Teen actors deliver a powerful message about knife crime in new Liverpool short film

Teen actors are delivering a hard-hitting message about the realities of knife crime in a new Liverpool short film.

Ripple has been written by Carol Wilson, a talent agent, acting coach and TV and film producer who comes originally from L8.

As a former police officer and detective, she drew on her background in dealing with serious crime to create the script for the film. Carol has had first-hand experience of how one impulsive decision can change the course of a young person’s life forever, especially if they’re carrying a knife or blade.

The tagline of Ripple, which tells the story through the voices of the young people involved, is ‘One Second. One Knife. All It Takes Is One Second.’

It features a cast of talented local actors, whose characters are shown navigating issues around bullying, cyberbullying, insecurity, and the pressure of growing up under the constant glare of social media.

Vulnerabilities come to a head at the school prom where a teenage boy is pushed to snapping point.

One of the actors taking key role in Ripple is 15-year-old Nuala Childs from Lydiate. She was cast as Meghan, a popular girl who is the loud, cocky leader of a clique, but liked more because classmates are scared of her. 

It’s revealed that Meghan also has her own insecurities, causing her to lash out before anyone can harm her.

Nuala’s mum Danielle says the film highlights the realities which teenagers can face in schools today.

And, like dramas such as Adolescence before it, Ripple shines a light on what can happen in a world which parents so often don’t fully understand.

Danielle says:

“Knife crime seems to be always in the news now and it’s the way teenagers view the world, that it’s OK to carry a knife because you’re protecting yourself,”

“They can feel, what if they’ve got a knife? I’ve got to protect myself so I need one. But this film shows how, just in a split second, that can lead to a terrible decision.”

Ripple has been entered into film festivals and will be screened in London on February 17, where government officials from the Youth and Child Action Department will be in the audience.

Danielle says the film has already opened up important conversations in their own family, and she hopes it will help others to do the same.

“Sometimes as a parent you can think, they’re not at the age where I should be discussing this with them, but seeing something like this really gives you the tools to talk about these things that are going on. 

“In your mind, you think children are safe in the house but you don’t know what conversations are happening, they can be on social media day and night and seeing things on TikTok and Snapchat and you’ve got no idea. 

“They’re living these situations day in, day out, so it’s important for young people and parents to gain more of an understanding about what might be going on and why.”

Danielle says Nuala, who’s just been offered a place at the prestigious ArtsEd performing arts school in London, was excited to be a part of a project that could impact lives.

“Nuala sees stories like this one and does these films hoping to change the world, to spread a message and focus on prevention at the earliest opportunity,” she adds.

Find out about some of the incredible productions that take place in Liverpool here.

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