Take That will celebrate their three-decade history in the new ITV documentary, ‘30 Years in the Making’.
Created as a companion piece to the new feature film ‘Greatest Days’ which will premiere on June 16th, the 72 minute documentary is a joyous celebration of both the band and their followers.
While exploring the challenges of bringing ‘Greatest Days’ to the big screen, the documentary also shines a line on the mutual dedication built over three decades between the band and its fans.
The documentary features a massive ensemble cast including band members Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen alongside real life Take That enthusiasts including Alesha Dixon, Mel and Sue, and Calum Scott.
‘30 Years in the Making’ launches exclusively on ITVX this Wednesday, June 14.
Hitting cinemas this week, the movie follows four former schoolgirls who had their lives changed at a concert by their favourite boy band, and then reunite 25 years later to reminisce on their memories.
Featuring the music of the nineties heartthrobs – including classics such as Could It Be Magic, Never Forget and Pray, along with recent staples like Patience, Shine and the title song – the onscreen band, although not strictly Take That, is heavily based on the group with several nods to their look and visuals throughout.
Speaking exclusively to RETROPOP, Aaron Bryan, Dalvin Cory, Joshua Jung, Mervin Noronha, Mark Samaras open up about their involvement in the project, with Mervin laughing: “I didn’t realise it was a job because I was in my second year at uni and they came in to do a workshop, so I thought they were coming to test out something for the actual industry.
“It was just a fun vibe – which is the best way to do an audition – and then a couple of weeks later I got an email for a recall and I didn’t even know what it was about.”
Mark was also none the wiser when he auditioned, believing he was up for an ensemble role. “It wasn’t until the final round when Coky [Giedroyc, director] specifically said, ‘We’ve auditioned 5,000 boys for these five roles, we’re looking for the five boys to be the boy band,’ that I realised. But I think that helped the process, because I went in like it was just another job…”
As they prepare to unleash ‘Greatest Days’ into the world, the boys are in agreement that the process has given them a newfound respect for Take That and the stamina involved in their high-energy live performances. “Everybody was dancing, singing… everything was a big performance,” says Aaron. “Anything you watch, it was a full-on performance in every aspect!”
Mervin adds: “That’s the thing in the nineties, all of the artists could dance, they were putting on a show and they had the whole package. If you look at old-school Chris Brown or TLC or the Spice Girls, they were all real artists.”
‘Greatest Days’, starring Aisling Bea, Alice Lowe, Jayde Adams, Amaka Okafor, hits cinemas June 16.
