They were the boy band that defined their generation. Five lads who came together in Manchester in 1990 and went on to have 56 number one singles around the world and 39 chart-topping albums internationally. Take That received eight Brit Awards and in 2012 they were presented with an Ivor Novello Award for their Outstanding Contribution to British Music and now they have crossed over into film-making.
Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald were executive producers of Greatest Days, the film adaptation of the gloriously uplifting musical celebrating their songs, which was shot partly in the Ribble Valley. It is released by Elysian Film Group and will be in cinemas from June 16.
Greatest Days follows five schoolgirls who live in Clitheroe and had the night of their lives when they saw their favourite boy band in concert and re-unite 25 years later for one more show where they relight their friendship.
Greatest Days was shot at numerous locations across Clitheroe and culminated in a huge, colourful song and dance number in the town centre, followed by shoots in London and Athens.
As Clitheroe gears up for the film’s release, Ribble Valley Borough Council leader Stephen Atkinson reflects on a four-year journey that brought the film crew to the Ribble Valley.
He attended the film’s cast and crew screening in London in January and described it as fantastic, with many laugh out loud and tear-jerking moments.
‘Our officers worked behind-the-scenes with the film’s production crew for four years to bring this prestigious project to Clitheroe,’ he said.
‘Filming was postponed twice due to the pandemic and we didn’t think it would ever see the light of day but it eventually started in a flurry of activity last April and for three weeks Clitheroe was transformed into a film set. Residents warmly welcomed the cast and crew, offering them tea and biscuits during filming, and there is a real buzz around the film’s release.
‘I attended the film’s cast and crew screening in January with the council’s communications officer, Theresa Sanderson, who was our liaison officer with the production company, and it is fantastic. It will have people dancing in the aisles and is just the tonic we need as we negotiate the post-pandemic period.’
And he added: ‘The film will showcase the charm of Clitheroe and the surrounding countryside to a global audience and now we are working with the Greatest Days team and Marketing Lancashire to create a lasting legacy from the film for Clitheroe for years to come.’
Rachel McQueen, chief executive of Marketing Lancashire, said: ‘Over the last few years, we've seen a definite increase in demand for Lancashire locations from film and TV production companies, with recent successes including the likes of Andor, a Disney+ Star Wars spin-off filmed in Cleveleys and Blackpool, Bank of Dave, a Netflix number 1 film set in Burnley, and hit TV series such as The Bay and Brassic, shot in Morecambe and East Lancashire.
‘With the release of Greatest Days, filmed in Clitheroe, Lancashire once again provides the backdrop to a major feelgood feature film. Just as the landscape and characters of Skopelos were integral to the success of the film Mamma Mia, our hope is that Greatest Days will provide a further boost to Lancashire's growing screen tourism offer, and that many more visitors will soon be enjoying the delights of the very beautiful and welcoming Ribble Valley.’
