People Who Knew Me - 9. Coward

Episode Date: June 27, 2023

New episode released on Thursday. If you’re in the UK, listen first on BBC Sounds. Drew calls Connie in utter disbelief that she is alive. On confirming that Claire really is his daughter, they establish a weekly phone call getting to know each other. Feeling ever distanced, Connie starts spending more time with Paul, finally agreeing on a date. Credits Connie / Emily - ROSAMUND PIKE Drew - KYLE SOLLER Claire - ISABELLA SERMON Gabe - ALFRED ENOCH Jade - JESSICA DARROW Marni/Jenny - DANIELLA ISAACS Dr Richter / Reporter - CHARLES HAGERTY and HUGH LAURIE as PAUL Additional voices: PIPPA WINSLOW, NANCY CRANE, JOEY AKUBEZE, BARNEY WHITE, JILL WINTERNITZ Written and Directed by Daniella Isaacs Adapted from the original novel and Consulting Produced by Kim Hooper Produced by Joshua Buckingham Executive Produced by Faye Dorn, Clelia Mountford, Sharon Horgan, Kira Carstensen, Seicha Turnbull and Brenna Rae Eckerson Executive Producer for eOne Jacqueline Sacerio Co-Executive Produced by Carey Burch Nelson Executive Producer for BBC Dylan Haskins Assistant Commissioner for the BBC Lorraine Okuefuna Additional Commissioning support for the BBC Natasha Johansson and Harry Robinson Production Executive Gareth Coulam Evans Production Manager Sarah Lawson Casting Director Lauren Evans Audio Production & Post-Production by SoundNode Supervising Dialogue Recordist & Editor Daniel Jaramillo Supervising Sound Editor, Sound Design & Mix: Martin Schulz Music composed by Max Perryment Additional Dialogue Recording: David Crane, Martin Jilek Assistant Dialogue Recordists: Jack Cook, Giancarlo Granata Additional Dialogue Editing: Marco Toca Head of Production Rebecca Kerley Production Accountant Lianna Meering Finance Director Jackie Sidey Legal and Business Affairs Mark Rogers at Media Wizards Dialect Coach for Rosamund Pike - Carla Meyer Read in Hannah Moorish Artwork: Mirjami Qin Artwork Photographer by Sibel Ameti Additional thanks to: Emily Peska, Caitlin Stegemoller, Sam Woolf, Charly Clive, Ellie White, Ellen Robertson, Kate Phillips, Ed Davis, Ciaràn Owens, Jonathan Schey, Daniel Raggett and Charlotte Ritchie.

Hello, I'm Carolyn Quinn and welcome to the Business Blueprint from the UK's Department for Business and Trade, the Bite Size Podcast designed to help you scale and strengthen your organisation. In this episode, we're joined by Luke Seaman, the head of public affairs for Clarner, the Swedish Fintech company which has successfully scaled its business through UK investment. So Luke, why did Clarner choose the UK as a destination to scale the business? It's our view that you can't have any thriving sector without the support of policymakers, decision makers, regulators. And I think with the tech sector, you've absolutely got that.

The digital infrastructure in the UK has meant that you've got a UK consumer that is actually thirsty for new products for innovation and really embraces those new products and services. Thanks very much, Luke. Join us in part two at the end of your podcast and to find out more, search, invest in great. I'm Adrian Dunbar and this is a story about a time in Irish society when nothing was ever quite what it seemed It was shock and horror that anything could actually happen like that in the Phoenix Park It was wrong and violated obscene

Welcome to obscene the Dublin scandal. There's nothing far as up the imagination in a small country more than the idea There's someone wandering around who's going for it Anyone we couldn't believe that this culprit for these crimes would have been associated with the most senior law officer in the country. If this thing is what we think it is, we'd bring down the government. Listen to all of obscene, the Dublin scandal first on BBC Sounds.

BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts. This episode contains themes and strong language, which some listeners may find upsetting. All events are dramatized. Hello? Emily? Emily? Emily? Hello? He called the day after my surgery.

I was still at the hospital. I was strapped up and what I can only describe as a life jacket. Drew? Fuck me. Still at the hospital, I was strapped up and what I can only describe as a life jacket. Drew? Oh, fuck me. Oh, fuck me. No, fuck me.

Drew. The fuck me? I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Am I? Yeah. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. I'm looking. Yeah. I went on medication. We have a funeral. I know. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. We have a funeral.

