SCREEN TWO: EAST OF IPSWICH (TV)
Summary
One in this anthology drama series. This installment tells the story of an English teenager's summer holiday in Suffolk with his stodgy parents in 1959. The Burrill family drives away from London towards the eastern coast of England, much to the annoyance of seventeen-year-old Richard. Bored, he recalls the sex talk he received from his headmaster before leaving school, and then spots a pair of pretty girls in the car ahead. They arrive at a boarding house, run by the stern Miss Wilbraham, and when the family sits down to a meal, they are joined by Mr. and Mrs. Hargreaves, who seem to enjoy telling overly personal stories about their lives. Richard discovers a mildly pornographic "Naturist" magazine in his room and hides it, and then spots the same car that they previously drove behind. At breakfast, Mr. Macklin tries to keep the peace between his sons, Edwin and Keith, and the Burrills head for the beach, where Mr. Burrill observes ships on the horizon and Richard spots a pair of twin girls. Edwin joins him and suggests that they should pursue the girls together, though they are soon waylaid by the girls' father, a reverend, and quickly claim to be enrolled in his Bible club. Edwin assures Richard that the boring beach town becomes a "hot spot of unholy pleasure" in the summer when young women arrive, and as the days pass, Richard wanders away from his parents again to see if Edwin is right.
While buying ice cream, Richard encounters the pretty Julia and her Dutch exchange student, Anna. Later, however, he learns that his parents want to go on an outing, and he objects, wanting to spend the day chasing girls instead. Mr. and Mrs. Burrill insist, however, annoyed with his sulky behavior, and he has no choice but to spend the day touring churches. When they get back, he immediately seeks out Julia, but encounters her father instead. Back at the boarding house, he runs into Edwin again, who says that he has been "working hard on his behalf" with the two girls, and takes him out to a coffee shop to meet Julia and Anna. Richard quickly realizes that Edwin likes Julia, however, and the pair soon departs together, leaving Richard alone with the standoffish and rebellious Anna. Richard is scolded by his father when he returns late to the boarding house, and learns the next day that Anna did not get back until 2:00 AM, angering Julia's parents. Edwin begs Richard to take Anna out again so that he can have time with Julia, but Richard refuses, saying that he is in trouble with his own parents, and spends the evening playing Scrabble with them instead. Later, Edwin finds Richard playing cricket on the beach and laments that Julia and Anna soon leaving town, as Anna was caught running off with local boys again.
Edwin and Richard head for the reverend's church meeting on the beach, where they again encounter the twins, Rachel and Rebecca. The girls take the two boys off for a short-lived round of kissing, though Edwin and Richard are unimpressed with the experience and Edwin assures Richard that he has "hundreds" of prophylactics with him should the need arise. Richard finds Julia taking an early-morning swim and she asks him about the twins, though he assures her that they are not his type. She tells them that they are soon leaving, and in a lucky coincidence, Richard finds his parents talking to Julia's and convinces them to allow him and "a friend" to escort Julia and Anna to the Bible club's "sausage sizzle" that night, assuring them that it is an innocent event. Edwin is impressed with Richard's stealth, and in the evening the two couples head out to a jazz club instead. Their absence does not go unnoticed back at the sausage sizzle, and Anna soon meets some rough-looking boys and heads off on the back of a motorcycle. Richard chases her on another bike and Julia, seeing no other option, calls her father. The reverend and the parents quickly pursue the young troublemakers in a car, and as they ride over the hills, Anna and Richard fly off the backs of their respective bikes and receive minor injuries. Anna bursts out laughing at the state of her "bodyguard" and Richard is at first highly annoyed at her behavior, but the two soon begin kissing, and matters escalate considerably as the parents arrive, shocked by the sight. The next day, the Burrills pack their things to leave, and Edwin is awed to hear of Richard's adventures with Anna. They depart the beach town, again following Anna and Julia's car, and Richard recalls the sex talk again with a look of pride. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: BBC2 (United Kingdom)
- DATE: February 1, 1987
- RUNNING TIME: 1:13:30
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:85381
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: International Collection - United Kingdom; Drama; Teenagers
- SERIES RUN: BBC2 - TV series, 1985-1994
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Innes Lloyd … Producer
- Tristram Powell … Director
- Michael Palin … Writer
- George Fenton … Music by
- John Nettleton … Cast, Mr. Burrill
- Pat Heywood … Cast, Mrs. Burrill
- Edward Rawle-Hicks … Cast, Richard Burrill
- Allan Cuthbertson … Cast, Mr. Horrobin
- Rosemary MacVie … Cast, Mrs. Horrobin
- Oona Kirsch … Cast, Julia
- Pippa Hinchley … Cast, Anna
- Joan Sanderson … Cast, Miss Wilbraham
- Graham Crowden … Cast, Headmaster
- June Ellis … Cast, Dancing Teacher
- Janine Duvitski … Cast, Betty
- Timothy Bateson … Cast, Mr. Macklin
- John Wagland … Cast, Edwin Macklin
- Stuart Mansfield … Cast, Keith Macklin
- Charles McKeown … Cast, Mr. Hargreaves
- Sheila Fearn … Cast, Mrs. Hargreaves
- Phyllida Hewat … Cast, Mrs. Argonaut
- Roger Brierley … Cast, Reverend Phelps
- Michelle Jordan … Cast, Rebecca Phelps
- Jaynee Jordan … Cast, Rachel Phelps
- Warren Saire … Cast, Ice Cream Assistant
- Tip Tipping … Cast, First Motorbiker
- Wayne Michaels … Cast, Second Motorbiker