Grandmother's ticket to ride in new blockbuster film about the music of the Beatles - Yesterday

A grandmother is saying good day sunshine after she was cast in what is set to be the blockbuster movie of the year, Yesterday.

Iris Houseago, 79, from Brockdish, found herself on a real magical mystery tour after being cast as an extra in the new film about the music of Liverpool pop band, the Beatles.

Yesterday, starring Himesh Patel and Lily James, had its UK première last week and is a musical fantasy comedy film directed by Danny Boyle and written by Richard Curtis.

Iris was cast in the movie for a cafe scene after her daughter, Sally, 49, signed her up to a casting agency. It was her first ever casting.

But the retired nursing sister had no idea until this week that her acting debut – shot her scene in May 2018 – would be in one of the biggest films of the decade. She was also told to keep her big day out, a secret.

“I couldn’t tell anyone about what I had done,” said Iris. “I only learned what the film was when I saw it mentioned on TV this week."

“I had a friend with me and she asked what I had been up to? I said: ‘Listen, do you want to know a secret?"

Yesterday was shot largely in East Anglia and opens in the UK this Friday. It stars Himesh Patel as a musician who, after an accident, finds himself in another world where he is the only person who remembers the Beatles, and becomes famous taking credit for writing and performing their songs. Ed Sheeran also stars in the movie.

I used to bop to the Beatles when I was in my 20s, so I decided to go along and just have fun

Iris plans to be first in the queue with her grandson, Oscar, 18, at Norwich Odeon.

The film had its world première at the Tribeca Film Festival on May 4 and will be released in the UK by Universal Pictures.

Iris doesn't know how long she will be in the film, as she "didn't even know they were filming."

But she spent the whole day on set and dined out on cod and vegetables and sticky toffee pudding.

They didn't have any Savoy Truffle.

Read what Iris had to say about her big day out, her experience of meeting the director, cast and crew, and how much she had to pay the Taxman, in the current edition of the Diss Express (June 21 edition)

You can watch the trailer, here: