Nightingale residents have made their big screen debuts in a new film starring Anne-Marie Duff, Ralf Little, Rupert Graves, Frank Finlay, Phyllida Law and Daisy Donovan.

The Waiting Room, released today, tells the story of two strangers who are brought together by an elderly man waiting for his wife on a station platform. A significant part of the movie was filmed at the Clapham care home and a number of residents appear as extras. They also had the opportunity to meet the stars.

Ralf Little with healthcare worker Ronell Pascua and residents Tilly Needleman and Rebecca Nathan

The generation gap was evident when Ralf Little was a hit with the Nightingale staff, but residents asked The Royle Family star when they were going to meet “the proper actors”. Their favourites were the screen veterans Law and Finlay.

One Nightingale extra, Miriam Samuels, was thrilled when Finlay visited her room as she had “seen him in many of his plays. He knelt beside me and was such a darling. Having a film made at Nightingale was very exciting. I wouldn’t want to be a film star, doing everything over and over again. It’s very different to stage acting.”