Tegan Grace Muggeridge On A Girl Called Alice, The Queen’s Keys And Telling Stories That Matter

Following the London Rolling Film Festival screening of A Girl Called Alice, The Fan Carpet caught up with co-writer and star Tegan Grace Muggeridge to discuss the film’s success, her latest productions, new technology and using filmmaking to amplify stories that matter to her.

THE FAN CARPET: Tegan, it’s wonderful to have you at the London Rolling Film Festival. A couple of months ago you were at Raindance, and now the film is screening here. How does that feel?

TEGAN GRACE MUGGERIDGE: Thank you so much for having me. It’s amazing to be here at the London Rolling Film Festival.

It feels fantastic to be back here again and screening amongst so many talented filmmakers who have so many powerful stories to tell.

Just being in the room and watching the films, it’s been fantastic to immerse myself in everyone else’s work. It’s been really nice.

THE FAN CARPET: A Girl Called Alice has won a lot of awards and received recognition from a number of institutions. It’s obviously a story that’s very close to your heart. What does that recognition mean to you?

TEGAN: It feels really powerful to have the story that I have cared about showcased, because it’s such an important issue in terms of the amount of phones that are stolen and the amount of people affected on the streets of London.

More than 150,000 mobile phones were stolen in 2024, and it was really nice to be able to work with the Met Police and EE, and Canon as well, who kindly lent us their equipment to get it shot and get the story told.

We just wanted to raise awareness and get our voices out there about this important issue.

THE FAN CARPET: Your next project deals with breast cancer. What can you tell us about that?

TEGAN: I’ve actually just finished filming the first block. We finished yesterday, so it’s been a bit crazy and manic, but really, really fun.

We’ve been shooting locally in Horsham, where Fact Not Fiction Films is based.

We’ve been working with Marina Sirtis, who was on Star Trek. She knew Susan, who was where the inspiration for the story initially came from. Susan was diagnosed with lobular breast cancer.

It’s been really powerful to be part of the story, especially as I also knew Susan, but sadly she passed away last year.

Being able to be part of a true story and raise the voices of people who need to be heard means a lot to me. I’ve met so many women who are diagnosed with this disease but, by the time they find out, it’s too late.

Being able to be the storyteller for them and get it out there really means a lot to me.

THE FAN CARPET: And, uncomfortable as they might be, people need to get tested.

TEGAN: Please do get a mammogram and an ultrasound, but most importantly an MRI, because they’re not always picked up on those smaller screening programmes. Everyone out there, please do get checked.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Tegan’s comments above reflect her personal advocacy rather than individual medical advice. Screening recommendations vary according to factors including age, symptoms and risk; anyone with concerns should seek guidance from an appropriate healthcare professional.

THE FAN CARPET: You’re also working on a costume drama — a period piece. What can you tell us about that?

TEGAN: I worked on a two-minute short called The Queen’s Keys, and I played the assistant to a queen.

I won’t give too much away, but it’s been a really cool project getting to work with Soho AI, who have been able to transform backdrops using human-made art objects and project three-dimensional scans onto the background.

Technology is so far developed now that it looks realistic and human. It’s been really nice to perform with people and then have the background projected. It’s been fantastic.

THE FAN CARPET: It’s reminiscent of what filmmakers were doing in the Hitchcock era with rear projection. What else are you working on?

TEGAN: We’ve got a couple of projects that I’m also writing and developing.

I’ve got a series, again about breast cancer, that hopefully is going to be developed — fingers crossed, potentially with Channel 4, but I can’t give too much away yet.

It’s another project close to my heart because I’ve met so many women, and it’s about raising their voices as well.

I had the opportunity to go to Parliament a couple of weeks ago, and we had a silent vigil outside Downing Street. The women stood there for 22 minutes to represent the 22 women who are diagnosed every day in the UK.

It was a really poignant moment for them. It was also filmed, and it’s going to be part of a film called One Day Next Week, which will be released next summer, in 2027.

THE FAN CARPET: We’ll certainly look out for that. Tegan, thank you very much.

TEGAN: Thank you.