A gentle comedy drama about the reunion of three old school friends

When unemployed teacher Patrick and his wife, high-flying professional Helen, move back to the town where Patrick grew up, they thought life would be simpler. But Patrick's hazy and fond memories of his schooldays are brought back into sharp relief once he's surrounded by the people and places he'd long stopped thinking about, and he realises things were not always as he'd seen them. As Patrick begins to rebuild bonds and make new discoveries with his old school friends, Helen is making friends of her own, and the couple and their neighbours begin to build the community both Patrick and Helen have been missing.

Based on Jim Sweeney's first play, Danny's Wake, which won a Fringe First at the Edinburgh Festival and a Grand Media Comedy Award, All the Young Dudes is a charming nostalgic comedy about growing up and staying the same. Starring Jim Sweeney (Who's Line Is It Anyway?, Just a Minute), Cathryn Harrison (Soldier Soldier, A Handful of Dust), Steve Steen (Spitting Image, Blackadder the Third), Sadie Shimmin (Wallander, Mr Selfridge), Stephen Frost (The Young Ones, Never Mind the Buzzcocks), and Flaminia Cinque (Waking the Dead, Any Human Heart), the gentle wit and musical flashbacks are perfect for fans of It's Not Us, It's Them, Up the Garden Path, and North by Northamptonshire.

Cast and credits

Patrick - Jim Sweeney

Helen - Cathryn Harrison

Billy - Steve Steen

Moira - Sadie Shimmin

Joe - Stephen Frost

Maria - Flaminia Cinque

Charlie - Izzy de Rosario

Siobhan - Josie Lawrence

Mr Martin - Geoffrey Whitehead

Valery - Yuri Klimov

Mrs Fleming - Jenny Lee

Mr Ward - Chris Emmett

Removal man/Schoolboy/Speaker - Alex Lowe

Young man/Dennis - Dave Lamb

Young woman/Amanda - Emma Kennedy

Written by Jim Sweeney

Produced by Steve Doherty

Originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4:

20 July - 24 August 2001 (Series 1)

20 September - 25 October 2002 (Series 2)