British actor Sophie Simnett has joined the cast of ‘The Candidate’, a forthcoming black-and-white silent comedy inspired by the Chaplin era. The film will be the feature directorial debut of Mark Bell and uses physical performance, dance and an original score rather than dialogue to satirise power and question what people value in political leaders.

Simnett will play Love, a compassionate character intended to provide the story’s moral centre, opposite writer-actor Jack Whittle. Produced by Over The Fence Films, the film is due to begin production in autumn 2026; it follows a naïve dreamer who gains power and gradually loses sight of what mattered to him. Composer Howard Goodall, known for ‘Blackadder’ and ‘Mr Bean’, will write the score.