By Patrick Cremona

Published: Thursday, 03 February 2022 at 12:00 am

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New Channel 4 sitcom The Curse brings together the stars behind two of the most beloved British comedies of recent times – Murder in Successville and People Just Do Nothing – for a brilliantly fun heist comedy.

The main cast is predominantly made up of alumni from those two shows, with former EastEnders and Father Brown star Emer Kenny added in for good measure, while a number of other actors pop up throughout the six-episode run.

Read on for everything you need to know about the cast, including who they’re playing and where you might have seen them before.

Allan Mustafa plays Albert Fantoni

Who is Albert? A meek cafe owner and family man, Albert is initially against the idea of pulling off a robbery but is persuaded to go ahead with the idea by his wife Natasha.

“He’s the ultimate example of someone who suddenly finds himself in too deep,” Mustafa said of the character. “He’s a really sweet guy who just wants everything to be fair and safe. He’s a family man who adores his wife. What she says goes and that gives Albert the push he needs. She calls him ‘soppy bollocks’ and he’s fine with that because he hasn’t got an ego.”

What else has Allan Mustafa been in? Mustafa is best known as the co-creator and star of the hit sitcom People Just Do Nothing, in which he played MC Grindah for four seasons and a movie. He also starred in the 2020 Netflix film Love Wedding Repeat and will play a lead role in the upcoming BBC Three comedy Peacock.

Tom Davis plays Big Mick Neville

Who is Mick? Mick is a witless ex-boxer and the oldest member of the gang, who laps up the idea of the heist but isn’t exactly an expert when it comes to covering his tracks in the aftermath.

According to Davis: “It was important that the big man within the group shouldn’t just be a bully; there needed to be more to him than that. All these characters go on a journey. Mick’s almost like a big sister who looks out for everyone. He cares about friendship and family. There’s a moral compass there but he’s quite a lonely guy in some ways. He’s also slightly older than the rest of the group, which is something Seapa reminded me of all the time.”

What else has Tom Davis been in? Davis is the star and co-creator of the sitcoms Murder in Successville and King Gary, while he has also appeared in a range of other comedy shows – notably including Plebs, Stag and Action Team.

Emer Kenny plays Natasha Fantoni

Who is Natasha? Albert’s wife and Sidney’s sister, Natasha is by far the most sensible of the group – and is the real mastermind behind the heist. Despite this, she sometimes finds her suggestions ignored by the men in the gang.

“Natasha Fantoni is married to Albert and they run a cafe called Alberto’s,” Kenny explained. “It’s the chosen place for all of the East End criminal fraternity to get their bacon sandwich in the morning. That’s the world they operate in, even though they just run a greasy spoon. They’re skint but Tash aspires to more. She wants holidays, a new car and a better life for her twin daughters.”

What else has Emer Kenny been in? Kenny rose to fame playing Zsa Zsa Carter in EastEnders and spin-off EastEnders: E20 back in 2010, and she has since played a variety of roles including a leading part as Penelope ‘Bunty’ Windermere on daytime favourite Father Brown. She also has a successful TV writing career with credits on shows such as EastEnders, Holby City, Harlots, and Save Me, while her first series as a head writer – Karen Pirie – will be released later this year.

Hugo Chegwin plays Phil Pocket

Who is Phil? Another member of the heist crew, Phil aspires to loftier ambitions as a fully-fledged member of a firm – and is often seen desperately trying to impress some rather intimidating gangsters.

Speaking about the character, Chegwin said: “The first time we meet him, he’s trying to nickname himself ‘The Captain’. Phil’s an idiot. He wants to be a face. He longs to be somebody. He’s the gofer and driver for Clive and Joey, who are real gangsters, meaning that he sees the respect and power that brings. He wants a taste of that himself but nobody’s giving it to him. So when Sidney presents this opportunity to Phil, it’s his moment to join the firm he’s longed to be part of. He’s a wannabe gangster.”

What else has Hugo Chegwin been in? Chegwin also came to prominence for his role on People Just Do Nothing, in which he played the role of Grindah’s right-hand man, Beats.

Steve Stamp plays Sidney Wilson

Who is Sidney? Natasha’s brother, Sidney has just got a new job at a security depot and is the first to bring up the idea of the heist to the rest of the group.

Stamp said of the character: “He works as a security guard at the storage facility. He’s a bit of a loser with not much going on in his life and his sister ‘Tash is the one that brings everybody together. Sid thinks that he’s the mastermind of the whole operation but he’s being manipulated most of the time.

“He ends up not having the amount of control he’d like and being pushed out of his own job. As the story progresses, Sid becomes quite a downtrodden, frustrated character but huge fun to play. He’s got a greedy, selfish side too. I don’t want to give much away but he gets more and more s**t on.”

What else has Steve Stamp been in? Like Mustafa and Chegwin, Stamp made his name on People Just Do Nothing as both a writer and star, playing drug addict and layabout Steves.

Abraham Popoola plays Joey

Who is Joey? One of the intimidating gangsters looked up to by Phil, who is brought in to help with the heist.

What else has Abraham Popoola been in? Popoola has had small roles in a number of shows including The Great, Breeders, and Starstruck, while he’s also had minor parts in films including Cruella and Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey. He has a key part in upcoming drama The Rig.

Peter Ferdinando plays Clive

Who is Clive? More commonly known as ‘Crazy Clive’, Clive is a friend of Joey’s who is also drafted in to help plan and execute the robbery.

What else has Peter Ferdinando been in? Character actor Ferdinando has appeared in a wealth of TV and film projects including Tony, Hyena, Starred Up, A Field in England, and Ghost in the Shell.

Ambreen Razia plays Detective Thread

Who is Detective Thread? One of the officers looking into the robbery, Thread has far better ideas than her partner but is often overlooked by him.

What else has Ambreen Razia been in? Razia has previously starred in recurring roles in a number of small-screen projects including Starstruck, Trigonometry, and the second season of This Way Up.

Geoff Bell plays Detective Saunders

Who is Detective Saunders? The other detective looking into the case – Saunders has a penchant for grandstanding and is often one step behind his colleague.

What else has Geoff Bell been in? Bell has appeared in films such as Green Street, The Business and Kingsman: The Secret Service, while recent TV shows include His Dark Materials, The End of the F***ing World and Tin Star.

Michael Smiley plays Ronnie Gatlin

Who is Ronnie? Ronnie appears in the latter half of the series – but few details have been announced about this character so far.

What else has Michael Smiley been in? Smiley has appeared in a huge variety of shows and films in his career – with highlights including playing Tyres O’Flaherty in Spaced, Benny Silver in Luther and more recently Dinger in Bloodlands. Film roles have included Kill List, The Lobster and Censor.

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