Izobella Dawson in Wait for Me: Sheffield schoolgirl too young to watch new crime film in which she stars

Izobella Dawson, aged 11, has won rave reviews for her role in Wait for Me, playing the character Ruby, the estranged daughter of a woman desperately trying to flee the life of crime into which she has been ensnared. The movie, which follows Ruby’s mother Alison as she attempts to escape the clutches of the small-time gangster for whom she works, and reconnect with Ruby, is due out at cinemas next month, with a special screening followed by a Q&A at Sheffield’s Showroom Cinema on June 7.

Izobella grew up in Chapeltown, Sheffield, and was just a toddler when she was first spotted by a talent scout in her local Asda supermarket there. The youngster, who now lives in Tankersley, Barnsley, was only nine when the film, which had the working title Moment of Grace, was shot in Halifax, Leeds, Hebden Bridge and Cleethorpes. The film has a 15-rating, meaning she will have to wait to watch it, though she has been allowed to view the scenes in which she appears.

Wait for Me recently premiered at the Manchester Film Festival, where Izzy took to the red carpet with her co-stars, including Elva Trill, who has appeared in Jurassic World: Dominion, and Theo Ogundipe, whose work includes the BAFTA Award-winning TV drama Top Boy.

The film won the best director category at the festival and was picked up by the distributor Munro Films and given a UK-wide cinematic release, which is quite a coup for an independent film shot on a relatively minuscule budget.

Keith Farrell, who directed the film, written by Bernard O'Toole, told The Star how he and the rest of the team had been ‘blown away’ by Izzy, who he believes has what it takes to become a star of film and screen.

“We were casting during Covid and we narrowed it down to six young actors for the role of Ruby, all of whom took part in Zoom auditions,” he said. “We were blown away by Izzy. There was something about her which really stood out. She’s got great potential. She’s such a hard worker and I’d love to see her go on to study acting because I think she could become one of the great British actors.”

Izzy's mum Rachel, who recently had another daughter Eadie, aged five months, said she couldn’t be more prouf.

“She’s so talented and she’s also the best big sister,” she said. “We’re so happy Wait for Me is getting a cinematic release, even if Izzy’s too young to watch it, and we’d love everyone in Sheffield to go and and support the film.”

Rachel told how Izzy, who attends the RMC Academy of Theatre Performance, is auditioning for a role in a major TV drama and is also due to appear at the Crucible Theatre next Tuesday, May 23, in A Night at the Musicals, being staged to raise money for the South Yorkshire homelessness charity Roundabout.

For more about Wait for Me and where it is showing, visit: waitforme-film.com.