An unemployed disabled actress gets a job advising an obnoxious up-and-coming star how to perform a disability for his latest role.
David Proud
Justin Edgar
Joe Grayston
7.4/10
BBC Two
The Story
Verisimilitude is a BBC Two short film commissioned for the Festival of Funny: Shorts strand, written by David Proud and directed by Justin Edgar. The story follows Doctor Who star Ruth Madeley - playing Bella, a disabled actress frustrated by the lack of authentic opportunities in the industry, who finds herself hired as a disability consultant for a rising British star’s next role. Satirical and sharp, the film explores themes of authenticity, ambition, and representation in cinema, spotlighting how disabled voices are too often sidelined in stories meant to be about them.
The Edit
I joined the project at the end of 2019 as Editor, overseeing both the technical construction of the film and the creative pacing of the story. The process began with a rough cut completed within a week, establishing structure, rhythm, and tone. From there, I worked closely with writer David Proud and director Justin Edgar in a detailed review process. Together we refined the edit frame by frame, adjusting performance beats, restructuring moments for clarity, balancing audio, and polishing visual flow.
This hands-on, collaborative approach is central to how I work. Shaping a director’s vision into a finished product that’s precise, cinematic, and production-ready. In the case of Verisimilitude, it ensured the final cut met the standards of both the BBC and festival audiences, with every detail, from dialogue timing to story rhythm, serving the bigger picture.
Working With 104 Films
Working With 104 Films
Over the past several years, I’ve built a close working relationship with 104 Films and director Justin Edgar, collaborating on a range of projects from short films (Poppy Day, Verisimilitude, The Letter) to feature-length content and documentaries exploring disability and representation.
A Trusted Partnership
These projects often demand sensitivity, precision, and trust, not just in editing but in how stories are shaped. My role has consistently been to refine the material into its strongest possible form, whether that’s pacing a thriller like Stalked, balancing tone in a short like Verisimilitude, or enhancing atmosphere in historical dramas such as The Letter.
Creative Consistency
Working repeatedly with directors and producers has allowed me to develop an instinctive understanding of their vision and storytelling style. For me, that consistency is key, it’s not just about finishing a project, but about helping to build a filmmaker’s body of work across multiple stories.
Projects like Verisimilitude show what’s possible when story, performance, and craft meet in the edit. If you’re building a project that deserves that same level of attention, JGE would love to bring that focus and polish to your film.
Joe Grayston
JGE