Lucy Flannery

Afternoon Drama

Drama on 4: Lucy Flannery - Like a Daughter

Drama on 4

BBC Radio 4

09/08/2012

Lucy Flannery - Like a Daughter

BBC Radio 4 - Drama on 4, Lucy Flannery - Like a Daughter

A home help faces a moral dilemma when an elderly man dies, leaving no next of kin.

A home help faces a moral dilemma when an elderly man dies, leaving no next of kin. Stars Alison Steadman and Roy Hudd.

An afternoon drama by award-winning writer Lucy Flannery. 

Home help Ruth cares for Harry above and beyond the call of duty. She fetches his shopping, brings him meals, makes sense of his paperwork. All in all, she's like a daughter to him. 

When his health begins to decline, Ruth tries to discover friends or family to care for him but Harry insists there is no one, he's all alone in the world. She becomes even more concerned when a chance discovery reveals a sizable sum of money languishing in his bank account.

When Harry collapses and is given only days to live, Ruth faces a moral dilemma. Should she do nothing and allow a faceless state to benefit from Harry's death, or should she claim some of it as her own bequest? 
Supported by friends, criticised by those in authority, Ruth's decision forces both her and others to examine their own moral compass and to penetrate the mystery of the inheritance itself. Her actions reveal the legacy of the dysfunctional dynamic of thirty years ago, still resonating and impacting upon the present day.

Producer: Liz Anstee
A CPL Production for BBC Radio 4.

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