I know, I'm sorry. No, you don't. And then you write me a fucking Facebook. It's it's help me. So fuck! I gotta go. His voice, he sounds like a parent. He went on medication. I asked for painkillers.

Paul collects me from the hospital. It's benutty, bro. He can't just call it a banana cake, well. It might be the drugs, but he keeps reminding me of Drew at college. His obsession with food. No, God, no, I couldn't eat if you paid me. Show off. His humor.

So where do you think they hide all those titties there? Maybe they put them in a garbage bin called Bad Boops. Talk to your kids. Wait, wait. Junked up, jugs. You've got to be more. And the way he shows he cares. You can talk about as much as you want.

Remember, you've done it. No, it's with him. Yeah. Oh, I got you this. I don't know if it's any good. You heat it up in a microwave. It smells like my dead grandmother. Sorry. Oh, it's lavender.

Yeah, they say it's good for nauseous, so. Thank you, Paul. Paul drove me home. I'll tell Claire if he says he wants to speak to her. That makes sense. She really likes you. Well, I am a charming man. She asked if we were a thing. Did she know? Yep. Yep.

And what did you say? I said we're in a celibate cancer marriage of convenience. God, that is sexy. Well, that's what this is, isn't it? Absolutely. And she's convinced that you're into me. Oh, wow. You had any, like, you know, or less chips or any, anything since...

You know, I'm a 14-year-old version, if that's what you're asking so. Oh God, I would die. Well, I am. Stop that. And as we pull up... And just so you know, if you would like to have, you know, a little, a little date thing, then I would be very happy to... Hmm. What?

Stop. You'd hate me. I like my women the way I like my restaurant service. Cold and surly. I have no hair. Snap. I have no breasts. Snap. I'm dying.

Well, the more reason to live. Claire opens the door. She doesn't come out. Paul takes my bags in. And Drew rings the next day. While Claire is at school. I don't want to know anything about you. You chose to be dead.

So I will respect that. Okay. I'm sure he was reading from a notebook. Yeah. That makes sense. No, Yeah, that makes sense. No, none of this makes sense. No, I bet. I mean, can you just answer my questions?

Okay. Are you 100% sure Claire is my child? Yeah. I mean, 100%. You can only just told her about me? Yeah. And what did she think before that she must have asked? You before that she she sought her dad she she thought she thought her father was was

dead. Wow well done for fucking up a teenager Emily. Why just the questions. Do she want to talk to me on the phone? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think she would really love that.

I will call her on Sunday at noon. Wheel? Yeah. Me and my wife. Great. We. His wife. Lisa.

Lisa Shaw. I wonder if they trauma bonded over your death I wonder if she wiped Janet's ass and fed her cookies I wonder how they fuck Player comes home and she sits on my bed and hands me a mug of lemon tea And you're laughing, everything From your boyfriend Wait, Claire? No, I don't want you I know you don't want to talk to me yet, but me a mug of lemon tea. And your lavender thing? From your boyfriend. Wait.

Claire? No, I don't want to. I know you don't want to talk to me yet, but... How would you feel about talking to Drew? On the phone? You don't want to speak to me? He does. I spoke to him.

Well, sure. I mean, Dan. Well, sure. I mean, whatever. From Wednesday till Sunday, I didn't even think about the fact that I have no breasts. I just thought about Drew. I drank prunjas. I ate toast. I marveled at the fragility of the human body. I'll put it on loudspeaker so you can hear too. Are you sure? And Sunday at noon. Hello. Hi Hi, is that Claire? Yeah, yeah, this is this is Claire speaking now and your

Oh, yeah call me true true mom said mom said it was true. Yeah Yeah, um you're doing okay Claire. Yeah, I'm good. Yeah, yeah. Um, you're doing okay, Claire? Yeah, I'm good. Yeah, I just got back from soccer, I score. So, hey, that's very impressive. Thank you, I love it. I try and breathe and keep my face neutral. She asks.

Yeah, so what do you do in New York? She'd written out questions. Uh, well, um, I've got a restaurant called L'Emercuri, which is in an area called Dumbo, which is in Brooklyn and it's French. You're so good for him. Yeah, yeah, it's a it's a lot but I love it. Cool, cool. And are you married? I am. Yeah, to a wonderful woman called Lisa and we have two children, girls, Wyatt, she's three and Robin, she's one. Cool, are they my half sisters then?

