It's been a while since I saw this on BBC2, and I think it didn't receive enough praise or attention upon its release. I've read about the writer's (Lennie James) background and this drama is written from the heart: a story about a teacher, Danny, from a children's home background, who goes back to his foster mother, Agnes, and assists her with her present charges including the young, confused teenager Stefan.
The story revolves around Danny's conflict over Stefan's soul with Bonaface, a local criminal, and ends realistically & tragically with a warning about the future. Excellently acted, particularly Ashley Walters as Stefan and a sensitive performance from Adrian Lester. The dialogue captures the urban street idiom of modern London.
Lennie James' is an interesting writer; I recently listened to a play of his on the radio called 'Scars'. Although strange in places, he is clearly a playwright/writer aware of the problems affecting young people.
This was a one-off drama, something the BBC used to excel at in the past, but seems to lost confidence in the format. This is a shame since such challenging dramas as 'Storm Damage' help reflect the times we live in.
The story revolves around Danny's conflict over Stefan's soul with Bonaface, a local criminal, and ends realistically & tragically with a warning about the future. Excellently acted, particularly Ashley Walters as Stefan and a sensitive performance from Adrian Lester. The dialogue captures the urban street idiom of modern London.
Lennie James' is an interesting writer; I recently listened to a play of his on the radio called 'Scars'. Although strange in places, he is clearly a playwright/writer aware of the problems affecting young people.
This was a one-off drama, something the BBC used to excel at in the past, but seems to lost confidence in the format. This is a shame since such challenging dramas as 'Storm Damage' help reflect the times we live in.
