We recently spent some time on the set of new British comedy film ‘Gloves Off’ and instantly fell in love with the cast of Brad Moore, Ricky Tomlinson, Paul Barber and Denise Van Outen.
Filming has now ended and the film is in post-production with a release due in 2016.
Directed and co-written by Steve Nesbitt, ‘Gloves Off’ is a Comedy Drama about honour, determination and friendship. Laughing in the face of adversity as this ensemble cast of Brad Moore, Ricky Tomlinson, Denise Van Outen, Paul Barber, Alan Ford and co take you on a hilarious and spectacular journey of Boxing meets Bare Knuckle all the way to Appleby Gypsy Fair.
The Gloves Off cast consists of some of the cream of British Comedy with the likes of Ricky Tomlinson (The Royal Family), Paul Barber (Only Fools and Horses, Full Monty) Brad Moore (North V South), Denise Van Outen (Eastenders, Chicago), Matt Barber (Downtown Abbey), Laurie Kynaston (Cradle to Grave), Tom Crane (Stand Up for the Week), Alexei Sayle (The Young Ones), Adam Fogerty (Snatch) and Sally Dexter (Poldark).
We got a chance to speak to some of the cast about the film including Brad Moore, Ricky Tomlinson, Paul Barber and Denise Van Outen which at one point descended into complete chaos thanks to Ricky, if our hilarious time on set is anything to go by this film will certainly tickle a few funny bones.
Our first set of interviews were with Paul Barber, Kab Silva and Gary Cargill, a very laid back and chilled affair.
Tell Us about Your Characters
Paul: Albert – he’s a ex navy boxing champion. Knows how to deal with kids and has to deal with a giant of a man who has the mental age of seven. I’m the trainer.
Kab: Riz – He’s very much a street kid, streetwise, good boxer but don’t get that impression when he starts talking. He has a unique way of speaking, common London street talk. He’s very colourful/wild. He’s a bit like a rabbit. I had a complete makeover for this role. I had a massive beard and long hair as well. He has a big heart, loves the gym and the people in the gym.
Gary: Davros – Disabled due to a horrific motorbike accident and lives in the gym.
Experience on Set.
Paul: It’s all been really good; the camaraderie between the cast and crew has been fantastic. I think there were more laughs off the set than there was in the script, but we got it together. We are al really supportive of the movie. Ricky’s a bit difficult, but he’s alright (laughs). He’s a right lovey.
Kab: Everything’s gone swimmingly so far, which is so surprising. It’s been immensely good. It’s everyone, not just the actors; everyone plays their part and have worked together. I’m really excited; I can’t wait to see it.
What attracted you to the film?
Gary: When I read the script I literally laughed out loud on four or five occasions, which is a rare thing. The beautiful thing that has happened during the filming is that the script has really come off the page. It’s so colourful, it’s so characterful. It’s got a lot of heart,
Paul: its oddball characters coming together to save the gym, they are all oddball’s.
Kab: you would never think they would hang out together.
Gary: it’s warm and above all else it has these incredible big characters which go on a really beautiful caper in order to try and save this gym. They’ve got so much heart, so much love between them and so much love for the gym and the world they exist in. There is so much humour and camaraderie.
Paul: it’s like one for all, all for one sort of thing.
Gary: Davros is such a gift to play, he allows you to physically take on something that’s really challenging.
Paul: It’s not like slapstick comedy you know, it’s quite serious really, but it is funny.You’re laughing at the situation rather than the one liners.
Our second round of interviews were with co-writer and Main star of the film Brad Moore, Ricky Tomlinson and the lovely Denise Van Outen. We have to say this one wasn’t as plain sailing as the first….
Brad, You Co-Wrote the film with Steve Nesbit, what was your inspiration?
The short answer is, I shot a film with Steve Nesbit last year called North Vs South, he came down to see me, had a good time together, collaborated well. He said I am writing another film with you as a lead. I said fantastic but I’ve got an idea for a film, it’s the only idea I’ve ever had to be honest. I pitched him the basic idea and he loved it and said let’s write it together. We did lots of writing days in rooms in the middle of nowhere. I have to be honest I gave the framework for the story and the characters, but he has written more of it than I have. I’m not really a writer, I just help make it funny.
You have a pretty strong cast as well, How did you manage that?
Well, I didn’t really want any of this lot (looks at Ricky & Denise and laughs). We went round the houses so much with Ricky and Denise’s characters. We tried for a lot of different people and then we accepted Rick and Denise.
Denise: I didn’t even know I was in a film, I just came here for a night out.
Brad: Denise actually still thinks we are in Big Brother (laughs).
Tell us about your characters.
Brad: Doug Evans – He’s an ex-boxer. The night he was about to make the big time the love of his life, his lifelong trainer from when he was an 8-year-old boy called Taffy dies ringside. Taffy lived in the gym but also had gambling debts so Doug inherits the debts. He’s not a businessman so he struggles to keep the gym afloat. That feeds into what the films about saving the gym as it needs money.
Denise: Like I said I just come here for a night out. No, My character Vera comes into the gym with her lovely son, Johnny who is going to train and meets Doug who she forms a bit of a friendship with and thinks she can help him raise the money to save the gym. There’s a little bit of a love interest there. I think that’s why he got me in as there is a snogging scene (laughs).
Ricky: My character is Mick, a bit of a jack the lad, ducking and diving. I’m more or less playing myself. I just come to the gym to get away from my wife. I used to like boxing; it’s a sanctuary more than a gym you know. I also have a few sex scenes….. (This is the point the interview descended into chaos with the mention of big knobs and we can’t publish what was said but I’m still crying with laughter).
Have you been able to get much done on set?
Brad: Something else to say is we are always messing about and a lot of that is driven by Ricky and Denise. Everyone’s a great laugh and it’s feeding into the scenes. Steve the Director is normally a bit grumpy about banter and stuff like that but it’s been encouraged on this set.
Denise: He is such a great Director; he’s so easy to work with.
Brad: Obviously I worked with him on the last film and it’s just going from strength to strength. On the last film I said he is a talent in the making, he’ll be one to watch, along with the likes of Shane Meadows and other great British Directors. He is just so easy with everyone, he makes us all feel good about ourselves but also have his eye on every little detail. He’s running 100 people, has the narrative in his mind, he’s even thinking about how were getting on. He’s masterful, unbelievably good.
Ricky: I like to write and I wrote an article about a boxer who actually won the world championship and then shit in the ring. No, Honestly it was at cruffs you know……..
Denise: I’m going to really miss Ricky.
What attracted you to the film?
Brad: It was the boxing interest, for these two (Ricky and Denise) it was all about the money (laughs)
Denise: Good cast and also comedy, British comedy, we produce some of the best.
Ricky: Boxing is on a high in Britain at the moment, there’s an excitement about it. Like when Ricky Hatton was doing the business and funny enough the gypsy kid who’s on the block at the moment, Tyson Fury, He’s 6ft 9 going to fight for the world title and he is actually in with a chance but the other fella has pulled out now with an injury. I feel a bit sorry for the guy because when’s he going to get his chance.
This is where we had to finish the interview as Ricky just went off on one about boxing, bless him. If the film is anything like the chat we had in the green room we can’t wait to see the film when it’s released.