Yeah, um, I guess yeah, yeah, they are. Are they my half-sisters then? Yeah. Um... I guess yeah, yeah. They are. Sorry, do you mind all the questions? Oh no. No. Claire, of course not. You can ask all the questions you want. Um, but today I maybe have time for just two more and then...

How about I call you the same time next week? And they set up a weekly call of questions and answers. Do you have pets? No, Lisa's allergic. Bruce, I want to scream in the phone. Where's Bruce? OK, last question for today. OK.

Is it true that you never sleep in New York? And each call I force myself to step a little bit further away. that you never sleep in New York. Do you really not care? I have no balls. What do you think? Okay. What do you ask? My daughter is seeing her girlfriend tonight and I don't really want to be alone. Wow. No, this is not... Oh, yes, it is. It's a date. It's not. It's just, it's dinner on your sofa and you'll have to feed me. It'll be incredibly unsexy.

Feeding you on my sofa. Say it, it's a date. I dare you. Would you have a date with me or something? He picks me up. Twinkly lights around his front door. A Zanya for the lady. It reminded me of those university nights with Drew. Oh, mead goats' cheese and spinach calzonis. And just as my anxieties loosening at script, just as he's giving me a straw to gulp down

my glass of wine. Mom, he called on a Wednesday. Who? Dad. Dad called. Dad. She called him dad. And I told him about the road trip when we last spoke. And guess Dad. Dad called. Dad. She called him dad. And I told him about the road trip when we last spoke.

And guess what? He called today. I knew what was coming. And he said that we can visit. We can drive there on our road trip. We. We can see you. Wow.

Isn't that great? It's brilliant, honey. That's great. I'll open another bottle. Just put the straw straight in. Now we're talking. Emily, I will take Claire to Drew. I will let Paul hold my hand.

I will not die a coward. No way. Not this time. People who knew me, starring Rosemond Pike, Kyle Saller, Isabella Sermon, Alfred Enoch, Jessica Darrow, Charles Haggerty, Daniela Isaacs, and Hugh Laurie. Other voices, Giddy-Bowinslow, Nancy Crain, Joseph Ackabase, Barney White, Jill Winternitz. Written and directed by Daniela Isaacs. Adapted from the original novel by Kim Hooper. Producer Joshua Buckingham, executive producers,

Faith Dorne, Cleelya Mountford, and Sharon Horgan, executive producer for the BBC, Dylan Haskins, production manager Sarah Lawson, casting director Lauren Evans, supervising dialogue record as an editor, Daniel Haramizzo, supervising sound editor sound design and mix, Martin Schultz, sound design and recording by SoundNode, music composed by Max Perryman. If you've been affected by anything you've heard in this episode, details of help and support in the UK are available at bbc.co.uk forward slash action line. People who knew me listen first on BBC Sounds. It's the 11th of March 2011. A massive earthquake measuring 9.1 on the Richter scale

strikes the east coast of Japan. It cripples roads, severs power lines, and claims the lives of over 18,000 people. And then... Megatunami warning. Repeat. Megatunami warning. The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, still reeling from the Quake, is struck by a tsunami. It crashes over the protective seawalls, flooding the facility, cutting its power. What follows is a full-scale nuclear emergency.

All control facilities in April. Water supply to reactor calls, cut off! Fukushima, an original seven-part audio drama series from the BBC World Service, telling the story of how the disaster unfolded and of those living with its aftermath. Search for Fukushima wherever you get your BBC podcasts. Hello and welcome back to the Business Blueprint from the UK's Department for Business and Trade. Let's hear a bit more now from Luke Seaman, from Klaner. The talent pool in the UK is one of the absolute standard attributes of the UK market. Klaners UK offices, for example, in London and Manchester, we've got something like over 30 different

nationalities just in our UK team. So it just shows you the wealth and the vast rich tapestry of skills that you get from across the world in the UK. What impact, if any, has Brexit had on your business decisions? Broadly, we look at Brexit as a big opportunity for the UK. There has been a fresh look at certain regulations that may not help innovation or tech. There is great benefit yet to come from Brexit and I think we're excited about what we can achieve through that. Thank you, Luke. To scale and strengthen your business, just as Clana has done, investing in the UK could be the right next step for you to inquire and find out more. Search Invest in Great.

investing in the UK could be the right next step for you to inquire and find out more. Search Invest in Great.