The C Word. TV Drama

                        The C Word.TV Drama.

"Losing someone to cancer really resets your perspective. It makes me value life, cherish my loved ones and be grateful for every day I have with them."(Sheridan Smith)

4.2 million people recently tuned in to watch an outstanding and powerful performance by Sheridan Smith (recently seen in Cilla) and whose credits include the sitcom Gavin & Stacey, Two Pints of Lager & A Packet of Crisps, Quartet with Maggie Smith and Michael Gambon to more highbrow Ibsen. A versatile actress and an accomplished singer.

Staring cancer in the face may be construed as a bravado act but it takes a lot of courage. Smith, affectionately known as the queen of the biopic agreed to play Lisa Lynch, a journalist, or more specifically a magazine editor. Lynch was adamant that her alter ego should be played by Smith and only Smith. For the latter it became a "personal labour of love" in spite of being a "uniquely testing" role. Once being diagnosed with breast cancer at 28, Lisa decided to write a humorous and personal blog entitled Alright tit. Once it went viral she soon discovered that she had a massive following including Stephen Fry who described it as "funny and brilliant." The blog gave her a purpose especially during some dark moments of despair. The blog inspired her and her family to deal with the disease: "You've made one underemployed woman with swollen joints and one missing joint very happy."

With the success of the blog came the book and The Bullshit was the adopted name for her cancer. Nicole Taylor wrote the tv script and Simon Lewis produced the drama. Tim Kirkby directed it.

It's 2008 and Lisa and Pete (played by Paul Nicholls, ex-Eastender) have been happily married for 18 months. Lisa's discovery of a lump is taken in her stride and she gloats to her friends who want a feel! The atmosphere is excitable as the couple share their exciting and forthcoming plans to tour the States taking in New York, Washington, Carolina, Georgia and Miami. These are exciting times surely? Dreams of a lifetime.

Once Pete accompanies his wife to the hospital to investigate the lump, the atmosphere changes and the acting takes on a new dimension-frighteningly real. It's every women's nightmare. The mammogram shows that it's not a cyst and the prognosis isn't good-the signs are consistent with breast cancer. The consultant informs a shocked Lisa that a biopsy will determine whether the lump is invasive or non-invasive.

The breast can't be saved because of the size and it becomes necessary to have an immediate operation. The couple find it difficult to respond; they are dumb-struck as one would expect. It's certainly not what they expected to hear. Lisa's parents and brother, Jamie are also shocked but prove a well-needed tower of strength. More bad news- the cancer is invasive, a tumour of 5 cm and the sad news that she is hovering between stages 2/3 out of a possible 4.

The next stage is a skin-sparing mastectomy where muscle and skin is taken from her back."I want this thing out of me, cut me open, take my nipple, take the lot, scar me up, just get it out."

The operation is successful and the cancer is removed. At this point, Lisa felt like a "museum exhibit, a creature to be viewed" and she blogs: "ding dong, the lump is dead." Unfortunately, that is not the end-radiotherapy, (26 sessions), chemo  (6 rounds) and reconstruction. An emotional breaking point devastates Lisa when she has to come to terms with the fact that she will never be able to have any children. Her cancer is hormonal receptive and any IVF treatment would accelerate her cancer.

The treatment inevitably causes side effects as most of us know-the hair falls out, the eyelashes fall out and there are frequent bouts of sickness. Smith agreed to have her head shaved and as Lisa, she calls herself a "smackhead" resorting to hoodies to attempt to hide her baldness and not resemble Uncle Fester.

One particular poignant moment that shows how traumatic it all was for Lisa was when she was in the advanced stages of the disease. We see Smith soaking in the bath, unable to get out, trying to call Pete for assistance and struggling to make any recognisable sounds. He carries her as if she is a fragile invalid, wraps a couple of towels around her and gently places her on the bed. The scene proved to be a particularly painful one for Smith whose brother Julian died from cancer when he was 18.

The drama shows inevitable moments of despair but there are light-hearted moments and displays of happiness. Lisa concludes with "There is as much to mourn as there is to celebrate." Jamie's wedding was one of those moments, a "spectacular" day for Lisa who danced the night away feeling  almost cancer-free. The Bullshit had taken away her independence, her optimism, her hopes and tentative plans. The book was written when Lisa was hopeful that she would survive-we know that many people do survive. Lisa's therapist highly recommended the book telling sufferers it was "brilliant, funny and honest" one that would help people come to terms with cancer.

"Cancer forces you to act and soon the acting becomes the reality because you're so bloody determined to put out the signals." The book has raised awareness of cancer, the tv drama has cemented that awareness in order to save more precious lives. A winning formula.

REVIEW it by Carol Naylor.

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