Stars including Rhys Ifans, Gemma Arterton, Kenneth Branagh and Bill Nighy have turned out for the world premiere of The Boat That Rocked.

A red carpet wound through the middle of London’s Leicester Square as women dressed in skimpy 60s’ outfits danced on a plinth with vinyl record discs in the background.

The movie, from the director of Love Actually, Richard Curtis, is about young people, the 1960s and pop music.

It centres around a band of DJs who captivate Britain by playing music that defines a generation as pirate radio plays rock and pop from the high seas 24 hours a day.

Those behind the film said that more than half the population of Britain listened to the pirates every single day.

Arterton described the film as “fun, fun, fun all the time. It was brilliant”.

Branagh said: “There was a lot of fun from being the guy who is trying to shut them down.”

Nighy said: “I did enjoy making the film and I’m not just saying that. We floated on a boat off the coast of Dorset with a bunch of very cool guys, we played lots of music, you could have a toasted cheese sandwich any time you wanted.”

Ifans, wearing rock star dark glasses and a snakeskin-style jacket, ambled up and down the red carpet.

Curtis said that Notting Hill star Ifans was handsome in this film. He said: “He’s improving with age.”

Comedy actor Nick Frost, who beds his fair share of women in the movie, says he was happy to do naked scenes.

“I take my pants off and voila — we’re ready to roll,” he said.

“I played rugby for many years so it’s par for the course. You have to take your kit off in front of 30 men, which is essentially what a film shoot is.”

And he enjoyed the sex scenes with the gorgeous Gemma Arterton.

“Easiest day’s work I ever did,” he laughed. “But I like to think of myself as a gentleman so it’s not just getting off with beautiful women. It’s another actor that you have to respect — so you have to brush your teeth and wear deodorant!”

The actors shot many of the scenes on a small boat off the coast of Weymouth and lived together on board for four days before filming.
“We were only on the boat for four days — and it smelt very badly,” revealed Nick. “It did after we left anyway.”

Bond girl Gemma, who looked frozen to the core in a skimpy off the shoulder dress, has recently been filming Prince of Persia and revealed that co-star Jake Gyllenhaal has a silly side.

“He’s such a lovely guy,” she said. “He’s quite goofy, always messing around and trying to make everyone laugh on set. Not bad to look at either, which always makes the day easier.”