You may have seen some filming taking place around Swansea last month, with a famous actor known worldwide through his role in Game of Thrones spotted on a city street. And now the BBC has today officially announced the new feature length drama, Men Up.
Men Up is inspired by the remarkable true story of one of the world's first medical trials for the drug that ultimately became Viagra, which was held in Swansea’s Morriston Hospital in 1994. Years before the little blue pill changed the lives for millions across the globe, a group of ordinary middle-aged Welsh men took a step into the unknown by taking part in the trial.
The cast of the drama, made by Quay Street Productions and Boom for BBC One and BBC iPlayer in a co-commission with BBC Wales, includes Iwan Rheon (Game of Thrones, Misfits, Riviera), Aneurin Barnard (Dunkirk, The Pact), Alexandra Roach (Killing Eve, Sanditon, No Offence), Phaldut Sharma (Sherwood, Romantic Getaway), Paul Rhys (A Discovery of Witches, Rellick), Steffan Rhodri (House of the Dragon, Temple), Mark Lewis Jones (Gangs of London, The Phantom of the Open), Joanna Page (Gavin & Stacey, Dolittle), Alexandria Riley (The Pembrokeshire Murders, The Pact), Nathan Sussex (It’s A Sin, Hollyoaks), Lisa Palfrey (Sex Education, COBRA), Dyfan Dwyfor (A Very English Scandal, Requiem) and Katy Wix (Ghosts, Stath Lets Flats).
In the drama, Meurig Jenkins (Rheon), Colin White (Rhodri), Tommy Cadogan (Rhys), Peetham 'Pete' Shah (Sharma) and Eddie O’Connor (Jones) all have one thing in common - impotency. It affects them in every aspect of their lives as they drown in shame and silence. You can get more Swansea news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
Left feeling as failures, and questioning their manhood after having attempted their own fixes to no avail, the group are presented with a lifeline: a place on a trial for an unknown drug thought to cure impotence, led by the ambitious Dr Dylan Pearce (Barnard) with support from clinical nurse Moira Davies (Page).
As each man grapples with their own insecurities and hiding the truth from their loved ones - including their wives and partners Ffion Jenkins (Roach) and Teresa Rigby (Palfrey) who are also fighting their own battles - will this little pill be able to bring back their spark?
Mixing drama with humour, Men Up is described as a poignant and beautiful story in which a group of unassuming men rise to the challenge to reclaim their sex lives. It is written by Matthew Barry (Industry, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), directed by Ashley Way (White Lines, Stella, Merlin), and produced by Karen Lewis (The Salisbury Poisonings, Years and Years, Happy Valley).
Executive producers are Nicola Shindler (Nolly, It’s A Sin, Happy Valley) and Davina Earl (Safe, Come Home) for Quay Street Productions, Rachel Evans (35 Diwrnod/35 Days, How This Blind Girl…) for Boom, Matthew Barry, Russell T Davies (Nolly, It’s A Sin, Doctor Who) and Rebecca Ferguson for the BBC.
Mr Barry previously worked with Shindler and Davies on their 2015 drama Banana, part of the Cucumber, Banana, Tofu series for Channel 4.
Mr Barry said: “Who knew that one of the first Viagra trials in the world took place in 1994 in Swansea! I’m beyond delighted to be working with Nicola, Russell, and the entire team to bring this extraordinary tale to the screen. People hear the word impotence, and they wait for the punchline. But this story is about so much more. And with an incredible Welsh cast, led by Iwan Rheon and Alexandra Roach, I can't wait to bring it to the screen.”
Davina Earl, executive producer for Quay Street Productions, said: “Men Up is one of those truly remarkable true stories that is a joy to be able to bring to the screen. This is the type of story that we love at Quay Street – one of heart, soul, complex characters, with humour and drama at the centre. With Matthew Barry’s fantastic script coupled with our stellar cast, audiences are in for a treat.”
Director of BBC Drama, Lindsay Salt, added: “Men Up is a little-known chapter of our history, beautifully told across 90 minutes of poignant, funny, and life-affirming television. It’s no surprise that Matthew’s charming and intelligent script has attracted such a strong ensemble of acting talent, and I cannot wait to see them bring his words to life.”
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