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Notting Hill and Love Actually actors star in film about Parkinson's disease

Maria CassidyBBC Wales
News imageHilltop Screen / BBC/ Jed Knight A screengrab of the film showing Rhys Ifans and Laura Linney looking at each other. Linney laughs while Ifans smiles at her. She wears a beige trench coat on top of a striped top, with her long brown hair reaching her shoulders. He wears a dark blue overshirt, with a blue shirt underneath and has short dark hair. Hilltop Screen / BBC/ Jed Knight
Love Actually's Laura Linney and Notting Hill's Rhys Ifans star as Tony and Emma in Onwards and Sideways

Notting Hill's Rhys Ifans is set to star in a moving new drama about Parkinson's disease.

The Bafta award-winner will star in Onwards and Sideways alongside Love Actually's Laura Linney.

The drama follows the story of two people who have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease - a non-curable degenerative condition that affects how the brain communicates with the muscles in the body.

The feature-length drama is written by Vicar of Dibley co-writer Paul Mayhew-Archer, who was diagnosed with the disease at the age of 58.

As well as starring in Notting Hill, Ifans, who was born in Haverfordwest and grew up in Ruthin, Denbighshire, is best known for his roles in Twin Town and House of the Dragon.

Set and filmed in north Norfolk, Ifans plays Tony Evans, the deputy head of a primary school, while Linney stars as Emma Dretzin, a pianist, composer and mother of two daughters.

They meet when they are both confronted with a Parkinson's diagnosis.

Alongside Ifans and Linney, Monica Dolan, Rory Kinnear and Paul Mayhew-Archer also star in the drama.

News imageGetty Images Monica Dolan wearing a black top and smiles at the camera. She is standing in front of a red background. Getty Images
Monica Dolan, who starred in Mr Bates vs the Post Office, also stars in the film

Mayhew-Archer, who co-hosts award-winning Parkinson's podcast Movers and Shakers, said while the disease made many things difficult for him, it had also brought him "opportunities I wouldn't have missed for the world".

"The latest of these is the chance to work with the brilliant director John Madden and wonderful actors on bringing this story to life. So, thank you Parkinson's," he said.

"My fingers may fumble, my mouth may mumble and each step I take may result in a stumble. But I cannot grumble."

Oscar-nominee Madden, whose work includes Shakespeare in Love and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, said he was looking forward to telling Tony and Emma's story.

He described it as a "story of humour and emotion, of challenge and bravado, of music and dance - transcending the assumptions of a little-understood condition, and triumphing over the odds to find joy, release and love".

What is Parkinson's disease?

Parkinson's disease is a condition in which parts of the brain become progressively damaged over many years.

The main symptoms include:

  • Involuntary shaking of particular parts of the body
  • Slow movement
  • Stiff and inflexible muscles

A person with Parkinson's can also experience depression, anxiety, loss of sense of smell, problems sleeping and memory problems.

Parkinson's UK estimates that someone is diagnosed with Parkinson's every 20 minutes in the UK and that about 166,000 people have Parkinson's in the UK alone.

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