Edinburgh Guide  
Shona Brodie

August 2003 (online)

A bomb explodes in London where Maggy Tanner and her daughter are shopping. As their story unfolds it becomes clear that terrorist acts have triggered family secrets that will threaten their apparent safety.

Set simply in an easily recognisable London home, Van Badham has a solid script with political messages that I wish I could have read and digested in greater depth. Her use of humour relief is placed to great effect, drawing the focus away from what are difficult issues for the family to deal with. At times the pace is a bit slow and a scene with an unnecessary amount of naked flesh distracts from the character development previously building up. It is only Maggie, the intensely troubled wife, mother and career woman that comes across as a whole person while the others only scratch at the surface of their characters' potential.

With such an emotive issue it could be easy to pull at the heart strings. Instead the intelligent script makes you question the underlying political messages about who the terrorists actually are, but it will not keep your thoughts buzzing once the curtain goes down.