Roz is 30 years old, middle class, clean living and healthy. But she starts to suspect something isn't right. It starts with a cough, which her GP tells her is just a cold. But soon she is unable to go to work, climb the stairs, or even to breathe. The doctor on the chest ward diagnoses pneumonia: she'll be home in a week. But fortnight later she is in intensive care, fighting for her life. The blood-test confirms the unthinkable. She is HIV+: she has full-blown AIDS.
Roz lives. And modern medicine even promises her a future. She should be delighted. She can go back to work. She can even make plans for her wedding. But as she recovers she discovers survival is much more complicated than death. There are questions she needs to ask of her past.
The play's present is on the journey Roz makes to confront the man she thinks gave her HIV. Woven into this are her memories of her illness, diagnosis and recovery. The play is shaped by Roz's narrative voice, which has two aspects: the controlled public voice, and the uncontrolled cynical inner voice. These give the two sides to her story.
'Full Blown' was broadcast as the Friday Play on the 28th of November, for World AIDS Day. It was produced by Sweet Talk Productions Ltd.
Shortlisted for the Richard Imison Memorial Award.
A stage adaptation of the radio play was commissioned by the Drum Theatre Plymouth. It was given a performed readings in Plymouth Women of Achievement Week 2004 and as part of the Wellcome Theatre of Science project 2005. It was peformed for the Edinburgh Festival at the Assembly Rooms in 2005. The stage version is titled 'Pricked'.
Terrence Higgins Trust: http://www.tht.org.uk
Enabling Positive Futures (HIV in the workplace) : http://www.e-pf.org.uk
Waverley Care (HIV Scotland): http://www.waverleycare.org
Click the Play Button to hear an MP3 file of 'Full Blown' opening scene.
[Present tense narration: in her imagination. Suburban residential street, night, winter. Roz's feet walking briskly on the pavement]
ROZ -(Interior narrative)I imagine I am walking a tree-lined street, counting house-numbers. At a gap in the privet I stop. Is this it? The grey BMW isn't there. But maybe he's got a different car now. I open the gate, and walk up the drive. Ppast immaculate roses. Up to a blue front door. I raise a hand to the doorbell.
[FX: Doorbell]
ROZ -(Interior narrative) I listen. Wait. A familiar shape shadows the frosted glass… Door opens
DUNCAN -Hi. Roz! What brings you here?
ROZ -Oh just passing. You know.
DUNCAN -Uh… How are you?
ROZ -Fine
ROZ -(Interior narrative: hysterical laughter).
DUNCAN -You look terrific.
ROZ -(Conversationally)Thank you, Duncan. I lost a third of my body-weight. Secondary infections. How's your wife?
ROZ -(Interior narrative)No, no, that's all wrong try again. Doorbell.
DUNCAN -Hi. Roz! What brings you here?
[FX Church chords]
ROZ -(Choral voice) I am an avenging angel, slaying injustice with a fiery sword.
ROZ -(Interior narrative) This isn't going very well.
DUNCAN -How are you?
ROZ -(Interior narrative) I imagine I am standing on the threshold, trying to cram all the events of the last year, all the questions, into one sentence.
DUNCAN -How are you?
ROZ -I think you know exactly how I am.
"Skillfully written, its tone a challenge, full of sarcastic jest" Kate Kellaway, The Observer (Pick of the week)
BBC Radio 4 'Pick of the Week'.
Critic's choice of the week: The Independent Newspaper
Critic's choice of the day: The Radio Times