Big birthday in Newark, Newark

Newark, Newark is the brainchild of Nathan Foad, an actor and writer whose other credits include Our Flag Means Death and Bloods. The story takes place in Newark-on-Trent, where he grew up; filming took place there too, while another local lad, Mathew Horne, stars.

The Gavin & Stacey actor plays Terry, who’s recently divorced but desperate to win back his wife Maxine (Morgana Robinson). She’s a tough chip shop manager who is definitely no longer interested in Terry but hasn’t given up on love – she’s trying to adapt to being single again while looking for her soul mate. Meanwhile, their son, 16-year-old Leslie (Jai Hollis), dramatically announces he’s gay. Beverley Callard also appears as Leslie’s interfering grandmother.

“I was born and raised 10 miles from Newark, and I went to school five miles away from Newark, so I know the area and I know those people,” says Horne.

“Without naming names – and I certainly don’t have any names – I’ve been around an atmosphere and a generation of men who’ve been through the same things as Terry. I feel like he’s somebody I know very well, and I recognise the tragedy in him.

“But I also sympathise with Terry, because I will end up being him – he is part of me because of where I’m from. Terry’s a very appropriate character for me, although a huge departure in terms of my acting and my career. He’s deeply tragic, but I also wanted him to be likeable and for people to understand the damage he’s suffered.”

For those used to seeing Horne as Essex boy Gavin, listening to him adopt his native accent may come as a shock. It’s something he enjoyed doing, however.

“It means so much on both a professional level and a personal level,” claims the actor. “On a professional level, I’m so grateful to be given this opportunity because on paper that role is not one you would offer to me. I still don’t quite know why they did. I assumed they knew I was from the area, but they didn’t and were as surprised as anyone to learn I was from there. In television it’s very easy to be pigeonholed as a certain type, so to be offered Terry was amazing to me.

“On a personal level it’s wonderful to go home and work and make a show which is set five miles from the school where I started acting 25 years ago.”

It sounds as if there’s a new generation of thespians in the area too, young people Horne describes as “fantastic” before saying, “I hope they have very bright futures that aren’t only on TikTok.”

Well, you never know – this second showing on a more mainstream channel may help turn them into the next Mathew Horne.