Rye Lane stars and director on the joys of setting a romcom in Peckham

Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Because I’m in the audition, and everyone clearly looks like us.” open image in gallery ‘On paper, we’re not meant to be romantic leads’ This was no coincidence: Allen-Miller and head of casting Kharmel Cochrane were determined that the film would specifically feature dark-skinned lead actors. “There’s a world where even somebody that looks like me is chosen first for a role like Yas or Dom,” Allen-Miller says. It’s important to capture those special things like Jamaican takeaways and Nour Cash and Carry in Brixton, right now.” A lot of the discussion surrounding Rye Lane touches on the fact that, despite it being 2023, it’s hard to think of any other British romcoms with Black actors as leads. There’s no limit.” Though there’s much to say about the importance of a film like this, the goal of both stars and the director is simple: Rye Lane’s purpose is to entertain.