The Key

Having seen other work by Donna Franceschild (A Mug's Game), I was looking forward to watching The Key, partly because it was set in Glasgow. The Key follows the trials and tribulations of a Glasgow family in the last century,the character of Mary, played by Dawn Steele and June Watson respectively, as the lynch-pin that holds the family and the narrative together. I particularly enjoyed the performances of Frances Grey as Jessie, Mary's granddaughter, and of Dawn Steele as Mary. It was interesting to see Ronni Ancona doing something other than comedy although I did think her performance was weaker than the others, particularly as the development of her character was integral to the plot. Overall I thought The Key was a fascinating and absorbing drama. The BBC should produce more like this and I hope it will be released on DVD sometime in the future.