Discovering Gavin and Stacey

January 1, 2008 Next Page »

Gavin and Stacey's Barry IslandBetter late than never… this Christmas we discovered the television comedy Gavin and Stacey, thanks to a gift from a kind uncle. The comedy was written by Ruth Jones and James Corden.

It was a thrilling discovery. We had to pause the DVD several times to try and recover from fits of hysterical laughter.

Gavin and Stacey is a lovely romantic comedy romp, with a strong Welsh flavour.

There were one or two scenes that really tickled the heart-strings in a big way. We fought (and failed) to hold back the tears watching the scene with Rob Brydon on the way to the Church with his niece.

Rob Brydon was absolutely excellent. He recently appeared in a one-man show in the Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare. How we now wish we had gone to see him!

The humour in Gavin Stacey is reminiscent of Rhondda playwright Frank Vickery. In the words of Smithy, the best mate of the show’s Essex hero, it’s “a Welsh thing”.

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The drama revolves around a romance which begins over the telephone between a twenty-something girl from Barry Island, Wales, and a young man from Essex. The following is an excerpt from a conversation at the beginning of the first show, between Stacey and her pensioner neighbour Doris. Doris offers ‘romance tips’ to Stacey on her forthcoming blind-date in London :

Doris : Hiya Stacey

Stacey : Alright Doris, how’s the leg ?

Doris : Oh love, I wish they’d cut the bugger off.

Stacey : Oh you don’t mean that.

Doris : Oh yes I do. You ‘and me the axe, I’ll do it myself. You still going up London then on your blind date ?

Stacey : It’s not really a blind date. I mean, we’ve been talking for six months on the phone. We just haven’t met in the flesh like.

Doris : What time you off ?

Stacey : First thing. Dave’s coaches. I’m cacking myself I am.

Doris : Stace love, you’ve got to chill out. Thing to remember is don’t go giving him nothing on the first night.

Stacey : Really ?

Doris : Well, no, not nothing… A kiss, a cuddle, a cheeky finger… just don’t go selling him the whole farm.

We eagerly await the second-series which is in the making.

Filed Under Valleys, Writing