Escape To Northwich
One song. One town.
One homecoming.
A Documentary
Escape to Northwich - A Documentary
Escape to Northwich - A Documentary
Escape to Northwich
One song. One town. One homecoming.
Escape to Northwich is a feature length documentary following Rupert Holmes, the Northwich born songwriter behind “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)”, America’s last number one of the 1970s, as he returns to his hometown in summer 2026. Part homecoming, part career retrospective, it’s your chance to get to know the man behind the song, in an exclusive interview about his life, his music and the town that shaped him.
More About the Project
Why this story matters
Some stories only happen once.
More than 45 years after Rupert Holmes wrote Escape (The Piña Colada Song), a dedicated team in his hometown has built a festival around it. This summer, he came home to see it for himself.
We couldn’t let that moment pass undocumented. There was no commission and no budget, just a feeling that if nobody filmed it, the story would go untold. We’ve invested our own time and money, and we have a real vision for this film.
It won’t be going on YouTube. It’s being made for Northwich, to be shared at screenings with the people who made it happen, and to celebrate the town, its community and The Piña Colada Festival.
That’s why we took the risk, and why we want to finish it properly.
WHAT IS THE PLAN?
Why do we need to raise funds?
ABOUT RUPERT HOMES
ABOUT THE FILM MAKERS
Crowdfunding Soon
Crowdfunding Soon
⦁
Crowdfunding Soon Crowdfunding Soon ⦁
The premiere. We’re aiming to premiere Escape to Northwich in Northwich in February 2027, to mark Rupert’s 80th birthday.
Community screenings. Three screenings will follow in spring 2027 and three in autumn 2027, run with the Piña Colada Festival team. Ticket proceeds will go back into the festival.
Documentary festivals. We’ll then submit the film to documentary festivals, so Rupert’s story and Northwich can reach a wider audience.
Only on screen. The film won’t be on YouTube or online for at least three years. The screenings are the only way to see it.
Escape to Northwich has no broadcaster behind it. There was no commission and no budget. We filmed it at our own risk, because we knew this story might never happen again.
The filming is done. To finish the film and bring it to the screen, we need to raise money for:
Music and archive licences, so we can use “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” and rare archive footage of Rupert. Although we have permission from Rupert Holmes, we need to pay the other rights holders.
The final edit and finish, including sound, picture and voiceover.
The premiere, a big-screen celebration in Northwich in February 2027
Every contribution goes towards finishing the film properly and bringing it home to Northwich.
About Rupert Holmes
Rupert Holmes is the first person in Broadway history to win Tony Awards for Book, Music and Lyrics single handedly, for The Mystery of Edwin Drood, which also won Best Musical. His other Broadway work includes Curtains with Kander and Ebb, Say Goodnight, Gracie and Accomplice.
He has written, arranged and conducted platinum albums for Barbra Streisand, and his songs have been recorded by Barry Manilow, Dionne Warwick, Dolly Parton, Judy Collins and Britney Spears. He is also a bestselling novelist, and the creator of AMC’s Remember WENN.
And as a singer-songwriter, he had several Billboard Top 10 hits, including the international smash that brought him home: “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)”.
He grew up in Northwich and feels that it is his true hometown.
Carys Kaiser – Co-director and Producer
Carys is a TV producer director and filmmaker with over 20 years of experience across the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky and STV. Her credits include BBC Children in Need, BBC Breakfast, BBC Morning Live, BBC Radio 2 in the Park, The One Show, The Yorkshire Vet, Antiques Road Trip, Summer on the Farm, The Next Jamie Vardy, Channel 4 Dispatches, Joe Lycett’s Got Your Back and Grayson Perry’s Full English. She won a Bronze Lovie Award for her BBC Body Positive films. A Canon Pro Ambassador and CAA-qualified drone pilot, she also co-founded Dark Peak Photo CIC in Glossop.
Colin Dallibar – Co-director and Producer
Colin is a senior producer with over 25 years of experience across BBC radio, television and digital. His credits include BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio 2, the BBC World Service, Newsround, Blue Peter, CBBC HQ, CBeebies House, Swashbuckle, Mr Tumble’s Something Special, Tiny Happy People and BBC Bitesize. He has produced and directed Elton John, Eddie Redmayne and Justin Fletcher. He is also a trained executive coach and a development producer at CTVC.
