10 April 2024 – Ade always had this fun, easy relationship with Nina, Evie and Bo. Though they’ve all moved out, Ade makes sure to bring the family together at least once a week by cooking up a selection of lasagnas (one with crisps on top, one without, one lactose free and a veggie one).

In your own words, what is Dinosaur about?

Dinosaur is about a young family going through an enormous change. One of the daughters in the family is getting married and the other daughter – who is neurodiverse – it’s all about her journey through this change and how she adapts and how she learns to cope with it. Change it’s so vital and it’s so hard and I think that’s one of the biggest themes of the show.

What was your first impression of the script and what made you want to be involved in the show?

My first impression of the script when I read it was it was a page-turner because you have your inciting event in the first couple of episodes and ‘Oh where’s this going to go?’ Normally, I’m used to working on episodic sitcoms that have a half-hour story arc that finishes and then you can just watch the episodes independently. This one you needed to follow the story through to its conclusion. It was terrific. I didn’t find out until very late on exactly what was going to happen at the end of the series.

Tell us about your character Ade?

My character Ade is a bit of a dream character for me because the more I read the scripts, I was reminded of Walter Matthau’s line about half the battle is basically being the character and I was reading it going ‘Oh my goodness, I think I’m Ade. I think I actually am Ade – not the best person to play Ade – but I think I actually am this character.’ I think he’s a dad that people would like to have. He will embarrass you and be everything that a dad should be, but I think he’s actually got a sweet heart and a twinkle in his eye. I’ve certainly embarrassed my kids over the years, so I feel as if I’m qualified.

What is the family dynamic like between them all?

The dynamic of the characters is quite wonderful because you’re not really hiding anything away. It’s not like an Instagram family where you’re presenting the best version of it, it’s basically warts and all. The house is crazy, over-packed with stuff, and they bounce off each other and sometimes, bounce into each other. I think about every single holiday I’ve been on with my family and wow, there’s a lot of truth here. These themes are universal and I’m going through this at the moment, my youngest boy just went to university and the sea change in our family: the change of temperature, the change of volume of noise in the house, you think ‘Oh, this is going to be great!’ and all you do is spend your time missing them.

Known for comedy series such as Still Game, what’s the recipe for a great comedy?

I’ve only ever really done comedy. If I was to do a drama and the director said ‘Alright Greg, you’re going to cry now’ I would probably run a mile. The technical thing is sometimes it’s physical, sometimes it’s about saying the line at a certain pace and giving it a certain lick. You’re bouncing off other people all the time and certainly if you’re changing things, you have to be in the moment and have to be ready and fluid with that. I think when it comes to comedy, the most important thing is who am I working with here and how do they like to work? How can I service that and help that?

Sometimes naturally, you become the old man on the set, and you just have to accept that. But I’m not here to teach anybody anything, I’m here to learn. I’m a big advocate of life-long learning and it really is a pleasure to be around a group of people that are new to me and I’m new to them. I’ve been in this little cottage industry bubble of Still Game for twenty years. It’s like a velvet cage in a bubble and while you’re in that bubble, young people are coming up, they’re doing great work and they’re having their great careers and you’re missing it all. When you come out the other side of that bubble, you get asked to do something like this.

How did you enjoy working with the cast? Had you worked with anyone before?

Working with people like David Carlyle, who from my money was in one of the best shows of the last ten years, It’s a Sin. We watched every episode of that and I was a bit starstruck when I met him, to be honest. Danny and Kat – they’re just adorable. I’ve known Ashley for quite a while, I knew her when she was a stand-up, a fantastic stand-up, and such a quick mind. The thing that strikes me which I’ve loved is Ashley’s love of the moment and changing things and saying, ‘Why don’t we try this?’ and ‘Are you okay with me changing this?’ and it keeps you in that moment and it also means that you don’t arrive on set prepared to the hilt and trapped in amber with the way that you’re going to do it. You’re in the moment and working with other actors and that’s been a joy.

We were filming a scene where Nina played by Ashley has to take a phone call and we were sitting behind her and we have to have a conversation on camera. So, we made up a story about Kurt Cobain, Iceland and Lazy Town and poor old Ash was trying to take this phone call in front of us and the story got longer and more elaborate and more branches were growing off the tree. I felt sorry for her because I think she was more interested in listening to the story that we were telling than doing the phone call that she was supposed to be doing on camera. She kept turning around and rowing (?) us, it was a real joy.

I’m fifty-three now, I thought I was young, hip and quick and there’s all these young, quick hipsters underneath me and my gosh, it’s a pleasure to be in their company. You’re working with young DOPs, young directors and Niamh, she’s young, but my goodness she’s got an old head on her shoulders. She has a lovely symbiotic relationship with her young leads, I think in that she is very responsive to their needs and to their desire to change things and try things and talk things through on set. You come onto set with an open-heart and an open-mind and it’s a joy to see how other folk are doing it. I’m having a ball, absolutely having a ball. Long may it continue.

Three words to sum up Dinosaur?

I would say compelling, I would say moving and, I would say hysterical.