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Front Row: Hugh Quarshie and Steve Coogan, the Paraorchestra, Daisy Haggard

31/08/2021

Hugh Quarshie and Steve Coogan, the Paraorchestra, Daisy Haggard

BBC Radio 4 - Front Row, Hugh Quarshie and Steve Coogan, the Paraorchestra, Daisy Haggard

Hugh Quarshie and Steve Coogan, the Paraorchestra, Daisy Haggard.

Hugh Quarshie and Steve Coogan on their new TV drama Stephen and ten years of the Paraorchestra.

The murder of Stephen Lawrence in 1993 and the subsequent police investigations threw up a lot of questions about institutional racism and corruption within the force. Another enquiry which began in 2006 was led by DCI Clive Driscoll, who decided to go right back to basics and investigate the crime anew. In a new three-part drama on ITV, Steve Coogan plays Driscoll and Hugh Quarshie plays Stephen’s father, Neville. We speak with them both about the murder, the trial, the enquiry and what a drama like this can add to our understanding of a tragedy.


Conductor Charles Hazlewood created the Paraorchestra 10 years ago, and in their first year of public performances they already ticked off playing at the 2012 Paralympics closing ceremony. It’s the world’s only large-scale ensemble of professional disabled and non-disabled musicians, which tackles the traditional and not-so-traditional. Charles Hazlewood and musician Tilly Chester explain the orchestra’s past and future, and why Paraorchestra is such an important ensemble in today’s musical world.


The first series of dramedy Back To Life aired a couple of years ago, to wide spread acclaim. A new series has just begun on BBC3. Conceived, written by, and starring Daisy Haggard it tells of a woman who has just come out of jail after serving an 18 year sentence for murder. She returns to live in the town where the murder happened, trying to get on with her life: reestablishing relationships, suffering the derision of neighbours and avoiding confrontation. The new series launched last night and Daisy joins us to discuss writing a very dark comedy.

Presenter: John Wilson
Producer: Simon Richardson

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