
Harry Enfield on the puerile charms of Kevin & Perry Go Large: ‘My son preferred The Inbetweeners'
Twenty five years ago, the biggest film in the UK was a puerile comedy about two spotty teenage losers who jet off to Ibiza to become famous DJs and lose their virginities. Kevin & Perry Go Large made two million pounds at the box-office over Easter weekend in 2000; its theme song Big Girl (All I Wanna Do Is Do It!) reached Number 16 in the UK Top 40. But how exactly did a film as filthy, and as unapologetically low-class, win over the tightly-buttoned British public?
The year in which it was released had a lot to do with it: the new millennium represented a fresh dawn for Britain where everyone was richer, fitter and more fun; alcohol was cheap and nights out were plentiful, and you could still light up a cigarette indoors without being slapped with a hefty fine. Homegrown TV and film was jam-packed of original, outrageous comedy from talented young writers. Harry Enfield, who first created the characters of Kevin and Perry (played by Kathy Burke) for his Nineties sketch show Harry Enfield & Chums, took inspiration from his own messy, angst-ridden, music-obsessed adolescence to shape them.
'It was slightly autobiographical – about every little boy, really,' Enfield tells me. 'I got the idea originally – about six years before Kevin & Perry – while I was in a relationship with Lily Allen's mum [Alison Owen]. Her eldest daughter Sarah, Lily's elder sister, was quite a difficult teenager, and so I wrote the characters to make her laugh. They behaved like she and her friends did.'
Kevin & Perry Go Large took a month to film on a shoestring budget, with the entire cast and crew dispatched to the quieter, north corner of Ibiza to keep them away from the hard-partying centre of San Antonio. The plan was only fitfully successful.
'There was quite a bit of partying,' says Enfield, now 63. 'And we ran out of money very quickly.' Money intended for props and equipment – already limited – was allegedly blown on drugs and alcohol, eventually leading to one pivotal joke taking a very different turn.
If you've seen Kevin & Perry, chances are your abiding memory will be of the giant, stinking poo, ominously floating in the Mediterranean Sea towards Kevin's gormless open mouth. Dreamed up by Enfield's co-writer Dave Cummings (Ed Bye directed the movie), the scene was meant to take place on a boat, with our unlucky-in-love protagonist finally granted the opportunity to get laid after saving Gemma's (Tabitha Wady) life when she falls overboard.
But fate – well, the measly budget, and the drugs – intervened. Enfield jokes that some money set aside to hire the boat was spent on heroin by other crew members. 'So we had to get a bit of lighting board polystyrene, paint it brown, pop it on a piece of line and make it into a poo. It was a bit cheaper than hiring the boat,' he says. They even resorted to picking up actors off the street to pad out the cast for free – one day, Burke was wandering around Ibiza when she bumped into EastEnders' Steve McFadden (who plays Phil Mitchell) and asked if he'd like to make a cameo. One small problem: they couldn't pay him, but would he be up for it in exchange for a single bacon roll? Of course he would. He then turned up in the film as a brawly club bouncer.
It's not just Kevin and Perry themselves who make the film hilarious. Every parent can empathise with Kevin's long-suffering mum and dad (played by a perpetually furious James Fleet and Louisa Rix). Kevin bans them from listening to Wonderwall ('You're not supposed to know Oasis even exist!'), throws a tantrum when they cough up the cash to take him and Perry to the White Isle on a free holiday, and almost vomits when he catches them having sex. But for all Kevin's shouting and moaning, he never comes across as a mean character: he's simply the every-teenager, the misery at the dinner table who wholeheartedly believes no one has ever had a harder life than him.
The film, too – for all its focus on house music, drugs and sex – is at its core a platonic love story, a portrait of an ordinary teenage friendship. When the two boys fall out, and Kevin shouts 'You are not my friend and you are not my fellow DJ!' (still the most quotable clapback in film, in my humble opinion) at Perry's sad, shell-shocked face, you almost feel choked up. Because however silly the film is, we've all shared some of its experiences.
Based partly on his own teenage years, Enfield says Kevin's difficult, abrasive personality was meant to represent the 'terrible time of about two years for boys when you just think you're going to be a virgin for the rest of your life. It takes over your life. It takes over your brain, which is half girls, half music.'
