It will cost you £6 to view this touching little film directed by Nicky Allpress but it is money well spent. It is 1987. Jude (Lucy Walker-Evans) is a nurse in an Aids ward, Andrew (Luke Dayhill) is a patient, and Donnie (Andrew Paul) is a fireman who is salt of the earth but has a problem which eventually is revealed - his estranged son is gay. Princess Diana is about to visit and they talk about what it will be like, about their lives - Jude pretends she works in A&E,Andrew has not told his parents where he is and does not want to be filmed but has agreed to be present and then about the day itself.
It has been immaculately filmed - on line drama is in the nature of things talking heads but for once the limitations this imposes do not matter. The performances are immaculate, it is timely reminded of a past epidemic and, indeed, of the Princess who had a rare gift for doing things like this and by shaking hands and chatting freely helped dispel the myths about HIV being infectious - you did not catch it from shaking hands for a start.This Backstory Ensemble production won the 2020 No Intermission One Act Play Competition and the piece was due to be staged at the Tristan Bates Theatre in June and July but fell victim to Covid-19. It was filmed using a sanitised smart phone camera. It was amazing what a handshake could do - and well worth remembering at a time like this when another pandemic is raging.