Stills from the pre-production, shotting, post-production and screenings of Away with Words.
Coal cellar at Bickersteth House, Sheffield Terrace, London, during location scouting in early 2024. This would become Penelope’s prison cell.Shopping for Penelope’s art supplies in Kingston-upon-Thames.Jessica Still (Penelope Peabody) on our first day of shooting, 16 May 2024.Converting the Bickersteth House chapel into a 1930s painting studio.Photo by Jodie PothierPhoto by Jodie PothierShooting a close-up on the note printed by the mysterious machine.Oliver Makins (Professor Euphonium) during a shooting break.Adding fire damage to the mad scientist’s hand diagram.Sam with Eamonn Naidoo, Director of Photography for some of the wilderness segments, preparing Abel’s tent, Cape Town, July 2024. Photo by Siobhain PothierShooting a close-up on Abel’s dinner. Photo by Siobhain PothierAbel’s tent, set up for interior shots. Photo by Siobhain PothierEamonn planning a wilderness shot.This purple tinge is due to a neutral density filter.Photo by Eamonn NaidooPhoto by Eamonn NaidooPhoto not by Eamonn NaidooDeleted scene: Abel fishing during his trek to the ghost town. Photo by Eamonn NaidooSetting up the establishing shot of real-life ghost town Putsonderwater, in South Africa’s Northern Cape. Photo by Siobhain PothierOn location in Putsonderwater, preparing the gimbal for Abel’s sprinted escape from an axe-wielding ghost. Photo by Siobhain PothierMike Pothier on location, preparing for a panning shot of Abel’s escape. Photo by Siobhain PothierThe end of a very long shooting day in Putsonderwater. Photo by Siobhain PothierBack in Bickersteth House, London, to shoot Penelope’s prison scenes, August 2024.Back in Thames Ditton to shoot exteriors of Abel’s now-ruined movie studio.Elliot Yates, the saxophonist.Setting up for Penelope’s search for Abel.Setting up the interior of Abel’s ruined studio, early 2025.The filter beds at Seething Wells, Kingston-upon-Thames, where the last shot of the film takes place.A practice session with Andrew Cowie at the Royal College of Music, June 2025.Dropping off the Away with Words DCP at the Labia Theatre, Cape Town, November 2025. Photo by Siobhain PothierThe first public screening of the film, 14 November 2025.Husam and Sam at the Kingston International Film Festival, 7 June 2026. Photo by Emma SimpsonThe extant cast and crew at KIFF. Photo by Catherine Adam-AlbarracinThe full cast at KIFF. Photo by Catherine Adam-AlbarracinCrew interview at KIFF. Photo by Umair ZaidiPost-screening Q&A at KIFF. Photo by Gen SandlePhoto by Catherine Adam-Albarracin
![The filter beds at Seething Wells, Kingston-upon-Thames, where the last shot of the film takes place.](<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/199709866@N02/55324681846/in/album-72177720334126738/" title="IMG_0381"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55324681846_603fa48a3a_b.jpg" width="1024" height="683" alt="IMG_0381"/></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>)
