Little Help

Communication expert Adrian Little sets out to rescue a failing restaurant - while a documentary crew records the collateral damage.

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Key Credits

Little Help is based on characters created by Jon Aird & Tom Verrall

MAIN CAST
Macadie Amoroso, Nicola Berry, Tom Verrall, Dan Willis

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Jeremy Read

PRODUCER
Nicola Berry

WRITER/DIRECTOR
Tom Verrall

Director's Statement

Little Help grew out of years spent working in learning and development, where both the producer and I encountered countless training sessions, workplace initiatives and self-appointed experts determined to improve performance. Alongside the genuine value of these experiences, we discovered a rich source of comedy in the gap between professional ambition and everyday reality.

The film follows Adrian Little, a communications trainer attempting to create a polished promotional video while coaching restaurant staff to elevate their customer experience. Adrian sees himself as an inspiring leader and mentor, but his unwavering confidence continually undermines the image he is trying to project.

What interested us was creating a character whose flaws are recognisably human - Adrian is ambitious, optimistic and desperate to be respected. The comedy comes not from cruelty, but from his inability to see himself as others do. Through Adrian, the film explores the universal tendency to overestimate our own effectiveness while remaining blind to our shortcomings.

The mockumentary format felt like the perfect vehicle for this story. The camera acts as an observer, capturing awkward silences, fleeting reactions and moments where the truth slips through the cracks of a carefully managed performance.

While Little Help is entirely fictional, many of its situations are inspired by real observations from workplace training environments. We wanted to create a comedy that feels authentic to anyone who has attended a workshop, sat through a training session, or encountered someone determined to leave a lasting impression.

As filmmakers, we have always been drawn to stories that find humour anchored in truth. Little Help reflects our fascination with the personalities that emerge within workplace culture and our belief that the funniest characters are often those trying hardest to be impressive. Beneath the ‘cringe comedy’ is an affectionate portrait of people striving to be taken seriously, even when everyone around them can see a very different reality.

Main Cast

Macadie Amoroso

Nicola Berry

As well as her acting credits, Nicola has produced multiple short films - as well as designing many successful global training programmes for brands such as BBC Studios and Rolls-Royce plc through her drama based training company. Her expertise in learning and development provides the authenticity of Little Help's focus on the more absurd elements that arise in professional life.

As well as many acting credits including The Inside Man, Casualty and My House, and a West End run in The Comedy About Spies, Macadie is a filmmaker in her own right and recently produced her debut short Fish & Chips. Her ability in improvised comedy allowed her to hilariously capture the subtle frustrations of being forced to participate in Adrian's workshop. Macadie portrays Kylie's fragility - alongside her urban grit - with complete commitment. www.macadieamoroso.com

Tom Verrall

Dan Willis

Tom is an award-winning actor and filmmaker with over twenty years experience in narrative comedy - as well as corporate training content. He performed live comedy for several years across the uk, sharing stages with comedians including Tom Allen, Greg Davies, Nick Mohammed and Al Murray. He loves creating characters that finds humour in their blind spots, while still treating them with affection.

Dan's acclaimed acting career spans three decades and he has a rich body of stage and screen work behind him, including Benjamin Clegg in Mike Leigh's film Peterloo, Peter Stones in Coronation Street and PC Young in My Fragile Heart. He has a particular aptitude for deadpan comedy, and his endearing performance as the earnest, browbeaten Michael, anchors the mockumentary's reality with a relatable charm.

www.danwillis.co.uk