IT’S hard to believe that Pulling Moves was on our TV screens 23 years ago.
The BBC comedy about four West Belfast mates trying to earn a crust ran for one series of ten episodes in the spring of 2003. Penned by Pearse Elliott is was filmed exclusively in West Belfast with a mainly local cast.
And while Ciaran McMenamin and Simon Delaney had already made their television breakthroughs in the previous years, the series introduced us to West Belfast acting talent in the shape of Ciaran Nolan, Kathy Kiera Clarke, Kevin Elliott and Gerard Jordan, amongst others.
And if that little journey down memory lane has got you wondering whatever happened to Wardrobe, Shay and Hoker, fear not. For next weekend in the Devenish all will be revealed as the team behind Pulling Moves are reunited for one night only for a special evening in front of a live audience as part of the Sean McComb Public Nuisance Podcast.
“It’s going to be a great night,” says Ciaran Nolan, who burst onto our screens as Shay in Pulling Moves.
“It’s a live podcast and it's the first time since 2003 that the five main male characters will be together – myself, Simon Delaney, Ciaran McMenamin, Kevin Elliott and Gerard Jordan.
"People keep asking me when is Pulling Moves coming back? Well, here you are."
With the cast back together for the first time in 23 years, expect laughs and some behind-the-scenes secrets to be revealed.
“The night will start with me, Kevin, Simon and Ciaran on stage with Sean who is hosting the night and we’ll be showing a few clips from the show and we’ll chat about all that, then we’ll bring Gerard Jordan out, who you'll remember played Hoker the hood, and we’ll get his perspective and his craic. Then Pearse is going to come on in the second half and he’ll no doubt disagree with everything that we’ve just said and tell everybody what really happened.”
Looking back on Pulling Moves Ciaran says the series was the big break into acting for him, Gerard Jordan and Kevin Elliott.
“It was surreal,” he says. “I can walk up and down this road and see all the different places where we filmed. Unlike today it was unusual to see film crews on the streets of West Belfast back then and it was mental with the kids coming over wanting to know what was going on. Then when it hit the TV screens you were instantly recognised and people were shouting over some of the sayings from the show. It was a brilliant time.
“There was a great sense of community in Pulling Moves because the community was involved in it. You were in Lenadoon filming in people’s houses. I would go back to that summer anytime because there was such a buzz around the filming.
"And of course that was Pearse’s big break as well. He’d been knocking on the door for a couple of years. But Pearse’s scripts were brilliant. I remember reading them and it was so easy, it just rolled off your tongue and you recognised the conversations.”
He adds: “For all those fans who keep asking us when is Pulling Moves coming back this is for you. A lot of people wanted a second series but for one reason or another it just didn’t happen, so if anyone felt short-changed come along to the Devenish and enjoy the craic."
Doors open at 6.30pm on Saturday August 29. Tickets available on ticketmaster.
