Gavin and Stacey's Alison Steadman, 77, closes the curtain on theatre work as she opens up on suffering an unexpected bout of stage fright
Gavin and Stacey's Alison Steadman has officially closed the curtain on theatre work as she opened up about suffering an unexpected bout of stage fright.
The actress, 77, candidly admitted she has had enough of her stage career due to her difficulties with nerves while performing.
She made her stage debut in 1977 with Abigail's Party, which later became a TV hit, and won an Olivier Award for The Rise and Fall of Little Voice in 1993.
But now has admitted that she will never go back to acting in theatres after experiencing unshakeable jitters mid-performance.
Her devastating incident took place in 2012 while she was starring in Here - a three-person play focusing on a couple who relentlessly argue after moving into a flat.
Gavin and Stacey's Alison Steadman has officially closed the curtain on theatre works as she opened up about suffering a unexpected bout of stage fright
Alison, who will return to her role as Pam in Gavin & Stacey's Christmas special along with screen partner Larry Lamb, said that she found it 'more and more difficult'.
She told the Stirring It Up podcast: 'It was horrible, absolutely horrible, and it came quite unexpectedly. It was a little bit of a difficult time for me personally but that wasn't the real reason. I kept [the stage fright] to myself.
'I didn't want to upset the other actors or make them feel there was something they were doing or the play.
'I was totally committed but I just found it more difficult: waiting on your own and then having to go on and do a scene and have barely any other lines. When we finished, I just thought: 'I don't think I want to do this anymore'.'
'It's exhausting and I'm 78 this year, and I think 'enough, enough'', she added.
The Liverpool-born actress has only appeared in one play since the incident.
She revealed that it was only a small part where her character had a stroke halfway through and so was not a full-time performance.
And this is not the first time Alison has opened up about her career nerves.
She made her stage debut in 1977 with Abigail's Party, which later became a TV hit, and won an Olivier Award for The Rise and Fall of Little Voice in 1993
She previously revealed that she never watches herself on TV because she thinks she looks 'old and fat' - but has watched Gavin & Stacey (pictured on the show)
She previously revealed that she never watches herself on TV because she thinks she looks 'old and fat' - but has watched Gavin & Stacey.
Alison previously said: 'I watched the Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special, which I don't normally do. Anything I'm in I don't watch because I think I look old and fat. But with that I loved it so much that I had to watch it again.'
The Gavin And Stacey Christmas Special was well received by fans and was watched by more than 18million viewers. It saw Alison reunite with fellow co-stars James Corden, Ruth Jones, Matthew Horne, Joanna Page and Larry Lamb.
But she's kept busy since her iconic role as she has also starred in Boomers, Inside No.9 and Midsomer Murders.
