Small Prophets

“Small Prophets” is a comic tale of the eccentric Michael Sleep (Pearce Quigley) who, since his darling Clea disappeared seven years ago, has lived a very ordinary life. He works in a DIY store, visits his dad Brian (Sir Michael Palin) and hopes for Clea to return. One day Brian shares an old recipe involving rainwater, horse manure and more than a little alchemy. With recipe in hand, Michael sets out (albeit with some skepticism) to create homunculi — magical spirits that can predict the future — in the hope they have the answer to his burning question: “will I ever see Clea again?”

Michael gets help from his young coworker Kacey (Lauren Patel), an unlikely friendship that blossoms partly (but not wholly) through their mutual dislike of store manager Gordon (Mackenzie Crook). Their friendship adds to the frustration and intrigue of his nosy neighbors (Sophie Willan, Jon Pointing) who are obsessed with trying to find out what the hell is going on in the garden shed.