Torquay, the English Riviera.

Try as he might, the roguishly handsome Cliff Starkey (Paul Kaye) just can’t keep out of trouble. In his sleepy home town on the English coast, nothing much inspires him… apart from bowls.

Cliff has always preferred to play by his own rules much to the disapproval of the regimented, elderly bowls fraternity and before long, the bad boy of bowls is turning the sedate and very English pastime upside down with hysterical results.

Inspired by the story of Griff Sanders, the self-styled “John McEnroe” of lawn bowling, who received a nationwide ban from the game for excessive swearing, BLACKBALL is the fictional story of Cliff and his Rocky-style rise and fall from local bowls maverick to national sporting hero.

Hot young British actor/writer PAUL KAYE makes his feature film debut as Cliff. Known on British TV screens for his alter ego bad boy character Dennis Pennis, Kaye recently starred in two series of the acclaimed TV drama Two Thousand Acres of Sky.

Kaye is joined by Oscar-nominated Hollywood talent JAMES CROMWELL (L.A. Confidential, Babe, The Sum of All Fears), actor/comedian JOHNNY VEGAS (Sex Lives of the Potato Men, Tipping The Velvet) and VINCE VAUGHN (Swingers, Old School) as aggressive American sports agent Rick Schwartz.

Black Ball is directed by MEL SMITH (Bean, High Heels and Low Lifes, with screenplay by award-winning screenwriter and playwright TIM FIRTH.

Release Date: 5 September 2003
Cert: tbc
Running Time: tbc
Distributor: Icon

www.iconmovies.co.uk/blackball