When British schoolteacher and aspiring actress Jodi (Katie McGrath) travels to South Africa to prepare for a film role she finds herself in a culture clash while she faces difficult choices concerning both her career and her love life.

Pretty much the most standard romantic comedy you’ll see all year. With a “fish out of water” premise and the choice between ruggedly handsome Johnny Foreigner and that smooth bloke from Ally McBeal there’s a great deal here borrowed from a multitude of other RomComs. The humour seemed comically tone-deaf but wouldn’t have been out of place in an ITV series.

Despite being well-shot and lit Leading Lady suffers sonically from a woefully bland score generously garnished with twee Mumford & Sons’esque songs. The performances are decent enough and while there’s nothing particularly bad about Leading Lady but it’s complete lack of substance and originality make this an extremely light, airy and forgettable affair.

An idealistic British drama school teacher, Jodi Rutherford, persuades a cynical South African farmer to prepare her for a role in a major film as an Afrikaans war heroine. In return Jodi undertakes to direct the annual concert on the Willemse farm. Jodi’s interaction with the quirky small town citizens and the stubborn Kobus, teaches her that: “there is more to life than lights… camera… and action!”

Leading Lady tells the story of an aspiring British actress, Jodi Rutherford, who persuades Kobus Willemse, a farmer from Brandfort, to prepare her for a role in a major film as an Afrikaans war heroine. In return Jodi undertakes to arrange and direct the annual concert at the Willemse farm. Jodi’s interaction with the quirky, small-town citizens of Brandfort and the stubborn Kobus, teaches her that there is more to life than Hollywood’s: lights, camera and action… or is there?

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