Dream On

Fantasy, dreams and tough realism in the lives of North Shields women

Dealing with alcoholism, bulimia and domestic abuse, this film combines tragedy and humour while following the lives of three women in a working class community in North Shields. It was made by the renowned Amber collective, whose films have been described as "funny and moving, political and challenging, and as real as it gets."

Dream On was largely filmed on the Meadow Well estate in North Shields, where writer and Amber collective member Kitty Fitzgerald worked with women for five years ahead of filming. She ran writing workshops and encouraged local women to write about their own lives and experiences. Many of the cast in the film are non-professional actors. Notable exceptions include Anna Gascoigne (sister of footballer Paul Gascoigne), who plays Julie, and Pat Leary (Peggy), who later became well-known for her role in the Irish soap opera Fair City.