GAVIN & Stacey stars Joanna Page and Mathew Horne say the show’s cast bonded again by knocking back GIN during filming for the Christmas special.
Joanna, who plays Stacey, revealed that the pair and their gang of co-stars would film during the day and go on boozy benders at night.
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And her on-screen brother Robert Wilfort (the show’s Jason) told how there was no acting required for a drunken pub scene, after James Corden (Smithy) ordered in real alcohol.
The long-awaited special, which sees the return of Gavin & Stacey after ten years, is set to delight millions of fans on Christmas Day.
Joanna, 42, says: “It was really lovely getting back with the gang. We drank lots of gin, we had chats!”
Mathew, 41, who plays Gavin, adds: “Even Rob Brydon (Bryn) came out. Rob never comes out — he is so dull, he never socialises.”
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“In the pub scene you can see we’re enjoying ourselves.”
The scene, in which the West and Shipman families enjoy a Christmas Eve session in local The Dolphin, is one of the show’s highlights.
Robert, 42, says: “It was just one of the loveliest days. Towards the end we had a real drink. We didn’t have any lines and we were just enjoying ourselves — it was James’s idea!”
Melanie Walters, 56, (Stacey and Jason’s mum Gwen), adds: “We had a ball filming that scene. What with the booze and all the singing and dancing, there was no effort involved.”
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While the whole cast partied during filming, Joanna and Mathew admitted there was one particular star who regularly managed to drink the rest under the table.
Mathew reveals: “Alison Steadman (Pamela Shipman) is the last one standing.”
Mathew, who says it was “moving” to step back into Essex boy Gavin’s shoes, says his reunion with on-screen mum Alison was “emotional”, after his own mum Glenis died earlier this year.
He says: “I’ve stayed in touch. She really is a surrogate mum. I lost my mum in January, so it was amazing to work with Alison again — and sort of have my ‘mum’ there.”
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Mathew and Joanna also told how they were choked up in one poignant scene. Joanna says: “The first time I read that scene I was crying.”
Mathew adds: “We both did.”
The Christmas special will undoubtedly leave fans wanting more.
But Ruth, 53, who stars in the show with co-writer James, says they are determined to make sure it does not lose its unique quality.
She says: “We have certain reasons for not doing any more Gavin & Stacey. You don’t want to turn it into a soap. You could be in danger of it losing its specialness. That said, the ending is begging for some more.”
“Obviously there is the springboard there for another episode but James and I haven’t made any plans. I’m not ruling it out. But we will never ever have that impact of when we’d not done it for ten years and then announced it.”
Larry Lamb, 72, (Mick Shipman), adds: “I think the audience in Britain would go to the ends of the Earth to see a movie of it.”
- Gavin & Stacey is on BBC1 on Christmas Day at 8.30pm.
