EXCLUSIVE First Look Released For Verve Bee Media, Move Mountain Productions And Old Lamp Entertainment’s PRIG

When a body is found grotesquely displayed in a monastery, the young Prior Matthew must find the culprit before an innocent is hanged for the crime.

A year in the making, "Prig" is a period TV show that will take its audience into an eerie world full of mystery, darkness, whispered secrets, and pain. Producer Jeffrey Louis Salkilld of Verve Bee Media, together with Executive Producers Shane McCormick, Bradley Ward of Move Mountains Production, and Mike Archer of Old Lamp Films made possible a high value production, with intricate costume design, incredible locations, and high calibre performances. Directed by Ronika Merl, this show pulled together actors from Australia, Scotland, Ireland and England - all converging in London in April of 2023 to shoot the show’s pilot episode, after having been attached to the project for nearly 8 months. 

Starring Mike Archer, Vivien Taylor, Kevin Ryan, and Shane Robinson, the cast was given a story that centres around a gruesome murder, unravelling their relationships and laying bare all their prejudices and preconceptions about their community.

"The journey towards making this show has been amazing. I have never worked on a project that has had so many moving parts, so many dedicated, highly professional people, and such a high production value. This felt like we were making something akin to The Lord of The Rings." - Director Ronika Merl

Prig was conceived by Jeffrey and Ronika as a showcase of what low budget filmmaking can do for even a more complicated setting, such as 16th century England. The costumes, which were created by Killian Theofilopoulos were hand-stitched and upcycled, adding texture and richness to the design of the world.

Due to the extensive time taken during the scripting and rehearsal process, the actors had a chance to live with their characters for a long time. This created a deep understanding for the roles they were playing, and made the performances incredibly layered.

“I believe we have crafted something quite special. I found the concept to be filled with intrigue; setting our story in quite a political and religiously turbulent time adds an interesting dynamic to the situation. What appealed to me from the outset was Matthew’s fatherly attitude to his charges; his compassion and struggle to keep the wolves at bay and do what is right in the face of mounting odds. I think there is something people can really get invested in.” - Mike Archer, Executive Producer for Old Lamp Films, playing "Matthew" 

"Working on PRIG was a highly rewarding experience as I loved playing Elizabeth. She was feisty and rather complicated, which for me as an actress, is always a dream role to play as I could really delve into her brain and explore what made her tick. Working with the fantastic screenwriter and director, Ronika Merl was also a powerful experience as she had magical methods of getting all of us actors into the characters’ mindsets and really knew how to get the best out of us all. After the shoot I really felt that I had ‘acted my socks off’ and that was a wonderful feeling. All of the cast and crew were a pleasure to work with and I think that we created something special together." - Vivien Taylor, playing "Elizabeth"

"There was such a rich combination of energy positivity & talent from the director cast & crew proud to be part of such an incredible team & beautiful show - it just shows that magic does happen!" - Kevin Ryan, Playing "Bartholomew"

"Henry is such a complex character, thankfully having such an open and trusting cast and crew made the possibility of discovery a very rewarding process. They created a safe space to show a vulnerable side to the character in this very nuanced story." - Shane Robinson, playing "Henry"

Filming will continue in autumn of 2024, where the rest of the 6 episode limited series will be shot on the Isle of Wight. 

Release is planned for early 2025 on streaming platforms.