New Dominic
Savage film about young offenders for BBC ONE - four newcomers to
star opposite David Morrissey and Tamzin Outhwaite
A new
film about young offenders by the award-winning writer-director
Dominic Savage - the first improvised drama for BBC ONE - is to
star four newcomers opposite David Morrissey and Tamzin Outhwaite,
it was announced today by Jane Tranter, BBC Controller of Drama
Commissioning.
The
Young Offenders, Dominic Savages third film about the lives
of young people in Britain today, follows four teenagers sent to
a young offenders institution and how the experience affects them.
Jane
Tranter, BBC Controller of Drama Commissioning, says: "The
Young Offenders will throw a spotlight on one of the most alarming
problems in Britain today, and Dominic Savage is the perfect director
to take it on - an acclaimed, award-winning film-maker who has previously
brought his unique vision to BBC TWO. This new project - the first
improvised drama for BBC ONE - gives his work a wider audience,
and demonstrates our commitment to highly original and innovative
mainstream drama."
The
Young Offenders, which is produced by Ruth Caleb, follows Dominic
Savages two previous films for BBC TWO, Nice Girl (for which
he won the BAFTA Award for Best New Director) and When I Was 12,
both of which were made with unknown actors improvising dialogue
in workshop sessions before filming began. The Young Offenders is
the first drama for BBC ONE to follow the same production process.
Dean
(Danny Young), sensitive and intelligent, lives with his mum (Tamzin
Outhwaite) on an estate out of town. Theyre very close and
shes doing everything she can to ensure that he doesnt
end up like the other kids on the estate. But when Deans friend
Charlie-boy (played by Bronson Webb), is released from his latest
spell inside, its not long before the two of them are in trouble
again. Dean is arrested for being in a stolen car, and is given
two months in a young offenders institute.
Meanwhile,
when Sam (Leo Gregory) plans an armed robbery on a South London
estate, his mate Danny (Akemnji Ndifornyan) goes along with it.
But later theyre arrested and are each sent down for two years.
Once inside, Sam becomes a bully and joins in the ritualistic taunting
of the weaker, new inmates. He targets Dean, who has become weak
and vulnerable - and although the prison officer, Mike (played by
David Morrissey) tries to help Dean and keep an eye out for him
as much as he can, it ends in tragedy.
The
Young Offenders also stars Jamie Foreman as another warder, Jim;
and Frank Harper as Sams dad. The executive producer is David
M. Thompson.
Dominic
Savage, who carried out several months of extensive research in
young offenders institutions across the UK, says: "When you
go into these institutions, there are those who need to be aggressive
from the off, otherwise they become victims themselves; and there
are those, some of whom are as young as 15, who are extremely vulnerable
to them. The Young Offenders is about the criminal mentality, its
about whats going on inside their heads."
David
Thompson, Head of BBC Films, says: "Young Offenders follows
on from Dominics last two extremely successful collaborations
for BBC Films, Nice Girl and When I Was 12. It will address one
of the most pressing social issues of our time. Hes the ideal
director for this project because of his unique way of making powerful
stories come to life with total realism. He takes actors right to
the edge, drawing them out in a remarkable way."
Ruth
Calebs recent credits include Dominic Savages Nice Girl
and When I Was 12, and Last Resort (also for BBC Films), all of
which followed a similar process of development and production.
In addition, Caleb also produced Care, which recently won the Prix
Italia for Best Drama (singles) as well as the BAFTA Award for Best
Single Drama. At the same awards, Caleb received the Alan Clarke
Award for Creative Contribution to Television.
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