Gavin and Stacey star Alison Steadman names the one thing she will always thank Liverpool for

Alison Steadman is back in Liverpool and can’t help but feel reflective.

The 77-year-old actress has enjoyed a six-decade career on stage and screen. It has seen her grace some of the country’s greatest theatres - winning an Olivier Award for 'The Rise and Fall of Little Voice' - as well as becoming one of the most recognisable faces on British television, most notably as Essex mum Pam in sitcom 'Gavin and Stacey'.

For Alison, it all started in her childhood Anfield home. She grew up in Sherwyn Road, where her mum encouraged her early dramatic flourishes - namely impressions and a knack for comedy.

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After attending Childwall Valley High School, it was onto drama school in Essex. But Alison returned home to work at The Everyman during the 1970s, flourishing under the direction of the legendary Alan Dossor.

She returned to the theatre once more this week - as part of The Everyman’s 60th anniversary celebrations - to look back on her own career and the role the Hope Street theatre played in that. Before she took to the stage, Alison spoke to the ECHO about her Liverpool upbringing, what makes the city so special and her return to ‘Gavin and Stacey’ in this year’s Christmas special.

Asked about what sparked her interest in drama, Alison said: “It was even from when I was a child and I had a little doll, I would play the part of being the mum.

"We had Scottish neighbours and I used to be quite fascinated by the fact that they had a different accent to everyone else - so I would try to impersonate that.

"As I grew up, I watched television