Glasgow gets swinging for bestseller adaptation

IT IS certainly a far cry from dark depictions of grim reality and knife-wielding youngsters struggling to break out of a never-ending circle of crime.

Glasgow’s latest brush with big-screen fame is set to depict its secretive swingers scene after plans to adapt a best-selling book were confirmed.

Sigma Films, which has made Perfect Sense with Ewan McGregor and Under the Skin with Scarlet Johansson in the last couple of years, has confirmed shooting is about to start on an adaptation of Ewan Morrison’s book, Swung, which is set in and around Glasgow.

First-time director Colin Kennedy has cast Spanish actress Elena Anaya – star of Pedro Almodovar’s The Skin I Live In – in the film, which will be executive produced by Gillian Berrie, whose films include Young Adam, which featured McGregor.

No other members of the cast have been announced for Swung, though filming is expected to get under way before the end of the year.

The film-makers have unspecified financial backing from arts agency Creative Scotland.

The book, described by Sigma as “acclaimed and notoriously sexy”, shot Morrison to fame when it was released five years ago.

The synopsis for the film posted on Sigma’s website states: “While searching the online job market David gets distracted. He happens upon a swingers site – an amusing distraction from the boredom of unemployment.

“Alice is decidedly unamused when she comes home to an inbox full of lewd invitations on the household laptop. But once she realises this could be just the story she needs, she engages with unparalleled enthusiasm.”