Following up on my entry about being in a Radiohead video, here’s another story about me being an ‘extra’ (in a movie this time).
It was twenty-five years ago (spring or summer 1998) and I was working in Richmond, Surrey… when I heard they were looking for extras for the Mike Leigh movie ‘Topsy-Turvy’, filming at the Richmond theatre.
I ended up making a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ appearance in the stage-set scene below, playing the squire of Timothy Spall’s singing knight (the movie’s all about Gilbert and Sullivan and their musicals, if you didn’t know).
I’m the guy on the right above. I’d forgotten about the brown dress and purple tights combo I wore. Very slimming.
For take after take, I had to walk forwards across the stage, be handed a piece of armour by Spall, then carefully walk off the stage again – backwards. It’s a miracle I didn’t fall off.
Before each take, Mike Leigh would shout ‘get into character!’ I had no idea what my character was supposed to be, so I just narrowed my eyes and pursed my lips in what I hoped was an actorly manner. I think it just looked like I had a severe squint.
Mike Leigh very kindly said ‘well done’ to me at the end of the day’s shoot… but sadly it wasn’t the start of a glittering career as a movie actor. On the plus side, I did get paid £85.
June 2023
P. D. Clifton 
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