We’re well into the third quarter, and I haven’t even
uploaded Quarter 1 or Quarter 2 reviews.
Oh well. Better late than never.
005 Contemporary Drama – New
Made available on iPlayer some time after its original
broadcast, County Lines is clearly a
prestigious production from formidable radio drama writer Amelia Bullmore and
veteran director Mary Peate. Basically a
two-hander, it’s very well-written and very well-acted, hinging on two
not-very-likeable characters who break the law and yet, in time-honored
tradition, you root for them. Joy (Brid
Brennan) and Umi (Tamar Lawrance) meet on a train where Joy takes perverse
delight in tantalizing Umi, who is hiding from the ticket inspector. When Joy doesn’t give her away, Umi buys her
a cake and a tea. But nothing is as it
seems. Joy, an old, ugly Irishwoman
whose name is basically one big joke, is actually a serial shoplifter, as is
slowly revealed. She steals tickets
(which is how she was on the train), she steals people’s glasses; for
everything else, she has a perfectly organized system, which, as we find out
when she reluctantly takes Umi to her flat, she has been contributing to for
years. Umi is a drug-pusher, who
eventually accepts Joy’s help. Joy and
Umi live in felonious but harmonious partnership—for awhile. County Lines also stars Sean Murray,
Ryan Early, Nahel Tzegai, Ryan Whittle, and Lauren Cornelius.
A Different Country by
Ellie Stewart is a charming comedy, despite being about a very serious
subject. Chrissie (Gerda Stevenson) has
been taking care of Paul (Scott Davidson), who is developmentally disabled,
since he was a child. Now he’s in his
40s, and she’s pushing 70. When a
serious heart condition puts her in hospital, Chrissie has to reevaluate how
Paul is going to take care of himself after she’s gone. Up until now, they have coped with a series
of partnerships: Paul draws maps to
prevent himself from getting lost, allowing him to navigate the wider world; he
also takes out the bins and makes cheese toasties. With the help of a friendly cab driver (Jimmy
Chisholm), Chrissie is able to convince Paul to move into his own
assisted-living flat. There is nothing
flashy about this drama, but it was really memorable because of strong writing
and winning, utterly authentic performances.
Who says you need a cast of hundreds when you can make do with three? It
was directed by Kirsty Williams.
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