Stella Street in the sleepy London suburb of Surbiton seems like an average suburban English street full of semi-detached houses – except the residents include Michael Caine, Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, David Bowie, Roger Moore, John Hurt, Alan Rickman, Marlon Brando, Dirk Bogarde and Jimmy Hill, and Mick Jagger and Keith Richards run the corner shop.
Michael Caine (Phil Cornwell) guides us documentary-style (the show is filmed in a cinéma vérité style using handheld cameras) around his ordinary-but-not-ordinary life on Stella Street where Mrs Huggett (John Sessions) is the neighbourhood housekeeper/cleaner and lifelong Stella Street resident.
The irreverent and surreal BBC2 series hinged on master impressionists Phil Cornwell and John Sessions and their spot-on caricatures of all the celebrities. Between them, the pair played 35 characters. They also wrote the show. Ronni Ancona was on hand to help out with some of the female roles.
In one episode, a flashback to 1963 had The Beatles moving into Stella Street to make a film with Alfred Hitchcock. Tony Hancock and Kenneth Williams ran the corner shop back then and the young Michael Caine was a lodger at Mrs Huggett’s, along with Richard Burton and Tommy Cooper.
In 2004, the made for TV Stella Street: The Movie took a look at how the stars flocked to Stella Street and the aftermath of a street warming party that threatened financial ruin for the stars.
TRIVIA
Although being set in Surbiton, the series was actually filmed in Hartswood Road, London, W12.
Michael Caine/Mick Jagger/David Bowie/Jack Nicholson/Jimmy Hill/Dean
Phil Cornwell Joe Pesci/Al Pacino/Keith Richards/Dirk Bogarde/Marlon Brando/John Hurt/Alan Rickman/Roger Moore/Mrs Huggett/Jack Flatley
John Sessions Tara/Madonna/Posh Spice/Penélope Cruz/Jerry Hall/Vicar’s Wife/Stephanie Giraffe/Jenny Saddler
Ronni Ancona Sally
Sandra Cush Cameraman
Dave Haskell Reporter
Rod Nelson
The irreverent and surreal BBC2 series hinged on master impressionists Phil Cornwell and John Sessions and their spot-on caricatures of all the celebrities. Between them, the pair played 35 characters. They also wrote the show. Ronni Ancona was on hand to help out with some of the female roles.
