In Sky’s festive fable The Heist Before Christmas, James Nesbitt and Timothy Spall are reunited more than 20 years after they appeared together in the film Lucky Break, which also started with a bank robbery.
Set in Nesbitt’s native Northern Ireland, the feature-length story centers on troublesome lad Mikey (Bamber Todd) and his more innocent younger brother Sean (Joshua McLees), who live with their hard-up single mother Patricia (Laura Donnelly).
When they encounter two chalk-and-cheese Santas in the woods near their home, the siblings are in for a Christmas adventure they will never forget.
One, played by Nesbitt, has just robbed a bank, while the other, played by Spall, claims to be the real Santa Claus, and says he has fallen out of his sleigh. But with Mikey keen to get his hands on the robber’s cash, and Sean still a true believer in Father Christmas, which Santa will come out on top?
Here, Bloodlands actor James Nesbitt tells What To Watch more...
Hi James, how would you describe your character?
"My character is the bank robber. He’s desperate and has come up with what he thinks is an ingenious plan to rob a bank, dressed as Santa Claus. Although he’s got real menace, and his intentions are bad, he’s also a bit of a klutz and very accident-prone."
How do young Mikey and Sean get tangled up with your bank-robbing Santa?
"Mikey sees me run off with lots of money, and decides he wants it, as it’s about time his family was given something fair at Christmas. His little brother Sean wants a bike, and Mikey’s determined to get that for him. Great mayhem, drama and comedy ensue!"
Do you remember getting a particularly memorable Christmas present when you were a kid?
"My first bike, which was called Nippy. I remember coming downstairs and seeing it in the living room, and just not being able to believe it, and feeling so overjoyed."
Did you enjoy playing such a larger-than-life, villainous character?
"They always say: ‘Dying is easy, comedy is hard’. It was fun to do comedy again, and this has a lovely, quirky, slapstick feel to it."
How was it reuniting with Timothy Spall after all these years?
"Timothy is a grown-up actor, and I feel very in awe of him. He’s also very funny, and was brilliant with the kids, so warm. He’s exactly what you would want Father Christmas to be like."
What would you put on your own Christmas list?
"I would like a photo of me with Erik ten Hag, the Manchester United football manager. I would also like to be 25 years younger, and for my daughters to stop telling me to stop sucking my thumb."
What do you hope audiences take away from the film?
"I hope they laugh, love the characters and think about what Christmas means – being generous and kind to others. But mostly I hope they’re entertained."
Does it have a Christmas message?
"It’s a film in which the spirit of Christmas may not be dead, even to Mikey. And between these different Santa Clauses, and amidst this crime and these difficulties, maybe there really is Santa out there, and his message, and the spirit of Christmas, are alive."
What was it like filming near where you grew up in Northern Ireland?
"I still live there most of the time, by the sea in Portrush. It’s become a hotspot location for so many other films and TV shows, including that little-known series, Games of Thrones."
What makes Northern Ireland a good setting for this Christmas story?
"When I was growing up, Northern Ireland was in a really difficult situation, and Christmas was a time for people to almost forget about the Troubles, and think about the message of Christmas and bringing people together. Also, it’s just such a beautiful place."
Centring on a cash-strapped family, does this Christmas story seem very topical to you?
"It really does open a window onto the cost-of-living crisis, which is terrible, and people are really struggling. Christmas can be a very difficult time of year, and I think a lot of it will resonate with viewers."
Since you’re playing a bad Santa, is there anything you dislike about Christmas?
"How early everything starts. I hate the cynical marketing that happens from October."
The Heist Before Christmas will be shown on Sky Max at 8 pm on Christmas Eve.
