David Leland in Britain" won the Prix Italia (an international Television award) in 1984. In 1986 he wrote the screenplay for the thriller-drama "Mona Lisa", featuring Bob Hoskins. This film was critically acclaimed and Leland earned nominations for the Golden Globe and the Writers Guild of America. He then wrote "Personal Services" in 1986. It was directed by Terry Jones and was about Cynthia Payne, a real-life British madam who ran a private brothel. Julie Walters took the leading role. While "Personal Services" dealt with the adult life of Cynthia Payne, Leland's next film, "Wish You Were Here", concerned her teenage years.
Wish You Were Here (1987 film) Wish You Were Here (1987 film) Wish You Were Here is a 1987 British comedy-drama film starring Emily Lloyd and Tom Bell. It was written and directed by David Leland. The original music score was composed by Stanley Myers. The story is loosely based on the formative years of Cynthia Payne. Sixteen-year-old Lynda Mansell lives in a small English seaside town in the early 1950s. She is feisty, outspoken and precocious and tries to shock other people with her histrionic behaviour and vulgar tongue (her favourite insult is "Up yer bum"). Bored with conventional jobs (which she frequently loses) and