Secret Friends

Alan Bates stars as an illustrator whose life begins to unravel as fantasy and reality collide in Dennis Potter’s psychosexual drama.

Illustrator John (Alan Bates) and his wife Helen (Gina Bellman) are a normal unhappily married couple, aren’t they? And what have the neighbours got to do with it? Murder, prostitution, torrid affairs and a sinister train journey all feature in Dennis Potter’s intriguing debut feature as director. Adapted from his novel ‘Ticket to Ride’, its potent mix of evocative soundtrack, childhood memories and repressed fantasies will be familiar to Potter fans.