Brimstone and Treacle is a 1970s play by Dennis Potter about a middle-aged middle-class couple living in a North London suburb who are unfortunate enough to have their beautiful undergraduate daughter's life reduced to a severely handicapped existence by a hit-and-run driver. The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ... Dennis Christopher George Potter (May 17, 1935 – June 7, 1994) was a controversial English dramatist who is best known for several widely acclaimed television dramas which mixed fantasy and reality, the personal and the social. ... A handicap may refer to several different things, depending on context: Handicapped is an adjective meaning disabled. ...

Outline of the plot

For a couple of years, Tom and Amy Bates have been struggling to cope with their transformed lives, with their daughter Pattie (or Patricia) strapped down to the living-room sofa, unable to wash or eat by herself or talk, merely utter unintelligible sounds. Although poorly-educated and gullible, Amy Bates firmly believes that Pattie is able to understand what is being said in her presence, whereas Tom Bates has given up all hope of her recovery:

Patricia is gone from us, Amy. She has gone for ever. You must accept it.

In fact, judging from the sounds she makes, Pattie seems to realize what is going on around her, but Tom Bates is beyond noticing.

One day on his way home from work he becomes a witness of an unusual scene: A handsome, well-dressed and well-behaved young man collapses in the street, and Tom Bates is among the passers-by who are offering to help him. The young man, who gives his name as Martin Taylor, quickly recovers though. A few hours later he shows up at the Bateses', handing Tom Bates his wallet, which, Martin pretends, he must have lost in the general hubbub. Though the cash is gone, Bates's credit card is still there. This is how, in a Pinteresque way, "Martin" -- a cross between evil incarnate and a con man -- gains access to the Bateses' household. Right from the moment he enters the house he casts furtive and knowing glances at the audience (according to the stage directions) so they know at once that he is not what he pretends to be: one of Pattie's former fellow students at the art college who, before she had her accident and before he went to the U.S.A. for two years, was in love with, and actually proposed to, her. Harold Pinter Harold Pinter, CH, CBE (born October 10, 1930) is a British playwright and theatre director. ... Motto: Official (Latin): E pluribus unum (1789 to 1956) (Translated: Out of Many, One) In God We Trust (1956 to present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at federal level; English de facto Government  â€¢ President  â€¢ Vice President Federal...

His offer to the Bateses is a very unselfish and humanitarian one: He wants to be at Pattie's side despite the changed circumstances; he wants to care for her for an unspecified period of time and, by doing so, give the Bateses a break. It is Amy Bates in particular who jumps at the suggestion, she who has not had an hour off since Pattie's accident and who is stranded in the house without a chance even to go to the hairdresser's or do some window-shopping.

Tom Bates is reluctant to accept Martin's help. He has always been very choosy about his daughter's friends and, as he cannot remember Pattie ever mentioning Martin's name, does not want her to be left alone with what might well be a complete stranger. Eventually Martin can win him over by his excellent cooking and by paying lip-service to his racist tendencies. It has been suggested that Scientific racism be merged into this article or section. ...

Martin does not lose any time: At the first opportunity he rapes the helpless Pattie. When Amy Bates comes back from the shops she does recognize a change in her daughter's facial expression, but she attributes it to Martin's presence rather than any disturbing experience she might have had. However, when Martin tries to rape the handicapped girl again after Mr and Mrs Bates have gone to bed, Pattie starts screaming so loudly that he runs out of the house.

Different versions

Brimstone and Treacle was originally written by Potter as a television play, commissioned, paid for and recorded (1976) by the BBC, for their Play for Today slot. It was not shown, because then Director of Television Programmes Alasdair Milne (later, between 1982 and 1987, Director General of the BBC, in which role he ironically became a hate figure of the Thatcher government for, among other reasons, not being censorious enough) found it "nauseating". It was finally shown in 1987, and is now available on DVD. General Name, Symbol, Number sulfur, S, 16 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 16, 3, p Appearance lemon yellow Atomic mass 32. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... This is a list of television-related events in 1976. ... Corporate logo of the British Broadcasting Corporation. ... The Play for Today logo, seen here in the opening title sequence from 1976. ... Alasdair David Gordon Milne (born 1930) was Director-General of the BBC from July 1982 until a forced resignation, under intense pressure from the Conservative government and a Board of BBC Governors dominated by Conservatives, in January 1987. ... Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (born 13 October 1925), is a British politician. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards and appeal to a wider international audience, this article may require cleanup. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... DVD-R writing/reading side DVD-R with purple dye, 4. ...

The cast were Denholm Elliott (Mr. Bates), Michael Kitchen (Martin), Patricia Lawrence (Mrs. Bates) and Michelle Newell (Pattie); plus minor characters. Denholm Elliott in The Signalman Denholm Mitchell Elliott (May 31, 1922 – October 6, 1992) was a distinguished British actor, well known for his appearances on stage, film and television. ... Michael Kitchen (born October 31, 1948) is an English actor. ...

Rewritten by Potter for the stage, the play premiered on October 11, 1977 at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield. October 11 is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years). ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough in the north of England. ...

A film version directed by Richard Loncraine and starring Denholm Elliott (Bates), Joan Plowright (Mrs Bates), Suzanna Hamilton (Pattie) and Sting (Martin) was released in 1982 and is also available on DVD. Dame Joan Ann Plowright, The Lady Olivier DBE (born October 28, 1929 in Brigg, North Lincolnshire, England) is a British actress, and the widow of Laurence Olivier. ... Suzanna Hamilton is a British actress born in 1960 in London. ... Sting in Budapest, 2000 Gordon Matthew Sumner, CBE (born October 2, 1951), usually known by his stage name Sting, is an English musician from Newcastle upon Tyne. ... See also: 1981 in film 1982 1983 in film 1980s in film years in film film // Events January 11 - Production begins on the Star Wars sequel, Return of the Jedi. ...

Potter on Brimstone and Treacle

In 1978, Potter said: 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ...

I had written Brimstone and Treacle in difficult personal circumstances. Years of acute psoriatic arthropathy -- unpleasantly affecting skin and joints -- had not only taken their toll in physical damage but had also, and perhaps inevitably, mediated my view of the world and the people in it. I recall writing (and the words now make me shudder) that the only meaningful sacrament left to human beings was for them to gather in the streets in order to be sick together, splashing vomit on the paving stones as the final and most eloquent plea to an apparently deaf, dumb and blind God. [...] I was engaged in an extremely severe struggle not so much against the dull grind of a painful and debilitating illness but with unresolved, almost unacknowledged, 'spiritual' questions. Photograph of an arm covered with plaque psoriasis Psoriasis is a condition whose main symptom is gray or silvery flaky patches on the skin which are red and inflamed underneath. ... An Arthropathy is a disease of a joint. ... A sacrament is a Christian rite that mediates divine grace. ... Vomiting (or emesis) is the forceful expulsion of the contents of ones stomach through the mouth. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... God is the term used to denote the Supreme Being ascribed by monotheistic religions to be the creator, ruler and/or the sum total of, existence. ...

External links

• Internet Movie Database entry for TV version
• Internet Movie Database entry for movie version
• British Film Institute Screen Online