Roughcut plans to “change gear” by putting drama on an even keel with its comedy pedigree.
The Stat Lets Flats and Big Boys indie has promoted executive producer Marianna Abbotts to its first head of drama, working alongside Ben Worsfield, who steps up from development producer to development exec.
Prior to joining Roughcut in 2019, Abbotts was a development producer at Expectation Entertainment and has previously worked in development for STV Productions.
Her new brief will also include comedy drama.
Roughcut is now looking for Worsfield’s successor as development producer to complete the drama team.
Meanwhile, head of scripted Alex Smith becomes creative director, while co-founders Tim Sealey and Ash Atalla step up to chief operating officer and chief executive respectively.
Speaking to Broadcast, Atalla said he had ambitions for Rough Cut to be making “big ticket” international dramas at the level of White Lotus and Industry. “We want to change gear and become a larger indie,” he said.
Sealey, who is focusing on co-productions and finance relations, said the restructure was designed to avoid Roughcut being caught up in the “churn” of comedy production. “We want to put more of our energies into fewer, bigger, better productions,” he said.
Roughcut aims to put itself on the map in drama with an adaptation of Nina Millns’ debut novel Goddesses, a dark comic thriller about on a female stand-up who becomes tangled up with powerful feminist activists, after picking up the rights to the novel last year. Abbotts is set to executive produce.
