NEW film about the heyday of northern soul boasts a cast list with some of Lancashire’s top acting and musical talent, including Steve Coogan, Ricky Tomlinson, John Thomson and Lisa Stansfield.

But one of the biggest stars of the movie is the venue where scenes of 1970s dance nights were recreated.

King George’s Hall in Blackburn is the location where film-makers brought the legendary Wigan Casino back to life.

Now demolished, this was the huge club where northern youngsters expressed their love for black American soul music by dancing the night away in amazingly energetic and athletic fashion.

Original footage of men doing back-flips, high kicks and floor-spins has acquired iconic status over the years – and now the movement has taken on new life thanks to Bury-born director Elaine Constantine, whose passion for the music drove her to make the new film, called Northern Soul.

She said: “I first discovered northern soul at a youth club in about 1976. I think it was the spectacle of seeing young men so liberated as they danced. Prior to that they were too self conscious to let go, apart from the odd slow dance for a snog with a girl they fancied.

“I remember the DJ at the club put a northern soul record on and this young man came out of the shadows and started dancing — it blew me away. I am married to a DJ in that music scene. I stayed with it because it felt like my home. Where most 16-year-old girls were going to see Donny Osmond, I went travelling with DJs to clubs around the country.”

So Elaine, an award-winning photographer now based in London, has the first hand experience needed to re-create an authentic but entertaining glimpse into what music in the north was like 40 years ago.

She said:“I knew to do it justice I had to shoot up north.

“For all the big scenes we shot in the King George’s Hall in Blackburn, where we had the film premiere.”

The film, which is released next week, follows two friends whose lives change when they discover soul music. Scenes of the pals going to buy discs and listening to tracks in old-fashioned listening booths were filmed at Electron in Hall Street, Burnley, which still has the feel of a record store of 40 or more years ago. Other scenes were filmed around Bury.

Elaine said: “I love coming home to see my family. Ironically if I hadn’t got into the northern soul scene I don’t think I would have left.

“But with a job like mine it is difficult to be based anywhere but London. I would not be where I am today if I hadn’t grown up in Bury. I have very fond memories of growing up there. I moved to London years ago but still today I go into meetings and people say, ‘Where have you travelled down from today?’ The accent is still there.”