Twin Town anniversary screening sees cast members reuniting

David Owens

When Twin Town was released its anarchic, breakneck scenes and darkly twisted comic plot grabbed everyone’s attention.

It made a star of Rhys Ifans, in his first major film role, and more than two and a half decades later it remains one of the great Welsh movies.

The film also had a stellar Welsh cast including Ifans (Jeremy Lewis), his brother (on screen and in real life) Llyr Evans (Julian Lewis), Huw Ceredig as the twins’ dad Fatty Lewis, Port Talbot born Di Botcher as mum, Jean Lewis, William Thomas as Bryn Cartwright and Sue Roderick as Lucy Cartwright.

Last year special screenings of the cult classic, followed by Q&As with director Kevin Allen, were held at venues across Wales to great demand.

Now a special director’s screening with a male voice choir, plus Q&A with co-writer & director, Kevin Allen, and cast members has been announced.

The event will be held at The Grand Theatre in Swansea on Friday, March 20 – and it’s promised that hotdogs with a variety of magic toppings will be served!

To book tickets and find out more click HERE

The making of a cult classic

Set in Swansea, the movie is the quintessential cult classic. 

While working on a roof, Fatty Lewis (Huw Ceredig) tumbles off a ladder and injures himself, initiating a feud between his family and the roofing contractor and small-time drug dealer, Bryn Cartwright (William Thomas). Fatty’s twin stoner sons, Julian (Llyr Ifans) and Jeremy (Rhys Ifans), who are not in fact twins, attempt to procure compensation from Cartwright, who refuses to pay up. The anarchic Lewis Twins seek revenge on Cartwright and corrupt police detective, Terry Walsh (Dougray Scott).

The film has never been made available on any streaming platform which has just added to the iconic status of one of the great Welsh films.

This was the reason for the screenings in cinemas around Wales much to the joy of audiences who packed out auditoriums for a glimpse of the movie in all its glory.

However, for all of those who have long pined for their own copy of the movie set in Swansea, the film’s official Facebook page has offered fans the opportunity to download the movie for free.

The offer is available for an indefinite period, so best be on the safe side and go and grab your download HERE

Twin Town director Kevin Allen recently made an appearance on the Problematic Pub Podcast where he first revealed plans for a special screening of the movie in Swansea, complete with a male voice choir.

On the podcast he also admits that he was taken aback by the popularity of the screenings and Q&As around Wales, which has prompted much renewed interest in the dark comedic masterpiece.

It was at one of these screenings at The Coliseum in Aberdare last year where the director revealed there was a scene that confirmed where the Lewis Twins had ended up.

It’s always been open to interpretation what the twins did next after they sailed into the distance in the famous closing scene where several Welsh male voice choirs belt out the Welsh hymn Myfanwy.

The director explained the destination of the twins was resolved in a specially recorded scene for the US laser disc and VHS release of the movie.

Given it was only available on a US release of the movie and that the laser disc and VHS are now pretty much obsolete, the scene lay unwatched for decades until one diligent fan uploaded it to YouTube.

The scene shows Jeremy and Julian incarcerated in a Moroccan prison for unstated misdemeanours (probably stealing a two tone camel or dealing in hashish hotdogs or something) and in keeping with their tradition of loving a good quiz question – they are debating how many Swanseas there are in America.

Then in what can only be described as an unexpected jumping the shark moment in bursts a Welsh speaking guard, played by Kevin Allen himself, who informs the twins they are being released.

The fourth wall is well and truly broken when they start a debate about whether an American audience watching Twin Town will understand their Welsh accents.

At the Q&A in Aberdare the director pointed out that while this might all have seemed a little obtuse, it did have a purpose and that was to tell the American audience that they’ve watched lots of movies ‘with crazy guys with crazy accents’ and they should ‘open their ears’ and do the same with Twin Town.

Enjoy the clip. (Sound right up)

READ MORE:
Watch: Twin Town cast reunite for ‘wacky Welsh comedy caper’

Twin Town to receive special screenings at venues around Wales

Watch: Bryn Cartwright returns to site of famous Twin Town scene at rugby club

Watch: The brilliant Twin Town mural that has appeared in Port Talbot