Director Bryan Forbes and Writer Roger Stennett
In 1996, legendary British film director, actor, and screenwriter Bryan Forbes commissioned me to write a Film screenplay inspired by his childhood as a wartime evacuee in World War II.
A personal commission for Roger Stennett from a British Cinema Icon
Bryan Forbes CBE was one of the most distinguished figures in British cinema, celebrated for directing classics such as Whistle Down the Wind, The L-Shaped Room, and The Stepford Wives. In 1996, Forbes approached Roger Stennett directly to entrust him with an intimate, deeply personal project drawn from his formative early memories.
Crafting the Screenplay
Working closely around Forbes's recollections, Roger brought his extensive background in theatre, radio, and screen drama to develop a script steeped in authenticity, evocative dialogue, and rich historical characterisation. The collaboration stands as a notable creative milestone in Stennett's career as a dramatist and screenwriter.
"To be entrusted by Bryan Forbes with his own childhood memories of Evacuation was a privilege and an inspiring creative journey."
Roger Stennett - 2026
In September 2026 at the British Film Institute Symposium I spoke about the experience of working g with Bryan Forbes and was reunited, after 30 years , with the red bound hard copy of the Film Screenplay I had presented to him.