Appropriate Adult (tv drama)

[DanaC]

I watched part one of a new two part drama last night called Appropriate Adult. It's about the serial killer Fred West. Or more accurately it's about the Fred and Rosemary West case.

It's done from the perspective of a woman called Janet Leach, who acted as Fred West's 'appropriate adult' due to concerns over his level of understanding and the potential for later claims of a lack of that understanding.

Drawn partly from the transcripts of interviews which Leach attended with Fred, and her own accounts of conversations between them during the time after West's arrest, it's a strangely compelling piece which manages to avoid dwelling on the crimes themseves. We never see any of them on screen, and even after they start digging up the West's garden and house they don;t show any of the bodies/body parts.

What it is is a study of a crime and a criminal. But also a character study of Leach.

This was her first outing as a voluntary AA. She'd just completed her training and was phone dup one day by the police and asked to come to the station to act as appropriate adult for a suspect they'd arrested. She had no idea what she was about to face. her expectations would have been either a child or a learning disabed adult. What she got was Fred West, soon to be shown as one of the most notorious and brutal serial killers in British history, along with his wife, Rosemary who is still serving a life sentence for her part in the rape, torture and murder of 11 young women, including one of their daughters. Rose West also murdered Fred's daughter from his previous marriage.

Hell of a first outing for a new recruit.

Made worse by the fact that Fred West kept dropping hints to her about other bodies, and other murders whilst he was being questioned about his daughter's disappearance. Hints she couldn't mention to anybody as her role assured confidentiality.

Both parts are played incredibly well. Dominic West (of The Wire) showing his Gloucestershire accent is as stunning as his Baltimore accent was, manages to capture something of West's manipulative charm, and almost bumbling ignorance. Emily Watson is perfect as the newbie AA pitched into a nightmarish case and struggling to cope with what he's telling her.

Here's a review from the Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/t...V1-review.html

And from the Guardian:http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-rad...e-adult-review





Stunning piece of character drama. Not sensationalist, not salacious. Treads a very careful line, but does it very well indeed.

There's been quite a lot of unease about the drama in the last few weeks, before it aired. Some of the families are upset that it's being dealt with in a drama, others are glad that it is being tackled. West's remaining children likewise are split over the matter. So, it was good to see how sensitively it was handled.

What's strange is, as the review points out, there are moments that seem humorous. Not that they've been written for humour at all. But I did find myself almost laughing a couple of times at some of the answers West gave in interview. Then catching myself with a reminder that what I am seeing is 'real' and not a detective fiction. These were the answers he gave and in the tone he gave them.

I can't wait to see the second part. It's just such a well-acted and well-written piece.