The Runaway

It's definitely got a bit of a psychodrama feel to it; with relationships revisited and mistakes repeated in a depressingly believable way. The two leads are extremely watchable although neither are native Londoners which is slightly apparent in their not always convincing accents (I speak as the daughter and granddaughter of actual cockneys - one of whom had had received pronunciation beaten into her and one of whom actually sounded like a cockney and neither accent is quite right.) I was totally fooled by Soho (where I spent a lot of my childhood and adolescence although in the 80s and 90s not 60s) - they totally got the feel right.

The supporting cast were fab as was the use of music All in all it was worth a brief trip to Britbox to watch - it was no GBH or Slow Horses but I found it very entertaining so would recommend you give it a look!

A must for fans of the work of author Martina Cole, and with plenty in the tank to entertain those who simply enjoy gritty crime drama, The Runaway is a story that pulls very few punches. Spread across six episodes, it's set in the late 1960s, and follows two youngsters, Cathy and Eamonn, as they're brought up in the East End of London.

As you might expect, things aren't easy for the characters in The Runaway. Cathy is the daughter of a prostitute, while Eamonn is lured into a life of crime. Yet what bonds them together is what they both have to do when the chips are down. And one event, as is often the way, has ramifications.

The Runaway is about as far away from a glossy television thriller as it's really possible to get. And there's little doubt that the programme earns that 18 certificate that adorns the box. Yet there's a strong, grown-up drama here, and it's livened by some terrific performances.

The two leads, for instance, are excellent. Jack O'Connell, best known from Skins, and Joanna Vanderham, who has a bright future ahead of her, take the main roles, and handle them well. Meanwhile, there's compelling work too from Keith Allen and Alan Cumming. Between them all, there's a constant compulsion to see what happens next.

The Runaway punches above what you might expect of television values,the downbeat world of the drama comes across strongly .

A gritty period drama, well made, and if you can stomach it, it's well worth your time.

Sky TV isn't exactly the first name that springs to mind when you think of quality British period dramas. In fact, if you answered anything other than "The BBC" then you'd be considered mad. And yet, even as Aunty's star seems to be waning, so Sky is stepping up its game - and productions like this can only do it the power of good.

As I write this, the third episode of this 5-parter has just aired, and it just keeps on getting better. Despite the emphasis on the gangs/underworld in the plot synopsis, so far we've primarily followed Cathy's life (she, after all, being the title part). And, what a roller-coaster her life is... Sadly, the abuse she is subject to is entirely believable for that era - it probably still goes on to this day - goodness knows how many Cathys there are out there who never had the chance to run away.

If I were to level any criticisms at the programme, they would be these:

• Keith Allen is not 100% convincing as a ruthless underworld gangster. He looked daft with the syrup (wig), and after loosing that he looks more like a kindly uncle than a ruthless villain. - Joanna Vanderham - who looks absolutely stunning throughout, and what a find! She's got a long and brilliant career ahead of her - looks significantly older than the 14 she's supposed to be at the start of the series. In fact, none of the characters appear to have appreciably aged, despite the apparent passage of time.

And, that's about it really, for the complaints. There is some violence, but only enough to tell the story; and it's cracking along at a fair old pace.

If you enjoy good drama, in the style that the BBC used to do so well, then The Runaway will appeal to you. I think it's an excellent miniseries, and I hope it can find a larger audience than just Sky 1 viewers.

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

Opening in 1960s London, this six part tale tells the story of Eamonn (Jack O' Connoll) and Cathy (Joanna Vanderham), whose parents, a drunk and a prostitute, were lovers when they were children, and this forged a friendship between them, until circumstances drove them apart, and Eamonn ended up killing a rival boy in a gang fight and Cathy was spared prison by a corrupt detective (Burn Gorman) after killing an abusive client of her mother's. She ends up escaping from a tough girl's institute and ends up back in London, in Soho where she's taken under by kindly cross dresser Desrae (Alan Cumming) while Eamonn starts working for, and then has to flee from, local villain Danny Dixon (Keith Allen.) When he falls in with the IRA, it sets the two on a deadly reunion that ends up having explosive consequences.

Raw and unflinching drama seems to be the order of the day at the moment with British drama, especially so with television drama, which also refuses to let go of what was always it's stranglehold trademark of being as bleak and depressing as possible. Moving about with camcorder fluidity from the darkest corners of society to the seedy out in the open stuff on the surface, The Runaway tells a dark and harsh tale that occasionally saves it's soul with flashes of the tender love story at it's heart, that is essentially the driving force behind it all. It would never have worked as a feature film, far too long and sprawling, and so it receives the appropriate format in this six part adaptation that manages to keep the drama, for the most part, on an even keel. Inevitably, though, with such long source material, if you don't manage to stay disciplined with repeated viewings, sometimes it's hard to keep track of it all, with so much happening so quickly. A shame, since it's all so driven and slick, style and flair being the order of the day.

Performances wise, rising star O'Connoll in the lead role shows a further depth and range, but trying to apply a cockney twang to his northern dialect does make him sound strange. The likes of Allen and Cumming are well cast in their respective roles, while less heard ofs like Vanderham and Gorman also manage to be part of the driving force. It's a brutal, hard hitting piece but it's length and scope inevitably drag it out and sometimes makes it lose it's narrative flow. ***

Although Martina Cole always spins a good tale, this series was somehow still a surprise package for me - so many things can and often do go wrong with an adaptation from a good novel, so I avoided watching The Runaway for some time.

After a fairly tentative start, it remains absorbing to the end. The characters are raw and flawed, in a violent and unforgiving environment, but most nevertheless manage to invoke a big measure of empathy and/or sympathy from the viewer. I was left wondering whether people like those in the story really did rule the London underworld in the 60s.

Outstanding acting from everyone in the cast - notably Jack O'Connell whose charm and menace are totally convincing in equal parts. Alan Cumming is brilliant as Desiree, while Joanna Vanderham moves through the age changes and develops beautifully as the series progresses.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys quality British drama.