'Last Night In Soho' co-writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns shares moment in film 'plucked from real life' (exclusive)

Watch: Krysty Wilson-Cairns shares real-life moment that made it in Last Night In Soho

Last Night In Soho co-writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns literally put herself into Edgar Wright’s latest film, in more ways than one.

Talking to Yahoo the screenwriter — who was Oscar-nominated for 1917 — described how a part-time job from the days when she was an aspiring writer inspired scenes in the film. She was a barmaid in an Irish pub in Soho: one pub in particular.

“I actually worked in The Toucan, the exact pub in the film, many years ago,” she said. “So The Toucan is very much plucked from real life. I also lived above a strip club in Dean Street and spent all my time in Soho.”

The Toucan, a landmark on Soho’s Carlisle Street, is one of the main locations in the horror/thriller, which lands in cinemas this week.

Read more: Edgar Wright: 'I spoke to Diana Rigg in lockdown as much my own mother'

It’s where fashion student Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie) takes a casual job while at college. At the same time, she finds herself transported back to the 60s and into the life of wannabe singer Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy), watching as the other girl’s life and ambitions are caught up in a downward spiral of violence and fear in Swinging London.

Wilson-Cairns felt very much at home filming at the pub and added “You can see my hand pouring a pint in the film. I didn’t get on camera because I’m not very good – I just stare down the lens and look frightened! But you do see my hand and I’m pouring a pint of Guinness.”

However, a more unusual skill she acquired during her barmaid days — writing messages in customer’s beer froth — didn’t put in an appearance. “The film didn’t call for that particular skill, thank God!”

Director and co-writer, Edgar Wright — who lives, in his own words, '60 seconds from Soho' — revealed another aspect of her former job that made it into the film. “There’s a particular scene, which I won’t repeat, where a man says a very, very obscene pick-up line. I’d asked Krysty about the worst pick-up line she heard when she was at The Toucan. She told me and I said ‘let’s put that in the script!’”

Read more: Krysty Wilson-Cairns to co-write new Star Wars film

Alongside Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy, the film also stars former Doctor Who Matt Smith and 60s acting icons Dame Diana Rigg (in her last film role), Terence Stamp and Rita Tushingham.

Last Night In Soho is released in cinemas on 29 October. Watch a trailer below.