Without Kevin & Perry, we arguably wouldn't have The Inbetweeners, Channel 4's hit sitcom about four unpopular Surrey schoolboys, starring Simon Bird and Joe Thomas, which ran from 2008-10. After taking his son to the premiere of the show's spin-off film in 2011 – set, like Kevin & Perry Go Large, on a lads-on-tour holiday – Enfield asked how it compared to Kevin & Perry. 'And he said,' Enfield chuckles, 'Well, to be honest Dad, Kevin & Perry didn't make me laugh at all, and this is one of the funniest films I've ever seen.'
Like The Inbetweeners, which was unsuccessfully rebooted for US audiences in 2012, Kevin & Perry failed to find success across the Pond. It became quickly apparent after Icon, the film's production company, sold it to US distributors that Kevin & Perry was never going to be a hit in the States – 'They did a test screening, and I think they burnt the cinema down, they hated it so much.'
Why? Firstly, they didn't know the characters like Enfield's existing UK fanbase did; secondly, the US had their own (shinier) version in American Pie, released a year prior, which centred on a geeky protagonist (in Jason Biggs's Jim Levenstein, forever remembered as the movie character who makes love to a cherry pie) but also starred some of the Nineties' most attractive young stars: Seann William Scott, Tara Reid, Shannon Elizabeth. In comparison, gangly, ginger Kevin and squat, docile Perry (a boy played by a girl, no less) were simply too unattractive for Americans to get behind.
'They were ugly compared to American teen characters, where everyone's gorgeous,' Enfield explains. 'One of the boys was played by a girl, and the other one was played by a 34-year-old. Then, both of the girls [Candice and Gemma, played by Laura Fraser and Tabitha Wady] had lots of spots.' For British films to make money in America, he suggests, directors need to make a 'nice Richard Curtis film where everyone's beautiful'.
Much of the film centres around Kevin and Perry's efforts to impress superstar DJ Eye Ball Paul, so memorably portrayed by Rhys Ifans. If you put every negative stereotype about international party-boys in a blender – sex-obsessed, nasty, sly, selfish – you wouldn't even come close to emulating Eye Ball Paul's villainy. He's as famous for pouring vodka in his eyeballs as he is for playing dreadful techno at Amnesia; but Kevin and Perry don't care.
To Kevin's parents' chagrin, they spend their entire holiday carrying around his bags and cleaning his gross holiday home, dreaming – in vain – that he'll give them their big break. Instead, he just broadcasts Kevin's parents' homemade porn film on the club's big screen. But, Enfield laughs, teenagers never care about the moral failings of their heroes. 'With my generation, it was punk. We'd go to gigs and meet people like Eye Ball Paul; we'd hang around backstage and sometimes they were lovely, sometimes they were horrible. But even when they were horrible, we thought they were great.'
A quarter of a century on, Enfield is delighted to learn of a revitalised appreciation for the film – for the 25th anniversary, fans can enjoy screening events and special themed club nights, hosted by lookalikes who make a living out of playing the Noughties' favourite losers. Despite straight-edged Gen Z's apparent disdain for boozing and bonking, there are more than 60 million videos dedicated to Kevin & Perry's ridiculous exploits on TikTok.
With the renewed interest, would Enfield ever bring Kevin and Perry back? 'No, no, I'm too old now. A few years after [the film] I thought about doing a Harry Potter version, where Kevin goes to wizard school. But it never happened, and that was the end of that.'
What would Kevin & Perry Go to Hogwarts have looked like? Spotty Kevin in his wizarding robes, having swapped the decks for a broomstick and ecstasy for Polyjuice Potion – it certainly sounds more fun than Daniel Radcliffe moping about for 20 hours.
