#blessed - Radio 4 Comedy Drama - British Comedy Guide (original) (raw)

#blessed. Image shows from L to R: Pippa (Olivia Poulet), Steven (Laurence Dobiesz). Copyright: Sparklab Productions

Genre

Comedy Drama

Broadcast

2018

Channel

BBC Radio 4

Episodes

1

Stars

Olivia Poulet, Laurence Dobiesz, Ayesha Dharker, Valmike Rampersad and Fenella Woolgar

Writers

Olivia Poulet and Laurence Dobiesz

Director

Susannah Tresilian

Producer

Melanie Harris

Company

A woman waits in a hospital bed while her husband tears across London with a priceless suitcase that may or may not contain one egg - their only chance of having a baby.

Written and performed by Olivia Poulet and Laurence Dobiesz, #blessed is inspired by true events of IVF treatment within the NHS. It's funny, a little-bit heart-breaking and, in the end, life-affirming. It's a love story.

Pippa goes under the anaesthetic for extraction from her one viable follicle. Husband Steven is ready and waiting to take the fluid across London in a heavy metal-plated suitcase as quickly as he can. As she waits in recovery, Pippa longs to hear from him, longs to hear good news. Steven faces train cancellations, passengers suspicious of his strange case, and the anxiety of his own performance when he finally reaches his destination. Will there be an egg? Can he fertilise it? The story unfolds through their own anxious internal thoughts, and by text and phone calls. This is their last chance to become a family.

Additional details

Also known as

Production

Studio

Broadcast details

First broadcast

Monday 16th July 2018 at 2:15pm on BBC Radio 4

Episode length

45 minutes

All previous repeats