Last night BBC Three aired a one-off drama with domestic violence as its focal point. The episode was, hauntingly, based on the true story of a Nottingham girl who fell prey to an abusive relationship, and although the visual replication was polished to a typical BBC shine, the gritty subject matter hit home as very real.
The story was planted in the perky life of seventeen-year-old college girl Ashley (Georgina Campbell) and her friends. The first few minutes hinted that the episode was going to be a cheesily scripted watch, but the actors’ skill soon swept any doubts away, pulling the viewer deep into a believable world. Ashley was amicable in her shy and modest nature as Reece (Royce Pierreson) made his admirations known at the beginning of their relationship.
On first impressions Reece seemed to be the perfect bloke, pushing every button in charming young Ashley to the point of her falling in love with him; from the delicate way he ran a feather up and down her arm, to the confident way he bought rounds of drinks in the nightclub. Having been forewarned by the title of the program, the plants of text message questioning by Reece rang with cold undertones, yet were sugar-coated in sweet smiles.
The program skipped through time for four years. Three months into the relationship, Ashley fell pregnant and Reece convincingly promised her that he would sort everything out and that they could be a proper family. The mood of the episode descended rapidly from a tranquil dream to a dark nightmare of punches, bruises and tears, flitting between the two contrasting worlds that interwove to create an inescapable net.
It was demanding to watch Ashley’s innocence being stripped back and marred, knowing full-well it was a true story of our city. Nottingham locations like Broadmarsh and Radford were dropped into the script and our accent was subtly attempted throughout. There was at least one local actor Monique Mundle, who played Ashley’s best friend Sabrina with an on-point sympathy, reflecting the very feelings viewers were wrought with.
Reece’s jealousy turned psychotic as he unashamedly slept with another woman, stirring up scenes of entrapment, control and violence that were harrowingly potent, eventually erupting in a skin-crawling, blood-curdling attack. Both Campbell and Pierreson were exceptional in their performances, stirring emotions that dutifully clanged around the heads of viewers.
Before the end credits, the sobering facts flashed on screen:
“It took four years for Ashley to die. In that time, at least 229 other women in Britain were murdered as a result of domestic violence.”
If you or anyone you know are being affected by domestic violence, you can get details of practical support and information by calling the National Domestic Violence Helpline on 0808 2000247.
Murdered by My Boyfriend is available on BBC iPlayer until 30 June
Nottingham Women’s Centre website
Murdered by My Boyfriend on BBC iPlayer
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