“It’s great that Noel and Liam and the directors thought it was important for this to be in the film.”
19:30, 09 Sep 2026
Father Luke Bradbury, priest at St Bernard’s Church in Burnage, who has a starring role in the new Oasis movie, Don’t Look Back in Anger.(Image: Fr Luke Bradbury)
The priest at the Burnage church where Noel and Liam Gallagher were baptised as children has spoken of his delight to have a starring role in the big new Oasis film, Don’t Look Back in Anger. Father Luke Bradbury of St Bernard’s in Burnage delivers a moving speech half way through the new film talking of the need for forgiveness.
Oasis fans heading to the film will see Noel say at the start of the film that his one flaw in life is his inability to forgive, after his infamous fall out with brother Liam back in 2009. But, in the film’s defining moments, viewers will see how ultimately the brothers are reunited by their music and the love of their fans with the triumphant Oasis Live 25 tour.
And Father Luke is also heard in the climactic final moments of the film too. As the Gallagher brothers reveal they are closer than ever, the priest is heard saying the words: “Forgiveness doesn’t necessarily mean forgetting what happened, it means looking forward not back.”
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To thank him for, literally, his Biblical contribution to the movie, Fr Luke was invited down to the big UK premiere on London’s Leicester Square on Monday night. “There was an element of surprise, I had no idea of what would be included on screen,” the Priest told the MEN.
“I was informed by [producers] that I was in the film at 43 minutes in and then also at the end of the film. I wasn’t expecting it, it was a real surprise the ending – but you think it’s a film about Oasis but in actual fact it’s more than that.
“It’s a documentary about relationships really and that no matter what has happened in the past you have to move on with love.
“The words I said is that the lads wrote the song Don’t Look Back in Anger, but now I think we should all think Move on with Love. It’s a journey that we can all relate to. Everything they do and say, it’s something that happens in every family really.”
Fr Luke shared that the film’s directors, Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern, came to film at the church when the Oasis gigs were happening in the city last summer. He said: “Obviously with anything like that I know they’ll film a lot of stuff and then never use it, they came and filmed a mass.
“The gospel of the day was all about forgiveness so it was quite powerful really because we don’t choose the readings, they are already pre-chosen for us by the church, so it really was quite something. There’s a lovely scene where the camera pans to the congregation in the church which is great, I didn’t think any of it would actually be used.”
He said it was particularly significant due to the church’s links to the Gallaghers. He said: “Liam and Noel were baptised here and they had their first communion here and their mum still lives in the parish.
“It’s great that the directors and Noel and Liam felt that it was important that this should be in the film, it says a lot.”
He admits walking the red carpet (or rather the black carpet at the VIP event in London) was a little bit embarrassing and he rushed in.
He laughs: “The premiere really flew by. When we were initially walking down the black carpet people were staring at me like ‘why’s there a priest here?’ but then after the film people were coming over and asking for photos and autographs from me! Maybe the fame will go to my head,”he joked.
He adds: “The parish know I’m in the film, I think probably from the weekend when more people have seen the film more will ask me about it.”
Fr Luke, 32, is originally from Moston, and says he’s looking forward to going and watching the film again with his mum and dad (who also get a mention in the film). He says: “Despite the film having lots of choice language the message still comes across. I was brought up with Oasis, my dad liked Oasis, I like the classic songs.
“Mum and dad are very proud, they’re looking forward to seeing it again.”
The film’s directors and creators have also told the MEN about how it was seemingly pre-ordained that the speech on the day they went to the church was so apt.
Film director Dylan Southern told the MEN: “No one will ever believe us, people will think it was set it up for the documentary, but we could only film on one day, and the scripture is sent to them months in advance.
“But it just so happened [the scripture] on the day was Peter went to Jesus and asked ‘how many times must I forgive my brother’, it just happened to be that one on that day about forgiveness and [Fr Luke] built his sermon around Liam and Noel. We captured that and it just spoke to the themes in the film so beautifully that we knew it had to be part of the film.”
The film’s creator Steven Knight added: “Even as we began to plan it, these words kept coming up, forgiveness, reconicilation, redemption they all have a relgious connotation. We went looking for a Priest, when the Gallaghers were in that area of Manchester they used to go to that church.
“People won’t believe this but the Father there had received the message, not from us, let’s talk about reconciliation and it was just so massively appropriate.”
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