As the Beast Sleeps

The TV version of Belfast writer Gary Mitchell's play gauges the temperature in the Loyalist community as the IRA ceasefire brings a response in kind from the Protestant paramilitaries. The disgruntled footsoldiers of the UFF have, however, become used to free drinks and heroic status in local boozing dens. The unfolding powerplay peers through the chinks in their ideological zeal to reveal bigotry and greed, shading in the distance between them and their political masters' search for mainstream legitimacy. Dialogue with barely a false note, authentic performances and probing direction recall the glory days of BBC TV's 'Play for Today' drama strand.