MADFABULOUS Director Q&A Screening to Take Place at Storyhouse Chester

Storyhouse Cinema is set to host a very special screening of riotous and celebratory new Welsh historical drama Madfabulous this weekend.

The film's Wirral-based Welsh director Celyn Jones will appear at the Chester cultural centre on Saturday 6 June for the screening which will be followed by a Q&A hosted by Empire's Jordan King. Tickets cost from £8.90 for Storyhouse Members.

Madfabulous tells the true story of Henry Paget (BAFTA nominated Callum Scott Howells), the 5th Marquess of Anglesey, and his eccentric life. Set in 1890s Wales, the film follows the flamboyant aristocrat as he squanders his family fortune through theatrical flair and defiance of social convention, sending shockwaves through the upper-class elite, much to the amusement of locals.

Alongside his spirited cousin Lily (Ruby Stokes) and loyal butler Gelert (Rupert Everett), Henry tries to carve out his own identity as the 5th Marquess, navigating suffocating traditions, scheming relatives and the long shadow cast by his estranged father.

The film, written by Lisa Baker, also stars Paul Rhys, Siobhan McSweeney, Tom Rhys Harries, Louise Brealey and Steve Speirs. It is produced by UK independent production company Mad as Birds.

With filming locations across Ynys Môn (Anglesey), including Plas Newydd, as well as Caernarfon and Pwllheli, Madfabulous is a celebration of Welsh history, identity and landscape.

The film is also the latest example of queer North Wales stories being celebrated on screen at Storyhouse. In 2024, filmmaker Janis Pugh celebrated the release of Chuck Chuck Baby, the Flintshire-set musical comedy, also starring Celyn Jones, which explored the relationship between two working-class women in a Deeside chicken factory.

Centred on a queer historical figure whose flamboyant self-expression changed the expectations of his time, Madfabulous arrives as a timely Pride Month release and a riotous, uncompromising celebration of otherness.