Instead, fans will have to make do with the 2000 film, a silly slice of uniquely British humour that, for all its dirty jokes and ridiculous plotting, made the whole country laugh.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
EastEnders bombshell as Queen Vic's loudmouth new landlady revealed as owners Linda & Elaine put iconic pub up for sale
ALBERT Square's next landlady at the Queen Vic pub is Kat Moon, The Sun can reveal. The leopard print-loving loudmouth takes over the EastEnders boozer after owners Linda Carter and her mum Elaine Peacock were forced to put it up for sale. 8 8 8 It marks a glorious return behind the Walford watering hole for Kat — previously Kat Slater, and licensee with husband Alfie Moon from 2010 to 2013. This time, for as yet unknown reasons, it will be just her name above the door. A source said: 'This will be Kat's third time working in the Queen Vic, but this will be her first time at the helm. 'It's a full-circle moment for the character, as when she first moved on to Albert Square in 2000, Kat gained employment as a barmaid at the pub. Then, ten years on, she helped Alfie. 'But now she's going to be the sole licensee of the boozer and it will kick-start a whole new chapter for the pub. 'Kat follows in the high heels of the Square's most formidable women — Angie Watts, her daughter Sharon and Peggy Mitchell — and puts her at the centre of the action.' The move also places actress Jessie Wallace at the heart of the soap and establishes her among the BBC's most valued talent. Over the past five years, bosses have relied on Jessie, 53, as part of the soap's biggest storylines, including Alfie's prostate cancer battle and a failed marriage to Phil Mitchell. And its another show of support after Jessie got a conditional caution from cops for assaulting a police officer outside a nightclub in 2022. Kat's new job comes after she this week ties the knot with Alfie (Shane Richie) for the third time — more than two decades after first saying 'I do'. EastEnders favourite kicked out by partner in fiery argument as 'cheating' exposed They are one of the soap's most popular couples. The sale of the boozer comes after it blew up in February, claiming the lives of Martin Fowler (James Bye) and killer accountant Reiss Colwell (Jonny Freeman). BIG BOOZE TO FILL.. ANGIE WATTS (Anita Dobson) 8 THE Queen Vic's first lady, serving alongside husband Dirty Den from 1975 to 1988. Angie left when she moved to Spain with lover, Sonny. PAT BUTCHER 8 BOLSHY Pat pulled pints with gravel-voiced husband Frank from 1988 to 1990 but they gave up to look after daughter Janine and run a B&B. SHARON WATTS (Letitia Dean) QUEEN Vic landlady from 1991 as owners Phil and Grant Mitchell (her husband) had criminal records. She left in 1994 then returned several times. PEGGY MITCHELL Barbara Windsor 8 AFTER Phil's affair with Sharon, the brothers' mum took on the Vic with Grant — becoming the longest-serving landlady, off and on from 1994 to 2010. JANINE BUTCHER (Charlie Brooks) LANDLADY for just a few hours. She and fiancé Archie Mitchell blackmailed Ian Beale to sell up but Archie double-crossed and evicted her.


Metro
2 hours ago
- Metro
EastEnders confirms unexpected Stacey twist as Alfie vanishes
EastEnders' Alfie Moon (Shane Richie) disappears from Walford next week following a conversation with Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner). As viewers of the BBC One soap know, Stacey, along with her children Arthur (Rocco Brenner) and Hope (Isabelle Smith) went to stay with their cousin Lynne (Elaine Lordan) last month. She'd had a traumatic week, having finally plucked up the courage to face the outside world following ex-husband Martin Fowler's (James Bye) death. Just as she felt brave enough, she faced a horrific setback as Freddie Slater (Bobby Brazier) accidentally washed her phone, containing precious photographs and voicemails. Arthur also confessed that he had access to Martin's phone – and that Stacey had been sending text messages implying that he was still alive. Fearing that she had stopped taking her bipolar medication, Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) staged an intervention. When Stacey's eldest daughter Lily (Lillia Turner) announced her intention to visit her dad Ryan Malloy (Neil McDermott) in Wakefield, Stace' decided that she too should take some time away from Albert Square. Despite their absence, tensions have been running high in the Slater household. In the aftermath of Harvey Monroe's (Ross Boatman) affair with Kathy Cotton (Gillian Taylforth), he unknowingly signed on the dotted line to operate a limousine business with Kat. Love was clearly in the air, as Alfie then got down on one knee and proposed to Kat, with them deciding to get wed and use it as an opportunity to publicise the purchase of the vehicle. In upcoming scenes, Harvey's ex Jean Slater (Gillian Wright) is heartbroken to see the press coverage, which suggests