The London Letter Challenge
An Adventure Gameshow for English Learners
My Role
Why can't learning English be as exciting as watching a primetime adventure gameshow?
That was the question posed by BBC Learning English when they asked me to direct The London Letter Challenge. This 10-episode series is for pre-intermediate (A2) level learners of English.
It's scripted and the contestants are actors, but the drama and challenges are all real!
The Challenge
Three teams of two race across London solving clues and finding hidden locations. Each episode is full of targeted English language - from adjectives to talk about feelings to comparatives and modal verbs.
Hearing clear and unambiguous dialogue is vital so my role as Director involved heightening the energy and pacing without diluting the language learning objectives.
The Result
I was delighted to be able to shoot in the BBC Radio Theatre (doubling as the venue of a West End musical) and the team gave me access to all the toys. Once I'd filled the place with smoke and light beams, the actors improvised an amazing dance routine which made it into the final cut!
We were also given access to the BBC Weather Centre - with meteorologist Elizabeth Rizzini playing the part of a startled weather presenter.
Behind The Scenes
I find working with the team at BBC Learning English such a joy.
Producers Beth and Phil know the English language inside out - and their keen grasp of the detail means that the learning points are always hit, regardless of how silly or dramatic we make the scene!
Shooting across London in summer was fun as so many tourists were curious about what we were doing. We got to shoot at some iconic locations including Tower Bridge and the Millennium Dome.
The finale takes place on water - with teams chasing each other on pedalos. It was a tiring day for everyone - moving them on cue is harder than it looks!
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