Finding That Special Place Between Hilarious and Human in The Ballad of Wallis Island

Written by Tom Basden and Tim Key, James Griffiths’ The Ballad of Wallis Island explores how the strange, hilarious relationship between an eccentric fan and his idol changes their lives in unexpected and powerful ways. A two-time lottery winner (Key) hires his folk-rock hero, Herb McGwyer (Basden), for a command performance on an isolated island. Unbeknownst to McGwyer, he’ll be reuniting with his former musical partner and ex-girlfriend, Nell Mortimer (Carey Mulligan), and the concert is intended for an audience of one. As this uncomfortable scenario unfolds, the characters find a connection with each other that none of them knew they needed.

Since the early 2000s, Basden and Key have been key figures in British comedy, often working together or separately to create unforgettable characters and situations. In 2007, they wrote and starred in the short film, The One and Only Herb McGwyer Plays Wallis Island, which first introduced the world to Herb and Charles. 17 years later, the two have found a way to transform and expand their beloved short into the feature, The Ballad of Wallis Island. “Tom Basden and Tim Key find the sweet spot between silliness and sentimentality,” writes Screen Daily, adding “audiences will probably expect to laugh, they may be surprised to find themselves shedding a tear or two as well.”

We spoke with Basden and Key about turning their short into a feature film, Basden’s touching songs, and the duo’s special chemistry.

The Ballad of Wallis Island is now playing in select theaters, everywhere April 18— so get your tickets now!

You first explored this concept in your short film, The One and Only Herb McGwyer Plays Wallis Island. Where did the idea come from?

Key: There were two things. One was the idea of a millionaire getting his favorite artist to come to his island. The other was that we were making lots of short films about two people meeting for the first time.

Basden: That gives you a very particular comedy dynamic, doesn't it? Two people who are trying to suss each other out and have no choice but to spend time together.

Who are these characters?

Basden: My character is Herb McGwyer, a musician who was previously in a band with Nell Mortimer and is now trying to find ways to stay relevant despite getting older and discovering that he's maybe not as beloved as he once was. His music has become a bit more cynical, a bit more mainstream. When we first meet him, Herb is quite grumpy and guarded.

Key: This is perfect for my character, Charles, who talks complete garbage non-stop and doesn't appear to have an off button. Next to someone who doesn’t want that, he is completely annoying. When you meet me, I’m a buffoon, but, as the film goes on, you realize that I’m also a human being who's lived a full life. Down deep, Charles is kind and optimistic. Even though he’s spent a lot of money to get Herb and Nell to his island, it comes from a place of genuine love and warmth.

Since you created the two characters, have you ever thought of switching roles?

Key: That would definitely not work. Tom could play my part in his sleep, believe me, but the other way around, no. For one thing, I don't think I've ever picked up a guitar in my life. I wouldn't know what to do with it.

Basden: Yes, there’s a practical obstacle, which is Tim wouldn't be able to do the music. We have done a double act on stage and Tim is really mean to me in that. I think people who’ve seen the film will be quite surprised that we can play that dynamic as well.

How did you decide to turn the short film into a feature?

Basden: We were so proud of the short film that we were always looking for opportunities to show it to people. Tim, James Griffith, and I often talked about coming back to it. Early on, we never found the right idea for how to translate it into a feature and, to be honest, other stuff was going on. It was only when COVID came along that we suddenly had a chunk of time. All of our other work fell away and we realized that we had to return to this project, that we had this very big bit of unfinished business.

Key: We had 17 years and we always wanted to do it. We didn't want to ruin it, because we really loved the short. It wasn’t until we hit on this idea that we could move forward. We brought in this new character, Nell—who's played by Carey Mulligan—who unlocked the whole thing. Now we can see what happened to Herb in the past, and how much he has changed since he was with Nell. The time that Herb was part of McGwyer Mortimer is also the period that Charles loves so much.

When you opened the story up, how big did you want the world of the film to become?

Basden: We wanted the film to be intimate. The story is set on an island, so there is no reason for lots of characters. It was always going to be a chamber piece between this small group of people. We knew we were going to have Nell, so we thought it would be great if she showed up with her husband, Michael (Akemnji Ndifornyen). We thought it would be helpful if there was life on the island so that Charles could have a relationship with someone locally.

Key: Sian Clifford [who plays Amanda] added a lot, both in terms of my character and also in telling the audience everything they need to know about the island. It’s clear that Charles doesn’t own the island, but Sian’s store gives the audience a sense of how small the island is. You sense that maybe there are only 100 or so people there.

Can you talk about the songs you wrote for the film?

Basden: In the short film, there are maybe two or three songs that made it into the feature. Over the years, I wrote more songs. It’s never been anything I've done professionally. It's just something I've really enjoyed doing. When we were getting ready for the shoot, I tried to write songs that had a specific tone and could emotionally support the scenes and give context to Nell and Herb's relationship. I wanted songs to have a tone that was quite romantic and also quite youthful, that evoked a period of innocence. I knew the vibe that I wanted the music to have. I just had to write loads of songs and see which ones best achieved that,

Were there bands or songwriters that inspired McGwyer Mortimer?

Basden: There was no particular band or artist that I based anything on but I wanted the songs to feel quite timeless. They hark back to that period of singer-songwriters through the 60s and 70s, with people like Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, and Carole King. I wanted to use that beautiful, innocent tone that a lot of their songs had when they were young. I was also influenced by more modern artists like Gillian Welch & Dave Rawlings and Iron & Wine, who have very emotionally resonant songs. But I wasn't trying to copy anything. I was just trying to write songs that felt right for the moments in the film where we planned to use them.

You two have such great chemistry. How did you originally meet?

Key: I had directed him in something and was always drawn to his performances, which were very underplayed. In 2004, four of us [Key, Basden, Stefan Golaszewski, and Lloyd Woolf] made this group called Cowards. For about three or four really fun years, we were writing a lot together, living together, and performing together a lot. We built up this great shorthand. Our writing always fits together really well, and we really love performing together. During filming, I felt very fortunate that we had this history because it gave us a sort of safety net.

Basden: I agree with all of that. One of the reasons why we're still friends and we're still working together is that we've always given each other space to do other stuff and work with other people. We’ll come together and do something, and then go work on our own stuff or work with other people. It's just been a really lovely organic partnership over the years.

Key: I remember getting a script from my agent which I thought was really good. I didn’t get back to her right away, and later she asked me, “What were your thoughts on that script?” The second time I read it, I realized that Tom had written it. Obviously, he had it sent to me, but there is never any pressure, like, “You have to be in my thing.”

Basden: With working relationships like ours, you have to have respect for each other. We’ve always been friends and collaborators. The important thing for us is knowing where one begins and one ends.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.