''Staggered'' is a 1994 British

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...

film starring and directed by

Martin Clunes Alexander Martin Clunes OBE DL (born 28 November 1961) is an English actor, comedian, director and television presenter. He is best known for portraying Martin Ellingham in the ITV comedy-drama series ''Doc Martin'' and Gary Strang in ''Men Be ...

in his directorial debut. It follows the misfortune of Neil (Clunes), a bridegroom trying to get back to his intended bride after a stag night.

Plot

After his

stag night :''Stag night is the UK, Canadian, Irish, Australian and New Zealand term for a Bachelor party.'' ''Stag Night'' is a 2008 American horror film written and directed by Peter A. Dowling and starring Kip Pardue, Vinessa Shaw, and Breckin Meyer. The ...

, Neil Price (Martin Clunes) wakes up naked on a remote Scottish island. The film follows his journey back towards his wedding, and the various characters and obstacles he encounters en route. It turns out that Neil's best friend Gary Bicknell (Michael Praed) spiked his drink and dumped him on the

Isle of Barra Barra (; gd, Barraigh or ; sco, Barra) is an island in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, and the second southernmost inhabited island there, after the adjacent island of Vatersay to which it is connected by a short causeway. The island is na ...

to enable him to make his own move on Hilary and her well-to-do family.

Cast

as Neil Price *

Michael Praed Michael Praed ( ; born 1 April 1960), birth name Michael David Prince, is a British actor and narrator, probably best remembered for his role as Robin of Loxley in the British television series ''Robin of Sherwood'', which attained cult status ...

as Gary Bicknell * Michele Winstanley as Tina * Kate Byers as Jackie *

Sarah Winman Sarah Winman (born 24 December 1964 in Ilford, Essex) is a British author and actress. Biography In 2011, Winman's debut novel, ''When God Was a Rabbit'' (2011), became an international bestseller and won Winman several awards including New ...

as Hilary *

David Kossoff David Kossoff (24 November 1919 – 23 March 2005) was a British actor. In 1954 he won the BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles for his appearance as Geza Szobek in '' The Young Lovers''. He played Alf Larkin in TV sit ...

as Elderly Man * Helena McCarthy as Elderly Woman *

Sylvia Syms Sylvia May Laura Syms (born 6 January 1934) is an English actress, best known for her roles in the films ''Woman in a Dressing Gown'' (1957), ''Ice Cold in Alex'' (1958), ''No Trees in the Street'' (1959), ''Victim'' (1961), and ''The Tamari ...

as Margaret * Sion Tudor Owen as Morris *

Virginia McKenna Dame Virginia Anne McKenna, (born 7 June 1931) is a British stage and screen actress, author and wildlife campaigner. She is best known for the films ''A Town Like Alice'' (1956), '' Carve Her Name with Pride'' (1958), ''Born Free'' (1966), and ...

as Flora *

Jake D'Arcy John Paterson Sinclair (2 December 1945 – 30 May 2015), better known as Jake D'Arcy, was a Scottish actor. He appeared in a number of television series, including as "Pete the Jakey" in the comedy programme ''Still Game'' from 2002 until 2007 ...

as Pilot *

John Forgeham John Henry George Forgeham (14 May 1941 – 10 March 2017) was an English actor known for his television work, notably the role of businessman Frank Laslett in the ITV (TV network), ITV series ''Footballers' Wives''. Born in Kidderminster, Wo ...

as Inspector Lubbock * Dan Travers as Policeman * Steve Sweeney as Nutter *

Dermot Crowley Dermot Crowley (born 19 March 1947) is an Irish stage, film and television actor. Life and career Theatre Crowley's stage work has included a leading role in an Olivier Award winning production of Conor McPherson's ''The Weir'', which played i ...

as Dr. Barnet *

Anna Chancellor Anna Theodora Chancellor (born 27 April 1965) is a British actress who has received nominations for BAFTA and Olivier Awards. Background and early life Chancellor was born in Richmond, England to barrister John Paget Chancellor, eldest son of ...

as Carmen Svennipeg * Bill Gavin as Old Man *

Griff Rhys Jones Griffith Rhys Jones (born 16 November 1953) is a Welsh comedian, writer, actor, and television presenter. He starred in a number of television series with his comedy partner, Mel Smith. Rhys Jones came to national attention in the 1980s for h ...

as Graham *

Julia Deakin Julia Margaret Deakin (born 20 May 1952)Clarke, Gemma (5 September 2016)"GRAND RE-OPENING OF GAINSBOROUGH HERITAGE CENTRE" ''Gainsborough Heritage Association''. Retrieved 10 August 2021. is an English actress. She is known for her roles in the ...

as Brenda *

Annette Ekblom Annette Kate Ekblom (born 1956)''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916-2005.''; at ancestry.com is an English actress. She is the mother of actress Amelia Warner. She starred as Linda in Willy Russell's musical ''Blood Brot ...

as Caroline * Desmond McNamara as Traffic Policeman *

George Rossi George Rossi (28 September 1961 – 5 January 2022) was a Scottish actor, best known for playing Duncan Lennox in ''The Bill'' from 1998 to 2003. Early life and education Rossi was born in Govan, Glasgow, on 28 September 1961. He was of Itali ...

as Waiter *

Paul Brightwell Paul Brightwell is an English actor and director. He has acted in many different plays, films and TV shows since the late 1980s. Theatre direction includes the British premieres of Heiner Muller's '' Hamletmachine'' at the Gate Notting Hill, and ...

as Longcoat * Ian Michie as Milkman *

Michael Medwin Michael Hugh Medwin, OBE (18 July 1923 – 26 February 2020) was an English actor and film producer. Life and career Medwin was born in London. He was educated at Canford School, Dorset, and the Institute Fischer, Montreux, Switzerland. He ...

as Hilary's father *

Neil Morrissey Neil Anthony Morrissey (born 4 July 1962) is an English actor. He is known for his role as Tony in ''Men Behaving Badly''. Other notable acting roles include Deputy Head Eddie Lawson in the BBC One school-based drama series '' Waterloo Road'', ...

as Jeff the Videographer * Richard Syms as Vicar * Gary Murphy as Mr. Elvis * Amanda Hodge as Mrs. Elvis * Abigail Hodge as Baby Elvis

Production

The film was Clunes' directorial debut. He said "I was asked, and it's not the sort of thing you say no to, really". It was shot in

Barra Barra (; gd, Barraigh or ; sco, Barra) is an island in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, and the second southernmost inhabited island there, after the adjacent island of Vatersay to which it is connected by a short causeway. The island is na ...

Western Isles The Outer Hebrides () or Western Isles ( gd, Na h-Eileanan Siar or or ("islands of the strangers"); sco, Waster Isles), sometimes known as the Long Isle/Long Island ( gd, An t-Eilean Fada, links=no), is an island chain off the west coas ...

, Scotland,

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, and

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...

England in 42 days on 24 May and 5 July 1993.

Reception

'' Time Out'' said that the film was a "low-budget farce has a frustrating tendency to set up promising situations only to squander them" but that the project was "amusing and eventful, none the less". The review in ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' had a similar take, although it singled out Chancellor's character, Carmen, as being the best in the film describing her as having "more dark currents than a buttered bun."

References

External links