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One Chord Wonders: Parallel Lines
1/5
Frank Cottrell Boyce's series of plays about the punk generation 30 years on begins with the story of Julie, the singer in an ageing Blondie tribute band. An invitation to the reunion of the audience at an Adverts gig in 1977 brings some skeletons dancing from the cupboard.

Julie ... Doon Mackichan
Thing ... Sian Reeves
Margaret ... Rosie Cavaliero
Steve Reeves ... Ivan Kaye
Pete ... Paul Viragh
Joe ... Joseph Tremain
Lovely ... Sarah Bedi
Announcer ... John Rowe
Waiter ... Ben Crowe

Director/Producer ... Toby Swift

***

ONE CHORD WONDERS is a series of 5 plays by top British screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce. The series looks at the 'punk generation' three decades on, with each play telling a different, but connected, story. Featured actors include Pauline Quirke, Doon Mackichan, Sian Reeves, Richard Ridings, Danny Webb, Manjinder Virk and Fenella Woolgar.

Frank Cottrell Boyce is probably best known for films like '24 Hour Party People', 'A Cock & Bull Story', 'Hilary & Jackie', 'Welcome to Sarajevo' and 'Butterfly Kiss'. He won the CILIP Carnegie Medal in 2004 for 'Millions', his first novel, which was subsequently filmed by British director Danny Boyle.

The series is based on the fictional premise that in March 1977 punk band the Adverts performed a gig in Camberley to an audience of 27 people. Over 30 years later, someone is trying to bring those 27 people back together again for a reunion.

In 'Parallel Lines' Julie, a singer in an ageing Blondie tribute band, receives her invitation to the reunion. Husband and partner in the band Pete has also been invited - he was, after all, dubbed 'Zorba the Freak' for his legendary exploits that night. As she grapples with whether to go or not, she tries to track down 'Thing' (aka Anne Kirby) and Margaret, two of her contemporaries from those formative days. With so much invested in the past, Julie finds herself facing some uncomfortable truths.

The next 3 plays in the series - 'Blitzkrieg Bop', 'Damned, Damned, Damned' and 'This is the Modern World' - catch up with other, now middle-aged, members of that audience back in 1977.

The final play, 'Television's Over', takes us back 34 years to where it all begin; the day punk heroes the Adverts arrived at the Police Club in Camberley.

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