'A love letter to hospitality workers' - Single take sitcom based on life as barista in Leighton Buzzard
A single-take sitcom based on one woman’s experience of working as a barista in Leighton Buzzard has enjoyed a great reception.
Ugly Mug is the brainchild of Chloe Vaughan and is based on her experiences working in a café just after she moved to the town.
Created by students from The National Film and Television School, the sitcom stars Anoushka Chadha (Picture This and You), Lucy Burrows (Call The Midwife) and Ailis Barrett Young.
Its supporting cast includes Gavin Cornwall (Star Wars: A Star Wars Story), Claire Jeater (Coronation Street), Lori Brett and Daniel Wain (Larkin With Women).
Explaining her inspiration behind writing Ugly Mug Chloe told the LBO: "I worked every day with two co-workers who couldn’t have been more different from me, and yet when you spend that much time together, you form this strange love-hate sisterhood.
"It struck me that cafés are microcosms of British society. Everyone comes through those doors. You see class, loneliness, ambition, heartbreak and connection all while someone’s shouting about a burnt croissant.
"I wanted to capture that heightened, absurd energy but ground it in emotional truth. At its heart, the show is a love letter to hospitality workers.
"I used to think I was striving for something extraordinary, but there’s something profoundly beautiful about the ordinary - about serving someone their coffee and hearing about their life."
Chloe’s experiences with customers feature in the show with one character called Brian based on one of her regulars.
"Every week he’d arrive with a new treasure he’d found at a car boot sale and he’d proudly present it at the counter," Chloe recalled.
"His favourite phrase was ‘to cut a long story short’ and then he would absolutely never cut the story short, but he was joyful."
Ugly Mug, which is currently enjoying an international festival run, is set to feature as part of a special screening at the British Film Institute in London on March 4.
It is the first sitcom to be shot entirely in one continuous take, and director Yegor Chmilewsy explained: "We chose to shoot the sitcom this way because it felt like the most honest way to capture the energy of hospitality and the constant movement that defines life behind the counter.
"Conversations with family, friends, and loved ones who have worked in cafés and restaurants made it clear that the experience is fast paced and rarely pauses, so a continuous take allowed us to place the audience directly inside that flow.
"There was some early pushback on the idea but we were determined to prove that it could be done and that the ambition itself was part of what made the approach so exciting."
The film was shot in Leighton Buzzard High Street and independent coffee shop Baker Boy on Waterborne Walk.
Explaining why she chose Leighton Buzzard as the location for the sitcom Chloe said: "Leighton Buzzard has such a strong sense of community, which felt perfect for a story centred around a local café. The town has character, warmth and a recognisable British charm that really grounds the show.
"We were able to work with local businesses and bring energy into the High Street.
"There’s something special about making ambitious work in a place that feels real and lived-in, rather than building it on a soundstage."
Chloe said she was looking forward to seeing where Ugly Mug goes next, as it has received a great reception following its release.
"The reception so far has been wonderful, genuinely more encouraging than we could have hoped for," she said.
"Audiences have really connected with how recognisable the characters feel, particularly anyone who’s worked in hospitality.
"There’s been a lot of appreciation for the ambition of the one-take format, but the most rewarding responses have been people saying, ‘that was literally my job at 19,’ or, ‘oh god, this reminds me of.’
"If viewers feel seen and have a good laugh in the process, then we’ve done our job."