I was intrigued by this Time Out review, by John Wyver: "Ian McEwan's brilliant script, perfectly realised by Eyre, was the television drama of 1980." Long unavailable, it's now out on DVD. Its story of a young ATS volunteer (the Auxiliary Territorial Service, the women's branch of the British Army) in the early days of WWII, who is crushed by men throughout was as relevant to its year of broadcast. Her father doesn't speak to her, her boyfriend belittles her, a publican tries to throw her out for doing nothing, then assaults her, her CO punishes her, and finally a friendly code-breaker who's unable to make love with her throws a hissy fit - she ends up in a cell for the duration. And all this for trying to do something useful in the war effort, and use her bright mind.
Harriet Walter and Brenda Blethyn look terribly young; with Nicholas le Prevost, Lorna Charles, Bernard Gallagher, Gillian Martell, Simon Chandler, Patricia Routledge, Geoffrey Chater, Carol MacReady (sergeant), Danny Webb. A BBC Play for Today. Whilst involving Bletchley Park, is has nothing to do with the Alan Turing story filmed under the same title.
Eyre is also a prominent theatre director, also made Notes on a Scandal, Iris, The Insurance Man, several other Plays for Today.
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