Renée Bailey, Kemi Adekoya and Dimeji Ewuoso join Alicia Quayson’s ‘Bless You!’

By Natalia Albin Legorreta

EXCLUSIVE: Renée Bailey (Call the Midwife), Kemi Adekoya (Dreaming Whilst Black), and Dimeji Ewuoso (Killing Eve, Slow Horses) have joined the cast of Bless You!, Alicia Quayson’s short film exploring the messy territory of modern dating.

Bless You! is a fever-dream comedy delving into the tensions between a young person’s life and the expectations placed upon them by a chorus of opinionated aunts. “At its heart, this film is about the humour in the power struggles and complex dynamics that come with tradition, dating, and the unspoken wars we fight on the streets we call home. I wanted to take a tiny awkward moment, blow it up, and push it to the edge of absurdity,” says Quayson. 

The story follows Blessing, played by Bailey, whose everyday life in London is haunted by the question: ‘What are you doing with your life?’ When she encounters Aunty Shola (Adekoya), the First Lady of her church, a passing street conversation, fuelled by Blessing’s overactive imagination, spirals into full-blown chaos.

"I can't wait to get started on this one. It's going to be fun,” says Bailey. “I’m looking forward to getting stuck in and seeing what we cook up as a team,” added Ewuoso. 

The short is produced by Lisa Leach (Dovecote Pictures) and Ynez Myers (Agile Films).

While Bless You! takes its London setting seriously, Leach explains that it goes beyond location. “This is a story for young people who feel the pressure to have it all figured out, yet are navigating generational expectations and unspoken burdens from parents, aunties, and families in an ever-changing world. I believe Bless You! gives voice to that tension: showing both the weight and the joy of identity, ambition, love, and responsibility.”

Production on Bless You! begins at the end of this month, with a Crowdfunder campaign launched to support its funding.