that Kathy is 'Mrs Monroe.' She pours her heart out to Alfie, who is otherwise distracted by his phone. Jean then runs into Harvey, and attempts to sabotage his new venture until Alfie intervenes. He promises that he'll be there for her in the wake of her breakup, but it soon becomes clear that he's already got enough on his plate when Stacey calls him with another problem. Want to be the first to hear shocking EastEnders spoilers? Who's leaving Coronation Street? The latest gossip from Emmerdale? Join 10,000 soaps fans on Metro's WhatsApp Soaps community and get access to spoiler galleries, must-watch videos, and exclusive interviews. Simply click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! Don't forget to turn on notifications so you can see when we've just dropped the latest spoilers! What is wrong? More Trending Elsewhere, Kat worries about son Tommy (Sonny Kendall), who has landed himself in more hot water with mate Joel Marshall (Max Murray). While on the tube, Joel got Tommy to record him falling onto a woman – and touching her. She's desperate to find Alfie and talk to him about Joel's influence, but he's nowhere to be found. When they do eventually have a conversation, she's left feeling like he isn't being completely honest with her. Things then go from bad to worse when he reveals that Spencer is in a bad way in Australia, and he needs to go and stay with him. View More » What is Alfie hiding? If you've got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@ – we'd love to hear from you. Join the community by leaving a comment below and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage. MORE: All EastEnders cast returns, exits and new arrivals coming up in 2025 MORE: EastEnders legend reels as she finds explicit video on fiancé's laptop MORE: EastEnders legend 'devastated and angry' over 'complete nightmare' wedding


Metro
3 hours ago
- Metro
Coronation Street's Todd makes another shock discovery about Theo
Falling for scaffolder Theo Silverton (James Cartwright) hasn't been easy for Coronation Street's Todd Grimshaw (Gareth Pierce). From the outset there was a strong attraction between them and instant chemistry, but it was soon apparent that Theo was having difficulties with the situation. It wasn't long before Todd found out that Theo was struggling to come to terms with his sexuality and had been basically trying to ignore the fact that he's gay for most of his life. Soon Todd made the additional discovery that Theo is married to a woman called Danielle (Natalie Anderson) and has two teenage children. Despite these complications, and revealing that he endured conversion therapy when he was younger, Theo has decided that his future is with Todd and he's not going to hide who he is any longer. Things are far from plain sailing for Todd and Theo's relationship, even so. Theo's daughter Millie (Kaitlyn Earley) has recently dropped the bombshell that she's pregnant, and Theo has moved back to the family home to support her, leaving Todd feeling frustrated that the relationship always seems to be two steps forward and one step back. 'The stakes are quite high immediately because of what Theo is potentially giving up for the relationship, but also because of what Todd is putting on the relationship as well,' Gareth Pierce told Metro at the British Soap Awards. 'The stakes are high for Todd because he actually really wants this one to work. There's lots to come.' In upcoming episodes Theo tries his best to reassure Todd that he does value their relationship and sees his future with Todd, while warning him that he'll always have to prioritise his kids, whatever happens. Want to be the first to hear shocking EastEnders spoilers? Who's leaving Coronation Street? The latest gossip from Emmerdale? Join 10,000 soaps fans on Metro's WhatsApp Soaps community and get access to spoiler galleries, must-watch videos, and exclusive interviews. Simply click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! Don't forget to turn on notifications so you can see when we've just dropped the latest spoilers! And when Millie posts a happy family picture including Theo, Todd can't help but feel excluded and he worries that Theo will never be able to fully commit to their relationship. More Trending Drowning his sorrows, Todd is joined by Billy (Daniel Brocklebank) and Sean (Antony Cotton). Determined to show Theo that he's fine without him, Todd takes a selfie of the three of them together to post to his socials. He's feeling a bit cheered up, but then Sean checks a dating app he's been using and is shocked to see a picture of Theo pop up. He shows the profile to Todd. View More » Is this the last straw for Todd and Theo? MORE: Major Coronation Street couple on the rocks as legend is left gutted MORE: Coronation Street's Todd left in shock as Theo's daughter Millie drops major bombshell MORE: All Coronation Street spoiler videos for next week as unexpected pregnancy is confirmed