“We wanted to get the conversation going around men’s mental health”: Adam Deacon and Jazzie Zonzol on Sumotherhood

New British comedy Sumotherhood is a parody of urban communities, brought to the screen by BAFTA winner Adam Deacon and writer Jazzie Zonzol. The pair star as Riko and Kane, a hapless duo who find themselves in debt and decide to channel their inner roadman mentality to hold up a bank in hopes of securing funds. As can be expected, things don’t quite go as planned, and as they sink deeper into the criminal underworld, viewers are taken on an action-packed journey of mayhem and violence.

Alongside the duo is a brilliant array of cameo appearances from the likes of Jennifer Saunders, Denise Van Outen and Jeremy Corbyn. There’s even a brief moment when singer Ed Sheehan appears as a homeless drug-taking vagrant, which he seems to inhabit as a character rather well. With a brilliant soundtrack and a well-versed script, the high-octane drama is also paired well with the running thread of looking after your mental health – something close to Deacon’s heart – brought sensitively into the story through his ongoing friendship with Kane, who constantly checks in with him about taking his medication.

The Upcoming had the pleasure of speaking to Deacon and Zonzol about making this comedy, and how carefully they curated the script, the music and the action scenes. They also spoke about working with a brilliant array of actors, their favourite moments during filming and the importance of bringing mental health issues to the surface, particularly for men.

Ezelle Alblas

Sumotherhood is released nationwide on 13^th October 2023. Read our review here.

Watch the trailer for Sumotherhood here: