THOUGHTS & PRAYERS
an improvised feature from Director Chris Gau
A comedy about a family trying to answer one simple question...Who’s responsible for their dad’s death?
After their father dies in a freak accident involving a car park barrier, a British family embarks on a simple quest for accountability - only to find themselves trapped in an absurdly comic maze of bureaucracy where everyone is polite, every process is followed, and no one is ever to blame.
SYNOPSIS
When a routine trip to the shops ends in tragedy, one ordinary family wants an explanation.
Instead, they’re bounced between council departments, private contractors, insurance firms, and coroner’s offices - each staffed by well-meaning professionals just doing their job and somehow making things worse.
What begins as a search for answers becomes a comic journey through the systems that run modern life.
A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR
The idea for Thoughts & Prayers partly came from my own experience dealing with various institutions after my dad died. Everyone was helpful and professional, but no one could ever really answer a simple question. It made me very interested in how systems and hierarchies slowly replace human connection with process and procedure, and that felt like a world that could be very funny, very recognisable and very relatable.
We’ll build the film through a rehearsal-led improvisation process developed on our sitcom Borderline, where the story is tightly plotted but dialogue and character are developed in rehearsal to be funnier, more natural and tailored to the actors we cast.
The majority of the cast will come from the improv theatre The Free Association - comedy actors I’ve worked with for years. They’re the unsung heroes of British sitcoms, the actors who bring those shows to life but rarely get the chance to lead. With a new wave of UK comedy emerging - highlighted by the launch of UK Saturday Night Live - they’re part of an exciting new generation of comic talent. This film was written for them. And this is the perfect time to put them front and centre.
MEET THE TEAM
WRITER / DIRECTOR
Chris Gau
co-created Borderline (Channel 5 / Netflix) and The Literary Adventures of Mr Brown (BBC Radio 4). He has developed comedy scripts for Hat Trick, Comedy Central, Big Talk, You + Me & Various Artists and written jokes and sketches for Mock The Week and the BBC. He has directed eight shows at the Edinburgh Festival, including An Audience with Yasmine Day at Soho Theatre, and several award-winning short films.
PRODUCER
Hollybeth Gourlay
is the founder of SOI Studios, her credits including BAFTA-nominated short Bus Girl Dominique Provost-Chalkleys’ Magic and Jessica Henwicks’ Sandwich Man, Season 4 of Documentary Now!, Cassian Biltons’ The Missing Piece, No Guts No Glory & Three Day Millionaire. She is also an established PR and Marketing Manager for multiple films & brands.
CINEMATOGRAPHER
Andrew Rodgers
is the cinematographer of Borderline and long-time collaborator. He has just completed his 12th feature film– ‘Samodiva’ – building upon his episodic television credits for the BBC, Netflix, and ITV over the last few years. Known for his cinematic lighting style and skilllful camera operation, his noteable credits include Plebs and Three Day Millionaire.
“Well… I didn’t see it. But I nearly saw it. Which might help?”
INVESTORS
If you’d like to be part of Thoughts and Prayer, please contact our team for more information