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15 Minute Drama

The One about the Social Worker

Episode 5

Duration: 15 minutes

First broadcast: on BBC Radio 4 FMLatest broadcast: on BBC Radio 4 LW

Claire Skinner returns as the social worker with a past, in another rollercoaster story based on tough true cases by Martin Jameson.

Devon Sutcliffe's life has been less of a car crash, more of a motorway pile-up. Rejected, dumped, failed by everyone who could have cared for him, he has bounced from foster placement to residential unit to foster placement, and several times been labeled as 'unplaceable'. Finally out of care, almost anyone who has encountered him professionally expects him to be in prison within weeks.

Assigned to returning social worker Liz Beecham, she stakes her own rehabilitation on helping Devon survive alone. But when his chaotic mother Cheryl arrives in his new flat, Devon's need for her threatens to undo all Liz's work. A heart-stopping story is about to unfold about Devon's past... and his family's future.

5/5 Liz walks into a siege.

Claire Skinner is best known to TV viewers as harrassed mum Sue in Outnumbered, but her wide-ranging career includes long associations with Mike Leigh, Alan Ayckbourn, and Sam Mendes. Her recent stage credits include Blurred Lines (NT Shed), Deathtrap (West End), Mrs Affleck (National Theatre) and The Father (Tricycle Theatre and West End).

Theo Barklem-Biggs has starred in Silk, the BAFTA-nominated Our World War, and the Donmar Warehouse's new production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses.

Martin Jameson is a prolific screenwriter, director and playwright whose recent work on Radio 4 includes Zola, Stone, Can You Tell Me The Name Of The Prime Minister?, and The Night They Tried To Kidnap The Prime Minister.

Produced and directed by Jonquil Panting. Show less

Contributors

Liz Beecham:
Claire Skinner
Devon Sutcliffe:
Theo Barklem-Biggs
Ian Green:
Sam Dale
Cheryl Sutcliffe:
Debra Baker
Sgt Morris:
David Hounslow
Janet Williams:
Amelia Lowdell
PC Kirtley:
George Watkins
Kirk:
Leo Wan

Genres

About this data

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