Outstanding In His Field
SFX|Holiday Special 2021
Mackenzie Crook’s Worzel Gummidge is back this Christmas, and the man himself couldn’t be happier
Worzel Gummidge
Outstanding In His Field

WHEN RED ALERT catches up with actor Mackenzie Crook, he’s on the last lap of post-production work on a bumper crop of Worzel Gummidge specials, which he’s once again written, starred in, and directed while wearing the heavy-duty prosthetics required to transform him into a turnipheaded scarecrow.

“It was brutal this time round,” he admits. “We did three in one go, and so it was a nine-week shoot. I enjoyed the days when I wasn’t in make-up. The shoot is always the most anxious point of the process for me. In my ideal world, it would always be blazing sunshine and beautiful blue skies, but it has to be torrential rain for it to even show up on cameras. I’ve had to learn to chill out about that.”

CHOUGH LOVE

The first festive episode, “Twitchers”, finds Worzel facing competition from an invading troop of birdwatchers. “A flock of choughs turns up in Scatterbrook, which are a rare coastal type of crow with red legs and beaks,” Crook explains. “They’ve been blown in by a storm from the coast and have settled in Ten Acre Field. For Worzel, this is a great opportunity to scare a rare bird – it’s a good one for the CV! But before he gets a chance, all these twitchers and birdwatchers turn up. All their binoculars and telescopes are focused on him, so he can’t move a muscle or do anything to scare them away.”

This story is from the Holiday Special 2021 edition of SFX.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the Holiday Special 2021 edition of SFX.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM SFXView All
ANCER MAHAGEMENT
SFX UK

ANCER MAHAGEMENT

WITH A NEW TRILOGY IN SIGHT, WE SPEAK TO THE DIRECTOR OF 28 WEEKS LATER THE ORIGINAL CHILLING SEQUEL TO DANNY BOYLE'S SEMINAL SURVIVAL HORROR

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2024
WHO YA CONNA CALL?
SFX UK

WHO YA CONNA CALL?

BEHIND THE SCENES AT HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS FOR GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2024
SPEAK OF THE DEVIL
SFX UK

SPEAK OF THE DEVIL

THE DEVIL'S HOUR STRIKES TWICE AS THE GENREDEFYING DRAMA RETURNS

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024
SCARRY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK
SFX UK

SCARRY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK

FROM THE RETURN OF EC COMICS TO SCREAM!, THIS YEAR'S HALLOWEEN OFFERS UP HORROR COMICS FOR ALL THE AGES

time-read
9 mins  |
November 2024
UNDEADS REFLECTIONS
SFX UK

UNDEADS REFLECTIONS

NEIL JORDAN ON BRINGING ANNE RICE'S MODERN VAMPIRE CLASSIC TO SCREEN, 30 YEARS ON

time-read
6 mins  |
November 2024
MUNSTER MASH!
SFX UK

MUNSTER MASH!

PRODUCTION HELL, SHOCK RECASTING AND HOTLY CONTESTED AUTHORSHIP. AS THE MUNSTERS CELEBRATE THEIR 60TH ANNIVERSARY, WE UNCOVER HOW THE SPOOKY SITCOM WAS ALMOST DEAD ON ARRIVAL

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 2024
COMING TO AMERICA
SFX UK

COMING TO AMERICA

THE MOGWAI LIVE THE AMERICAN DREAM IN THEIR SECOND CHAPTER, GREMLINS: THE WILD BATCH

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024
BEING HUMAN EVOLUTION
SFX UK

BEING HUMAN EVOLUTION

IT MAY HAVE BEEN AN INSTANT HIT, BUT BBC THREE'S DARKLY COMIC DRAMA ABOUT A HOUSE-SHARING VAMPIRE/WEREWOLF/GHOST TRIO HAD A STRANGE JOURNEY TO THE SCREEN, SERIES CREATOR TOBY WHITHOUSE TELLS SFX

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2024
THE MAINE EVENT
SFX UK

THE MAINE EVENT

THE DARK IS RISING IN SALEM'S LOT AS STEPHEN KING'S DEATHLESS TALE RETURNS TO THE SCREEN

time-read
7 mins  |
November 2024
WHY DON'T YOU STAY FOR A BITE?
SFX UK

WHY DON'T YOU STAY FOR A BITE?

THE VAMPIRE COMES HOME AS DIRECTOR EUROS LYN WELCOMES SFX TO HIS NEW DARK COMEDY THE RADLEYS

time-read
9 mins  |
November 2024