In this single drama from BBC Birmingham, a night of shore leave for two sailors takes an unexpected turn.
Two sailors, Joe (Neil McCarthy) and Billy (Bob Hoskins), invite a pair of women, Gloria (Christine Hargreaves) and Sonia (Marjie Lawrence), back to their ship for a night of drinking. Armed with a bottle of gin, the group settles in for an evening of straightforward revelry. The initial light-hearted atmosphere soon sours, however, leading to a tense and volatile confrontation in the claustrophobic confines of the ship.
A compact, character-driven piece, this thirty-minute play is typical of the output from BBC Birmingham’s drama department in the period. Writer Andy Ashton, a specialist in unvarnished realism, constructs a tense miniature from a simple shore-leave scenario. The production draws its strength from a formidable cast of character actors. Neil McCarthy and an emerging Bob Hoskins give the two central performances a gruff authenticity, playing against Christine Hargreaves and Marjie Lawrence. The decision to confine the action to the claustrophobic setting of a ship amplifies the psychological tension of the story.
Broadcast: BBC Two – BBC Birmingham, 1 Episode, 15 February 1973
Written by: Andy Ashton
Script Editor: Barry Hanson
Director: Kenneth Ives
Producer: David Rose
Designer: Ian Ashurst
Main Cast: Neil McCarthy (Joe), Bob Hoskins (Billy), Christine Hargreaves (Gloria), Ron Pember (Tommy), Marjie Lawrence (Sonia), James Aubrey (Len)
