Paul Mayhew-Archer's film 'Onwards and Sideways'

A new film by Paul Mayhew-Archer (Reeves 1967-71), Onwards and Sideways, has opened to five-star reviews and great critical acclaim.

It tells the story of two strangers, deputy head Tony and composer Emma, who are diagnosed with Parkinson's on the same morning, and follows their journeys as they learn to deal with the condition. Talking about the film, which stars Laura Linney and Rhys Ifans, Paul said: 'it's not just about Parkinson's, it's about hope, about determination and about love.'

Paul, who has an extensive career in TV and radio comedy as a writer and producer, wrote the screenplay from personal experience, having been diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2011. He is a regular contributor to the Movers and Shakers podcast, which discusses living with the condition.

He told us that the film 'is currently making audiences laugh out loud and weep helplessly into their popcorn all over the country. Do see it if you can. I've watched it six times in the last ten days with six different audiences and the result is always the same. People are overwhelmed by it.'

Onwards and Sideways is directed by John Madden (who directed the Aacdemy Award-winning Shakespeare in Love), and is currently in UK cinemas. It will be shown on BBC TV and on I-Player later this year.