The Door in the Pillow

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Frank Cottrell-Boyce - The Door in the Pillow

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BBC Radio 4 - Frank Cottrell-Boyce - The Door in the Pillow

Frank Cottrell-Boyce, award-winning screenwriter and novelist, tells a very personal story

4 Extra Debut. Annie’s dementia sees her world held together by stories that her daughter is questioning. Ghost story starring Ann Mitchell.

Inspired by events in his own life, award-winning screenwriter and novelist Frank Cottrell-Boyce has created a deeply tender drama, full of heart, hope and humour which weaves the powerful impact of dementia into a haunting ghost story.

Annie is a woman whose fractured sense of the world is held together by stories. 

Daughter Terri starts to question where they are coming from – one story in particular seems wildly disconnected from anything Terri knows of her mother's past. 

It doesn’t crack under examination, and seems to have a concrete solidity that reality no longer does....
 
Annie .….. Ann Mitchell
Terri …... Samantha Spiro
Bernie .….. Carolyn Pickles
Eric …... Tony Turner
Father Burns …... Don Gilet
The Soldier …... Christopher Harper
The Children …... Grace Doherty and Eviee Lavery

Other parts played by:

Saffron Coomber
Jeanette Percival
Alexandra Constantinidi 

Frank Cottrell-Boyce is perhaps best known as the script writer for the London Olympics Opening Ceremony. He won the Carnegie medal for his novel MILLIONS, which he also adapted for the screen directed by Danny Boyle. He scripted the Oscar-nominated HILARY AND JACKIE, and collaborated with Michael Winterbottom on films including 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE. His novel SPUTNIK’S GUIDE TO LIFE ON EARTH is being adapted as an animated film for Dreamworks.

Director:  Allegra McIlroy

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2019.

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