THE lead actress in the new Star Wars film also stars in an Andover-made movie to be screened for the first time next month.

The local production Scrawl was filmed on the town’s streets and at Sparsholt, and features Star Wars’ actress Daisy Ridley.

Earlier this month, Daisy was named the new female lead for Star Wars VII and although her role has not yet been confirmed by Disney and Lucasfilm, she is set to act alongside Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill.

But before her Hollywood debut, the 21-yearold, who has also appeared in Channel 4’s Youngers and has made guest appearances in Casualty and Silent Witness, filmed around Andover for Andover College’s student production of Scrawl.

Daisy came on board for the project two years ago while she was filming Casualty, and the horror film is set to be shown to students and supporters of Andover College next month. It will then be sent to festivals across the world in the hope that it will pick up accolades.

Peter Hearn, lecturer in media and film Studies at Andover College, has been writing, directing and producing the film for the past three years.

An actress he knew from his time in the film industry recommended Daisy for Scrawl. He visited her in London and she became interested in the script.

Daisy then worked with students for three weeks before Christmas 2012, filming for her main role as Hannah around Andover and at S p a r s h o l t College.

Peter told the Advertiser: “I wrote a role for Daisy and she came down and worked with all the students.

She is a lovely girl and very talented – and then she got cast in Star Wars.

“When we cast her, she had only done the odd advert and had done a bit of Casualty.”

Daisy appeared alongside other professional actors in Scrawl, which involved up to 40 16 to 19-year-old students.

Peter said: “The students were asking the professionals: ‘How do we do this, how do we do that’ and the professionals were all really keen. Daisy was as well – she has been very supportive all the way through.”

Speaking about Scrawl Peter added: “It’s really nice to see it actually come to an end. It would be nice just for people to watch it but it would be the icing on the cake for it to do more. I want the students to be inspired that there is a reason to go to college.”