The tick of biological clocks was deafening in Leicester Square’s Empire cinema on Sunday, as hordes of female journalists went "aaaaah" at the sight of the little Snow Whites, fairies and princesses gracing the red carpet for the premiere of Nanny McPhee.
The film is the baby of Emma Thompson, who wrote the screenplay based on the ‘Nanny Matilda’ books (think Mary Poppins with Hannibal Lecter’s manner). It also marks the return of Angela Lansbury to the big screen for the first time in 20 years, as the children’s dreadful great-aunt.
Imelda Staunton, freshly returned from filming My Family and Other Animals in Corfu, was full of enthusiasm for playing a comedic role again – she stars as the family’s grumpy army-trained cook. "What I like is doing lots of different things so it works for me," she said. "We’ve known each other for a long time. It’s a lot of fun, terribly funny, far too much talent for my liking." Still, it wasn't all love and 'dahling' on set. "Colin Firth is a terribly difficult man and I don’t care who knows it," she said frankly. "I think he’d be the first to admit that." Phew.
Difficult or not, a stubble-flecked Colin Firth sent Empire's heart into leapfrogging spasms before charming the pants off everyone with a story about the difficulties of working with children: "The director had at one point been so bombarded with questions that he said 'I’m only going to take incredibly important questions, very, very, very important questions or else, nothing,'" quoth Mr Firth. "And little Sam (Honywood), who’s always eating in the film, put his hand up. 'Is it important Sam?' 'Yes.' 'VERY important?' 'Yes.' 'Well go on, what is it?' 'What’s going to be in my bun?' And to him of course, there could be no more important question if you’re going to spend the next hour eating." Bless…
Meanwhile, lady of the hour Emma Thompson was elated to have finished the film, but had one niggle which had nothing to do with working with children or animals. “The most difficult thing on that whole shoot was that effing blancmange,” she pronounced. “Blancmange and porridge, very tricky.”