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.
Bruce Payne II, in one of her rare visits to the academy. Payne directed the scene in which he and McGann acted. Payne played Macbeth and wielded a baseball bat on stage instead of a sword. Kenneth Branagh performed a soliloquy from "Hamlet" at the same event. Payne's first television role was in the "Tales Out of School" series. Payne played a PE teacher who 'comes across as more head bully than responsible adult during his classes'. His first major film role came in "Privates on Parade" in which he played the singing and dancing Flight Sergeant Kevin Cartwright (whom he had