In this single drama, two old friends dissect their marriages and a shared loss over lunch, revealing layers of resentment and loyalty.
Ann (Deborah Kerr) and Debbie (Claire Bloom) meet for lunch in a smart restaurant. What begins as a sympathetic discussion about their respective marital problems gradually shifts in tone. The conversation soon turns to a recently deceased mutual acquaintance, a man who was central to both their lives. As they talk, long-buried truths about infidelity, betrayal, and the tangled nature of their own friendship come to the surface, forcing a painful reassessment of their past.
This single play is a classic television two-hander, built as a vehicle for its two distinguished leads. Stripped of narrative incident, the drama’s power rests entirely on the verbal duel between Deborah Kerr and Claire Bloom. Lionel Goldstein’s script is a tightly constructed piece of reverse engineering; it uses insinuation and confession to excavate the history of a shared, triangular relationship. The single restaurant setting gives the production the intensity of a stage play, focusing attention on the subtle shifts in power and emotion as the two women circle the truth. The production is a masterclass in screen acting, with both performers delivering nuanced studies of grief, anger, and long-suppressed resentment.
Broadcast: ITV – Granada, 29 March 1986
Written by: Lionel Goldstein
Produced and Directed by: June Howson
Main Cast: Deborah Kerr (Ann), Claire Bloom (Debbie), Donald Eccles (Arthur), Angus Mackay (Frank)
