Beautiful Thing
I was at friends when the phone rang and someone said, 'Is that Dave Lynn? Would you like to be in a film?’
So, ever the cynic, I thought it was a joke and sort of laughed. Then the guy said, `the film is Beautiful Thing from the play written by Jonathon Harvey’. To cut a long story short, a few phone calls later and by the time I had got home, they had not only offered me more money, they were now even keener for me to be in it!
It was a days filming at The Gloucester pub in Greenwich and basically I was playing myself. When the day arrived I actually asked my parents to join me as I thought I would only be therefore a couple of hours and we could pop straight down to Brighton afterwards.
I arrived at the pub before the extras for a run through and afterwards they took me across the road to the makeup/wardrobe trailers. I walked in and there was Jonathon Harvey in a wheelchair with his leg in plaster. Well, being Jewish and concerned I made him some chicken soup and asked what had happened to him. At which point, he told me he was taking part in the filming and the plaster was a prop! He wanted to sit at the front and heckle me. We had a nice chat and then he told me that my car was ready to take me to the set. I thought; how ridiculous - it was literally across the road! The security were worried as I was now in makeup, wig and gorgeous green frock, but I said, `trust me I am probably safer than you are walking across the street like this!’
Once I arrived back at the pub, extras, friends and cast made up our crowd and I was introduced to the two boys who were playing Jamie and Stee. These poor 16 year old boys looked terrified but I told them it was just as nerve racking for me and we got on fabulously.
We had to do the scene many, many times with different camera angles so in between takes I acted as the warm up man which wasn’t hard as it was boiling. As you can imagine with so many takes I ad-libbed after discussions between Jonathon, the director and myself. The scene had changed somewhat from the original draft, although I was quite surprised to see at the Premiere that they had left in my line: `I feel like chicken tonight!’
I remember being surprised when the film came out and got so much attention. I was even asked to do interviews, but having spent less time on screen than Dame Judy Dench in Shakespeare In Love, I declined. At the Premiere I was cajoled by the gov'nor of the Gloucester to attend in drag and go in his limo - this was bloody uncomfortable but very exciting because the reaction from the cinema audience was amazing. Sitting there watching the film made me proud and realised what a wonderful heart warming movie Beautiful Thing was and still is today.
Less than a month after Beautiful Thing opened, I had a phone call from Manchester to see if I was interested in appearing in Coronation Street, but that’s another story…
Entry written: Wednesday, December 20, 2006