| Reenie Calver | |
|---|---|
| |
| Actor | Steve Pemberton |
| Appearances | |
| Programme | The League of Gentlemen |
| Series | 2, Christmas special, 3 |
| First appearance | "Destination: Royston Vasey" |
| Last appearance | "How the Elephant Got Its Trunk" |
| Information | |
| Marital status | Alive |
| Occupation | Charity Shop worker Solutions member |
| Related characters | Vinnie Wythenshaw, Merill (co-workers) Papa Lazarou (former co-worker, kidnapper) Brian Morgan (ally) |
- "Alright, no need to be rude dear!"
- Reenie Calver ("Destination: Royston Vasey")
Reenie Calver, portrayed by Steve Pemberton, was introduced in The League of Gentlemen's second series alongside Vinnie Wythenshaw. Working together in Royston Vasey's Charity Shop they form a double-act throughout the second series and briefly in the third series, before Vinnie is killed.
The sketches featuring the Charity Shop typically involve Reenie and Vinnie making any donations or sales an especially slow process. However Reenie's appearance in the final episode of Series 3 explains everything seen before as she loses Vinnie and becomes trapped in a situation she had no desire to be in.
Inspiration[]
Reenie is based on the major amount of women the League met when buying props and costumes. They were strict about bags, some were confused by the simplest of requests and others would have a horde of things in the back like glasses.
TV Appearances[]
Series Two[]
After Vinnie requests a price check Reenie misunderstands her and gets everything that Vinnie mentions. All the customer, Al, wanted was a cassette but instead he gets several cassettes, books and tapes. When Vinnie asks for change Reenie once again misunderstands and removes Al's jacket offering him a bag.
The duo visit Papa Lazarou's Fair where they go on the Ghost Train; still in work mode they think the ghost is wearing a bag.
A couple of episodes later while Vinnie was writing in the book, she asked Reenie was asking if Cassette had 2 'T's which she mistakes for asking for tea. However when she comes with the cups she discovers that Mrs. Beasley has donated toys and she explains that the teddy didn't have a Special Mark meaning it was unsafe for children but they suggested her shops like the Spastics, that would accept it, however they took the bag but due to being in a moment they claimed the bag didn't have a mark either and so completely broken Mrs Beasley yells and runs out.
In the final episode they are closing in early as it's getting unsafe and reflect that a tomorrow's Thursday and "that Merill" does it and they clearly dislike her, however a Middle Age woman comes in for a reserved Bag and from her description it's a Handbag and it was sold by Merill and so they find it and go to confuse themselves by going to and throw about it not being in the book and for the woman not wanting it bagged up and so once she is given it and leaves saying she paid Merill so they write it in the book ending their confusion.
Christmas Special[]
Reenie and Vinnie were members of Solutions on ether side of Val Denton they say that Stella Hull needs to bring her own bag. However since Solutions is part of a dream it isn't real.
Series Three[]
Reenie appears in the Final Episode "How the Elephant got it's Trunk". She and Vinnie steal things from the rival Charity Shops and off a beggar. She was upstairs preparing clothes and bags when a Red Bag flew out of the window, she tells Vinnie and they blame Merill and after Vinnie tells Reenie that she has taken pieces out of the games and as Vinnie leaves Reenie said that she'll come in early to deal with the puzzles. However the next day Reenie is greeted by a bag of things as she talks to Vinnie she realises that the items were what Vinnie wore yesterday and that her friend is dead.
However Reenie gets a new volunteer called Keith Drop a ex-Thespian who is flashy and has make up on, he worked at Scope (originally The Spastics) he donates some old Am Dram pieces of Costumes, when Brian Morgan comes in she leaves making sure that Keith knows not lose a bag. Just as they are about to close Reenie after giving Keith a cup of Tea came back down as hearing noise, it was Keith strangling Brian, she save Brian after hitting Keith with a Warning Pan. After tying up Keith a spray of Water revealed that Keith is Papa Lazarou and that he has kidnapped Brain's wife Katie but while trying to get Papa to talk Reenie isn't helping. Before Reenie goes to call the police Brain convinces her to make him soup and leave him a knife for him to escape so they can find Katie as well. She does so and Papa upon realises the plan channels Vinnie asking her to release him Reenie runs out as Papa uses the knife and runs to his hideout with Brian and Reenie in tow.
Reenie gets Brain into the hideout and while he searches for the truth, Reenie is too focused on the clothes left all over the place and upon hearing crying sees the little girl goes to help her only to be Simba and he grabs her. While Papa is reapplying his make up Reenie is tied to Brain clearly not still with it. After Papa decides to show Brain what he did to Katie. Papa is now turning his wives into animals Katie is now a Lion, Brian will be part of a elephant and Reenie is a Crocodile.
Live Appearance[]
Are Behind You[]
Reenie and Vinnie are in Act 1's Community Nativity as the Shepherds with waving a Red Bag as they run out of Stars but they make do with that and leave while singing "While Shepherd's watch their Frocks".
Trivia[]
Behind the Scenes[]
- The Charity Shop women are based on the breed of older women that work at the Charity Shops that the League went to for Costumes, they were often confused, mad about bags and that they always have a box of glasses which the League joked was labelled Dead People's Glasses.
- The Special Mark Sketch was based on another situation that happened in a Charity Shop where the women spent a while explaining to the donor that their items needed the mark for safe resale.
- In the X Mas Speical Reenie and Vinnie were dubbed post production as Steve and Reece were playing Pauline and Stella, the doubles did their lines in a less than focused in the undubbed version.
- Reenie is Asthmatic.
- Reenie helping the crying girl is from the infamous movie Don't Look Now.
- Steve after a long day filming Reenie's scenes was asked to take pictures but a moody Steve ripped off the make up with his hands.
- In the beginning of Episode 6 of Series Three when the ladies steal the Clothes Rail the rail broke and while Steve and Reece improvised dialogue. But after saying Cut they noticed that Reece's knees were cut.
Deleted Scenes[]
- The Charity Shop appeared in a Series One Cut Scene. Ken Sweeney the blind Photographer wrongly believes that a Schoolboy outside the Shop is a Donation Box which he tries to place a coin in.
- The final Sketch in Series 2 was longer including them asking details about the bag the woman had and their prolonged confusion, cut for time.
- Reenie was meant to be inside of a bear in the script.