'They said my 'northern' business wouldn't work... they were wrong': Ingleby Barwick mum's casting agency success

From her Ingleby Barwick home, Sue Francis runs a small empire.

The mum-of-three is the founder of casting agency, Kreative Talent.

And frequently landing roles in major television and film work, Sue says people are often surprised her company is a one man band based up North.

“When I set up Kreative Talent in 2009, I was told it wouldn’t work.

“Nobody wanted to know what I was telling them. It was hard work.

“I was trying to acquire actors and started ringing around companies to say who I was and would they give me their casting break downs.

“One of the people I rang, quite high up in the industry, asked if I was Northern.

“She said ‘I’m afraid it’s not going to work. We don’t do Northern’.

“Well that was it - it was like lighting a fire. I thought I will show you.

“I bought a London number, used a different address and when I would ring people, I’d use a voice changer.

“Then all of a sudden, I started getting the casting briefs in.”

And with today being Small Business Saturday, a campaign to highlight small business success, Sue is keen to promote what she does to put Teesside on the map.

She has landed some of the 300 children and adults she represents roles in shows such as Inspector George Gently, Emmerdale, Eastenders and Games of Thrones, to name just a few.

Her son Elliott Francis has been in Harry Potter films and plays one of the lead roles in CBBC’s Splatalot!

But Sue has also had great success with films and adverts, and has worked with companies such as Citroen, Hovis, Samsung and John Lewis - landing roles in the department store’s popular Christmas commercial every year since 2009.

This year, 13-year-old Isabel Foster, who is originally from Stockton but now living in Lincolnshire, has a part in the Monty the Penguin advert - playing the sister of the lead role.

“I do have to pinch myself,” said Sue, who manages Jeff Stewart, formally of The Bill, and Tricia Ford, of Coronation Street fame.

“What I have done has been because of gritted determination. People now ring me for my talent and I no longer hide where I am from.

“I am proud and when people ask me where I am based, I say the big smoke - my big smoke.”

“When people ask about setting up a small business, I say it is not easy but anything is possible. You just have to go for it and try your best.”