Students at a Swansea stage school have been revealed as the secret stars of a much-lauded new British film starring Hugh Grant.

The film, Love Actually, stars 25 students from the Mark Jermin Stage School starring as a school choir at a nativity Play.

The film opened in cinemas on Friday, November 21^st, and stars Hugh Grant and the prime minister and former soap star Martine McCutcheon as his cleaning lady.

There are a plethora of other British stars in the film, which interweaves several different love stories. Billed as 'The Ultimate Romantic Comedy' it also stars Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson, Alan Rickman, Keira Knightly and Rowan Atkinson.

Amy Ware, 18, from Gowerton, got some good advice about her future from Liam Neeson during rehearsals for the film.

'A great film'

'He was so lovely and offered me career advice about show business, and was very down-to-earth,' she said.

But many of the students ' who also feature on the film's soundtrack ' will have to wait until Saturday for a special screening as they are too young to see the 17-certificate film.

The young stars finally got the chance to see themselves on the big screen at the Apollo Theatre, Port Talbot, on Saturday, November 22nd.

The school, which has 40 pupils, had to keep its part in the film a closely-guarded secret until promotional work began, even though filming took place last year.

Mark Jermin said: 'It's a great film and who knows what will come of it.'

The school landed the film contract after supplying actors for the Hugh Grant film About a Boy.