* Ifan Henri, 10, and Lleucu Owen, 11, are now too long in the tooth to play TV twins Deian a Loli.
Calling budding young actors from Denbighshire!
A search has been launched to find two
youngsters to take over the title roles in a hit TV series about a pair of
mischievous twins with secret super powers.
Production company Cwmni Da are looking for two
child actors to take over the main characters in the multi-award winning S4C
show, Deian a Loli.
The current duo, Ifan Henri, 10, and Lleucu Owen,
11, are now too long in the tooth to play their parts in the popular Welsh
language series.
The show has earned critical acclaim and scooped no
less than three BAFTA Cymru awards, along with a host of other accolades.
According to director and co-producer Martin
Thomas, no previous acting experience is needed.
He said: “Any young actors aged between nine and 12
years of age are invited to send us a video telling an interesting story about
themselves. It can be literally about anything they have done, have seen or
just a figment of their imagination.
“The last time we carried out this exercise we
received more than 550 videos and the previous time we got around 300 so the
whittling down process will take a bit of time.
“We are looking for children with enthusiasm and a
zest for life.”
The closing date for applications is January 3,
2022, and more details can be found on the Cwmni Da website at www.cwmnida.cymru
By saying the magic word, Ribidirew!, Deian and
Loli are able to freeze their parents while they go off on fantastic
adventures.
With preparations under way for the fourth series,
Deian and Loli is now established as a firm favourite with Welsh youngsters and
their parents.
Ifan, who lives in Abersoch, and Lleucu, from
Cerrigydrudion, say playing Deian a Loli has been an unforgettable, fun-filled
experience.
“I really enjoyed it, “ said Ifan. “There was loads
of fun with the crew and Lleucu and I got on really well. There were lots of
jokes and Lleucu and I would often have a fit of the giggles and we'd have to
re-do the scene. I think the most we had to do was seven takes."
Lleucu, who attends Ysgol Brynhyfryd in Ruthin,
added: "I’ve watched Deian a Loli since it started and I was pleased to
get the part. I was a bit nervous but once we started, I felt confident.
"Filming was great and I learned such a lot
about acting. I would like to do something like this again and possibly go into
the world of acting," she said.
Lleucu and Ifan were kept busy filming the
15-minute episodes until earlier this autumn after the Covid-19 pandemic upset
the production schedule.
Both pair advised anyone applying for the roles to
prepare their short videos carefully. They should be no more than two minutes
long.
Martin said filming will take place in the
Caernarfon area next May, shooting an initial 10 episodes and a further 10 the
following year.
He added: "Ifan and Lleucu have been brilliant
and I’d like to thank them for their amazing contribution to the success of
Deian a Loli.
“The show fires up the imagination of the children
and shows that they can have an adventure.
“Some of the tales might have a darker edge but it
all works out in the end.
"The programme has been well received but for
me the real joy has been to see the faces of our audiences when we stage
special events like premieres.
“Sitting in a cinema and looking at the children
spell bound and staring at the screen as the episode unfolds is priceless.
"The Covid pandemic meant we were not able to
stage as many of these as we would have liked with Ifan and Lleucu but I'm sure
we will be able to stage these again," he said.
* The closing date for applications is January 3,
2022, and more details can be found on the Cwmni Da website www.cwmnida.cymru
