Charlie Brooks stars in Louise Monaghan's second radio play.

Is Mum telling Chloe the truth about the absence of her Dad or is she holding something back?

Chloe's classmates played by Year 3 children from Pickhurst Junior Academy School.

Directed by Tracey Neale

The Story:

Seven year old Chloe is missing her Dad. Chloe's Mum, Debra, tells her that her Dad's away on a trip and won't be home for a long time. Chloe knows she's lying and fears the worst, but when she tells her teacher and her classmates that her Dad's dead, Debra knows she has to tell Chloe the truth. Chloe's Dad, Steve, is in prison. Chloe has nightmares about her Dad in jail but when he sends her a CD of him reading stories, hearing his voice inside the radio makes her glad that he's still her Dad.

The play was inspired by the Storybook Dads reading scheme which is run in over 100 prisons across the UK. Storybook Dads enables children to keep in contact with parents in prison and helps offenders to maintain meaningful relationships with their families at home. The skills and training the scheme provides increases the chances of prisoners finding employment when they are released thereby reducing the risk of re-offending.

The Writer:
Louise Monaghan has written one play for radio: Alone In The Garden With You. She won the Papatango Award in 2012 for her play Pack, and was a finalist for the Bruntwood Prize in the same year. Show less