Gavin & Stacey’s Steffan Rhodri in new West End comedy

Steffan Rhodri is best known for staring as ‘Dave Coaches’ in Gavin and Stacey, or as Reg Cattermole in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Parts I & II). Now, following in the footsteps of Gavin & Stacey co-star James Corden (One Man, Two Guvnors) he is treading the boards in a West End comedy.

Absent Friends, by Alan Aykbourn is a hilarious tale of a comforting tea gone horribly wrong.

The cast of Absent Friends also includes other performers best known for their work in TV comedies, such as The IT Crowd’s Katherine Parkinson, The League Of Gentlemen’s Reece Shearsmith and regular sketch performer David Armand.

They are joined in Absent Friends by former Eastenders star and winner of Strictly Come Dancing Kara Tointon, who made her West End debut in the 2011 production of Pygmalion, and Elizabeth Berrington, who returns to the London stage for the first time since taking the lead role in the Hampstead theatre’s 2002 revival of Abigail’s Party.

As well as talking about ‘Absent Friends’ and Gavin & Stacey, Steffan also talks about what he misses about his homeland (Steffan, a proud Welshman, was away from the land of his fathers on St David’s Day as the play runs until the 14th of April), and his love for Welsh food – including a tale about Barack Obama and Welsh caramel!