Liverpool welcomed home Anfield-born Alison Steadman as she joined a sell-out crowd of fans for a screening of Life is Sweet, followed by a question and answer session with the legendary actress.
This was the first in a series of monthly celebrations of local talent to raise funds for the Clapperboard UK Youth Project - which helps young people across the region to write, perform and create their own films.
The audience applauded Mike Leigh's superlative 1991 film Life is Sweet - a very dark look at one family's life in the late 80s, for which Alison won Best Actress from the National Society of Film Critics Award.
The Gavin and Stacey star praised the "positive feel" of Liverpool as a city, compared to during her time as a budding young actress.
She said: "It's changed amazingly, particulary now with Liverpool One.
"I was walking down Hope St earlier, it's unrecognisable. It's brilliant.
"It's definitely got such a positive feel.
"The cafes and restaurants and this cinema, Fact, it's just terrific.
"I hope now that as things go on and the city gets more and more confident perhaps it will extend itself even further and things will improve beyond the city centre.
"The city's got such a different feel. Of course, in the '70s and '80s most UK cities were run down."
Alison was quizzed by avid fans about her career, which spans four decades, and what advice she would offer young people trying to forge an acting career.
"Clapperboard UK is a brilliant project for young people to have any kind of activity connected with theatre, poetry, drama is fantastic.
"When I was judge last year I was amazed at what they achieved in a very short time.
"The subject matters they tackled were very hard-hitting. It was great they were looking at these issues and working them out in these films.
"They had an awareness of such empathy.
"I think if you can teach young people empathy, to look at someone else's point of view and feel how someone else can feel then you are able to create a society that really cares.
"I was thrilled to see these films because I did youth theatre myself from the age of 15 and that gave me a real sense of purpose at that age.
"I wasn't bright in school, but I knew I could perform.
"For anyone trying to get into acting it's important to follow your dreams and ambitions.
"It's so easy to give up, if you want something then go for it.
"It's tough, and I know it's even tougher nowadays than when I started out.
"But with technology now young people can get together and create films and ideas, and record them cheaply on a digital camera.
"And you must always watch films and theatre wherever possible.
"Never stop watching and listening to people - work out why the man on the bus is how he is - people watching is absolutely free."
Alison delighted the crowd by revealing "Essex women" as inspiration behind her most celebrated role, Beverley, in Abigail's Party.
"The character of Beverley was a mixture of a couple of people I'd met.
"With Mike Leigh's work, you often build up gradually to a fully rounded character. I found trying on different shoes and hairstyles really helps me create a character.
"Essex women are a very certain type.
"While I was at drama school I met quite a few and I was shocked at stories they would tell me.
"At weekends they would go 'man hunting' at pubs and bars.
"One girl told me she always looked for expensive cars in the car park before she went in.
"If there isn't a decent car there, there's no point."
"I was very naive at that time.
"But for Beverely's character, I knew that was the sort of thing she would have played a part in as a young woman.
"We had no idea how popular Abigail's Party was going to be at the time, but it was a very special time in my life.
"It's been 31 years since the television play - I was 5 months pregnant at the time so my son's a very human reminder of how long ago it was!"
Forthcoming events in the Clapperboard UK series will focus on the work of favourites Rita Tushingham, Willy Russell, David Morrissey, Frank Cottrell Boyce, Neil Fitzmaurice, Christine Tremarco, Jimmy McGovern, Stephen Graham, John McArdle, Ian Hart and many more professionals from ‘in front of’ and ‘behind’ the camera.
Dates are as follows:
20 October - Liverpool actor Rita Tushingham
10 November - Liverpool actor David Morrissey
1 December – Award winning writer Frank Cottrell Boyce
Tickets cost £10 (Concessions £7) and are available from the FACT box office.
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