‘Time Travel is Dangerous’ Mini-Interview with writers & producers Shakespeare Sisters

Time Travel is Dangerous centers around friends Ruth and Megan who run a vintage shop in Muswell Hill. When they stumble across a time machine, it occurs to them that stock is much cheaper if they ‘borrow’ from the past – well, it’s free. They don’t want to change history, or rob banks, they just want to find a nice Victorian lamp or an authentic 80s bum bag without getting sucked into the hellish time-space vortex that is “the Unreason”. The thing is, Time Travel Is Dangerous.

The movie stars Johnny Vegas (Benidorm, Bleak House), Jane Horrocks (Absolutely Fabulous), Sophie Thompson (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Gosford Park), Mark Heap (Spaced, Green Wing), Brian Bovell (Love Actually, Gimme Gimme Gimme), Tony Way (After Life, Game of Thrones), Guy Henry (Harry Potter, Bridgerton: Queen Charlotte), Tom Lenk (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Laura Aikman (Gavin and Stacey, Archie), Kiell Smith-Bynoe (Ghosts, Stath Lets Flats) and is narrated by Stephen Fry.

Here at Love Horror we got a chance to quiz some of the creatives behind the brand new Sci-Fi comedy and run them through a set of quick-fire questions.

Below are the answers from Anna-Elizabeth and Hillary Shakespeare, a sister writer-director duo also known as Shakespeare Sisters. Their latest film The Upside of Unrequited, based on the book by bestselling author Becky Albertalli and produced with Luber Roklin Entertainment, is currently in post production. Past projects include coming of age comedies Soundtrack to Sixteen and Much Ado. Shakespeare Sisters are Rep’d by Luber Roklin Entertainment and Milburn Browning Associates.

1. Tell us a bit about your involvement with Time Travel is Dangerous.
We co-wrote and produced Time Travel Is Dangerous. When we came on board Chris had made a short film called The Unreason with Ruth and Megan that became the basis for the feature (we even used some of the old interview footage from the short in the feature!) they’d also been developing the story and the world for years before we came on board. We met Chris in Cannes he told us all about the film, it sounded totally mad and the fact that Ruth and Megan were playing themselves in a moc doc, that it is part actual reality, took a while to get our heads around but it’s so original. At first, we were just going to “help out” but then got more and more drawn in until we were co-writing and producing and now we’re so proud of the film and we’re thrilled to have finally made it to the cinemas!

2. What was the best bit of making the movie?
Our favourite day filming was when we shot three different time travel scenes in one day. We had a skeleton crew because we were so limited in the number of people we could have in some of the locations, we were also doubling up as extras in bonnets and cowboy gear. It was a small group of us dashing to all these great period locations all dressedup, we did so many of them so quickly – it really felt like we were actually time travelling!

3. After Time Travel is Dangerous what is your favourite Sci-Fi movie or TV show?
Anna: Arrival. I used to study modern languages so it was really fun to see a linguist as the heroine!

Hillary: I’m actually not big into sci-fi but according to Google, 13 going on 30 might be “sci fi” with the time travel element haha. Or The Lobster if that counts!

4. In your opinion what is the greatest invention ever made and why?

Hillary: I suppose my first thought is the invention of writing – but it seems like I should go for something silly one of the TESTIS club might have made so of that ilk I’d say, I dunno, maybe a tamagotchi. I saw one in a shop the other day and got so excited because I thought they didn’t exist anymore but Anna didn’t let me buy it.

5. If you could go back in time where would you go and what would you steal?
Hillary: I’d love to go back to Shakespeare’s time and just hang out – but maybe I’d steal a lost play manuscript or something while I’m there.

6 What’s next for you?
Last summer we shot our next film ‘The Upside of Unrequited’ which we wrote and directed. It’s based on the young adult novel by Becky Albertalli. It’s an American teen romance/coming-of-age film so quite different to Time Travel Is Dangerous but at its core, it is about a sister relationship and that’s the closest parallel I could draw – Time Travel Is Dangerous to us has Ruth and Megan’s relationship at its core and those very close friendship dynamics are definitely something that interests us.

The hilarious new British Sci-Fi comedy Time Travel is Dangerous is in UK Cinemas from 28th March. Find out more at www.timetravelisdangerous.com

Time Travel Is Dangerous trailer