Onwards & Sideways: A first glimpse at the film shot in Fakenham

Date published: 21st May 2026

Fakenham residents will remember seeing film crews back in November, and seeing Hollywood stars Laura Linney and Rhys Ifans filming in and around the town centre.

You can now see the first-look picture for Onward and Sideways - coming to cinemas, BBC iPlayer and BBC One

North Norfolk District Council and Norfolk Screen were pleased to have worked with Hilltop Screen and John Gore Studios to bring the production to Fakenham, and help facilitate the filming in the district.

Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning Laura Linney (Ozark, Love Actually, John Adams) and BAFTA award-winning Rhys Ifans (Inheritance, Venom: The Last Dance, House of the Dragon) star in a touching story about two people with lots in common - a great sense of humour, a love of dance, and Parkinson’s. 

Joining Laura and Rhys are Monica Dolan (Mr Bates vs The Post Office, Sherwood, Black Mirror), Rory Kinnear (The Diplomat, The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power, Bank of Dave) and Paul Mayhew-Archer to name but a few.

The feature-length drama is written by Paul Mayhew-Archer (The Vicar of Dibley, Roald Dahl’s Esio Trot, and co-host of award-winning Parkinson’s podcast Movers and Shakers), directed by Oscar® award-nominee John Madden (Shakespeare in Love, Operation Mincemeat, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) and produced by Hilltop Screen, for John Gore Studios and the BBC.

Set and filmed in North Norfolk, Rhys plays Tony Evans, the deputy head of a local primary school. Laura stars as Emma Dretzin, a pianist, composer and single mother of two daughters. Neither knows the other until a startling encounter changes the course of their lives: on the same morning, they are both confronted with a diagnosis of Parkinson’s.

Cllr Tim Adams, Leader of the Council said:

"We were absolutely delighted to support the production of ‘Onwards and sideways’ in Fakenham and to showcase our wonderful District. Securing a project of this scale brings economic benefits to North Norfolk and it was fantastic for our local community to welcome such a talented cast and crew."

The Council works closely with Norfolk Screen, the Film Office for Norfolk, and with productions looking to film in North Norfolk, connecting them with locations or services/suppliers around the district.