A second film goes into production in the New Year following Angels vs Bullies being released in east London for schools’ Anti-Bullying Week which is screened at Canary Wharf’s CineWorld from Monday. The London Bus Theatre Company has landed £320,000 Lottery funding for a follow-up movie—and they’re looking for teenagers to take part.

East London Advertiser: East End former schoolkid Harry Goodwins in lead role in 'Angels vs Bullies'East End former schoolkid Harry Goodwins in lead role in 'Angels vs Bullies' (Image: London Bus Theatre Company)

Auditions are in January with application forms available at CineWorld in West India Quay all next week.

The theatre company, meanwhile, is staging five anti-bullying special assemblies at George Green’s Secondary on the Isle of Dogs next Monday to Friday. It has been working with schools for 15 years with drama workshops on many issues.

“We talk about bullying and promote social responsibility,” the theatre company’s Katherine Austen said. “The problem in schools is that pupils are often too frightened to come forward—they think it just makes things worse.

“We promote looking out for each other. You have to be realistic and get them to sort it in their peer groups.”

Former Bethnal Green pupil Harry Goodwins plays the lead role in the first Angels vs Bullies movie out on Monday, as the only boy in school who can see the ghosts of past children who took their own lives after being bullied. He is persuaded to help stop a girl classmate being bullied which saves her life.

“It reflects a horrifying 20 suicides a year in Britain by children who have been bullied,” Katherine added.

Production started in 2010 and was shot at weekends and during school holidays over two years so education wasn’t interrupted.

The teenage actors were paid £100 a day, while others behind the scenes working as camera and microphone assistants earned £80, with 300 youngsters having been auditioned. Auditions for the follow-up are planned for January.