Exclusive: David Jonsson, Vivian Oparah, director Raine Allen-Miller talk Rye Lane
Now streaming on Hulu from Searchlight Pictures is Rye Lane, the feature directorial debut of British filmmaker Raine Allen Miller. The screenplay is written by Nathan Bryon and Tom Melia. Produced by Yvonne Isimeme Ibazebo and Damian Jones, the cast includes Vivian Oparah, David Jonsson, Benjamin Sarpong-Broni, Karene Peter, Simon Manyonda, Poppy Allen-Quarmby, and Omari Douglas.
Rye Lane is a romantic comedy that stars Vivian Oparah (Class, The Rebel) and David Jonsson (Industry, Deep State), as Yas and Dom, two twenty-somethings both reeling from bad break-ups, who connect over the course of an eventful day in South London - helping each other deal with their nightmare exes, and potentially restoring their faith in romance. (The film gets its title from the real-life Rye Lane in Peckham.)
Jonsson is best known for his role as Gus on HBO’s Industry. His other TV credits include roles on “Endeavour” and “Deep State.” As a grad from RADA, Jonsson has also done some theater work, having appeared in the role of Davison in Mary Stuart and in Patrick Marber's Don Juan in Soho.
Oparah is best known for playing Tanya Adeola in the “Doctor Who” spinoff “Class.” Her television credits also include “Intelligence 2,” “I May Destroy You” and “Enterprice.” Her next role will be playing a lead in “The Capture” writer Ben Chanan’s limited series “Then You Run” for Sky TV. On stage, Oparah has been seen at the Old Vic in “Fanny & Alexander” and at the National Theatre in “An Octoroon.”
For Allen-Miller, this is her feature length directorial debut. She had directed the short film Jerk, which played at the BFI London Film Festival in 2018
Blackfilmandtv.com’s Wilson Morales spoke with Jonsson, Oparah, and Allen-Miller about Rye Lane.