasir Mazhar and Libby El-Alfy, music by Doctor Who composer Murray Gold, stage design by Phil Eddolls, and lighting by Malcolm Rippeth.
balletLORENT’s artistic director, Liv Lorent, expressed her excitement for the project: "Scotswood is a special community, full of lively, creative people. balletLORENT has been based here since 2021 and immediately felt at home. It is an absolute pleasure to create a temporary film studio here for Snow White: The Sacrifice. We hope our film will be the first of many produced in this wonderful local area."
Willow with dancer Caroline Reece
Willow, who plays the young Snow White, shared her excitement about being part of the project: "I feel excited to be a part of this Snow White film because it's an opportunity that not many people have—especially not so close to their home. I can’t wait to see how it turns out."
Hayden, 10, from Benwell, a member of balletLORENT’s Youth Academy since 2021, added: "I feel really happy that I’m in this movie. I’ve performed on stage in front of loads of people at Northern Stage and now I’m performing in a movie for balletLORENT. It’s funny because I live not far from balletLORENT in Benwell, so I just walked up the street from home to the studio and made a movie!"
Snow White: The Sacrifice is being made for streaming platform Marquee TV and will be released in September 2025.
