The writer, Morwenna Banks, was speaking about the making and the story behind the drama with Jenni Murray this morning. Morwenna was a friend of Deborah Keily.
Goodbye
Duration: 1 hour, 15 minutes First broadcast: Saturday 19 October 2013
Lizzie and Jen first met in childhood and have been best friends ever since, sharing everything; their hopes, fears and all the pivotal moments of their lives. Jen has been beside Lizzie to witness her marriage to Matt and the birth of their children Cissy, Maddy, and Billy, while Lizzie has been Jen’s shoulder to cry on for as long as she can remember.
When Lizzie is diagnosed with Breast Cancer their worlds are turned upside down. Together the friends negotiate the stages of her treatment and see their friendship tested and redefined in ways they could not have predicted. As a young mother Lizzie struggles to come to terms with the effects of the disease on her family and her body, while Jen finds herself, for the first time, hiding a secret from Lizzie, unable to confide in the friend she desperately wants to support.
And when they learn that Lizzie doesn’t have much time left, they struggle to do the hardest thing of all. To say Goodbye.
An extraordinary story of friendship by Morwenna Banks, starring Olivia Colman as Lizzie and Natascha McElhone as Jen.
Some of the drama was based on writing by Deborah Keily before her death from Breast Cancer.
A stellar cast also includes Darren Boyd, John Simm and Alison Steadman.
The drama is dedicated to Deborah, Victoria, and Bethany.