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Clare in the Community: The Complete Series 1-6
Harry Venning, David Ramsden
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  • Published: 26 May 2022
  • ISBN: 9781529195163
  • Imprint: BBC DL
  • Format: Audio Download
  • RRP: $34.99
Categories:

Clare in the Community: The Complete Series 1-6

A BBC Radio 4 Comedy

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The first six series of the Sony Award-winning sitcom about a social worker with all the right jargon, but none of the practical solutions

The first six series of the Sony Award-winning sitcom about a social worker with all the right jargon, but none of the practical solutions

'Completely engaging... beautifully observed characters and lots of very funny material' The Sony Judges

Meet Clare Barker, the social worker who likes nothing more than sorting out other people's problems (while failing to deal with her own). Wracked with guilt over being white, middle-class and heterosexual, she has a dedicated social conscience (unless it's inconvenient for her) and lives to interfere in other people's lives - both on a personal and professional basis. Bearing the brunt of her control freakery and lack of self-awareness are her family, colleagues and long-suffering teacher partner, Brian - all of whom have their own frustrations, disappointments and dramas.

In these six series, Clare and Brian try to shore up their rocky relationship, as Brian contemplates proposing, persuades Clare to attend couples counselling, and considers splitting up. Will their baby son, Thomas Paine, bring them back together - or will new nanny Nali prove a further obstacle to domestic bliss? Meanwhile, the Sparrowhawk Family Centre is threatened with closure, and the team are joined by new member Libby - 'an Aussie and a lesbo', proud to be both, and after Clare's job...

Based on the long-running cartoon strip in the Guardian's 'Society' section, this wonderfully entertaining series stars Sally Phillips as Clare and Alex Lowe as Brian, alongside an ensemble cast including Nina Conti, Richard Lumsden, Ellen Thomas, Gemma Craven, Liza Tarbuck, Andrew Wincott and Sarah Kendall.

Production credits
Written by Harry Venning and David Ramsden
Produced by Katie Tyrrell
Executive Producer: Paul Schlesinger

Cast
Clare - Sally Phillips
Brian - Alex Lowe
Megan/Nali - Nina Conti
Ray - Richard Lumsden
Irene - Ellen Thomas
Helen - Gemma Craven/Liza Tarbuck
Simon - Andrew Wincott
Libby - Sarah Kendall

Other parts played by members of the cast

With Paul Chequer, Emily Wachter, Nicholas Boulton, Helen Longworth, Stephan Hogan, Richenda Carey, Alex Tregear, Sartaj Garewal, Bharti Patel, Delroy Brown, Vicki Pepperdine, John Cummins, Gerard McDermott, George Harris, Roy Hudd, Brigit Forsyth, Phil Davis, Christine Kavanagh, Lewis MacLeod, Mel Hudson, Geraldine McNulty, Mark Straker, Joseph Kloska, Martin Hyder, Shaban Arifi, Anna Bengo, Rad Lazar, Ben Onwukwe, Sam Pamphilon, Lloyd Thomas, Donnla Hughes, Chris Pavlo, Philip Pope, Rosemary Leach, Doreen Mantle, Jess Robinson and Paterson Joseph.

First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 26 November-31 December 2004 (Series 1), 4 November-9 December 2005 (Series 2), 18 December 2006-22 January 2007 (Series 3), 16 January-20 February 2008 (Series 4), 18 February-25 March 2009 (Series 5), 31 May-5 July 2010 (Series 6)

© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
  • Published: 26 May 2022
  • ISBN: 9781529195163
  • Imprint: BBC DL
  • Format: Audio Download
  • RRP: $34.99
Categories:

About the authors

Harry Venning

'Clare in the Community began as a strip cartoon in the social work magazine Care Weekly. Six weeks later Care Weekly ceased publication, but no link was ever established between the two events. After this less than auspicious start she transferred to The Guardian, where she has been ever since.

In 2004 Clare made the leap from a printed page to the airwaves of Radio 4 as a sitcom, which demanded her character be fleshed out considerably. We decided that she should be white, middle class and heterosexual - all of which are causes of discomfort to her - and that her obsessive involvement in other people's lives was the way she avoided addressing the problems of her own.

At first we had a bit of a dilemma regarding Clare's professional competence. Although we were keen to avoid joining in with the national pastime of denigrating social workers, as popularised by certain right-leaning newspapers, Clare was funnier the more insensitive, oblivious, self-absorbed and generally useless she was. Ultimately, we went for the funny option and so far no social workers have complained of misrepresentation.

In fact, quite the opposite. Social workers often compliment us on how accurate the shows are, and are surprised that we have no background in the profession. This is particularly flattering, since we have always prided ourselves on writing the shows from a position of profound ignorance. We have our moles on the inside who feed us workplace jargon and steer us away from glaring inaccuracies, but apart from that we have studiously avoided any kind of research. First, because for the show to have mass appeal it has to be accessible to an audience without any specialist knowledge, and secondly because we are too lazy.

People often think it's the actors who make comedies funny, but it isn't. It's the writing. Having said that, Clare in the Community has been particularly lucky in its cast. So, grudging thanks to them. And since we're thanking people we really should mention our infinitely patient, endlessly resourceful, multi-talented producer Katie Tyrell.'

Harry Venning & David Ramsden, writers of Clare in the Community, June 2007

HV

David Ramsden

David Ramsden is a teacher and freelance writer, best known for co-writing (along with Harry Venning) the scripts for the BBC Radio 4 comedy series Clare in the Community.

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