Set in a time of immense change, Dancing on the Edge tells the story of a black jazz group, the Louis Lester Band, as they rise to fame, entertaining guests at exclusive high society gatherings in 1930s London. While many recoil at the presence of black musicians in polite society, the capital's more progressive socialites, including younger members of the Royal Family, take the band under their wing.
In this explosive five-part series, Stephen Poliakoff returns to television with his most ambitious work to date.
Dancing on the Edge provides a new angle on an extraordinary time in history, giving us a piercingly original vision of Britain in the 1930s; a time of glamour, hardship, vibrant new music and financial meltdown. Combining the rich characterisation of
Shooting The Past with the epic sweep of
The Lost Prince and inspired by true stories of the era, Dancing on the Edge was produced by Ruby Film and Television for BBC2.
Also included is the innovative epilogue to the whole drama,
Interviewing Louis, where music journalist Stanley conducts a combative in-depth interview with Louis Lester. This funny and disturbing drama complements the main story perfectly while leading us towards a shocking and unexpected conclusion.
Poliakoff, Stephen: - Stephen Poliakoff, born in December 1952, was appointed writer-in-residence at the National Theatre for 1976 and the same year won the Evening Standard's Most Promising Playwright Award for Hitting Town and City Sugar. In 1980 Poliakoff won a BAFTA Award for the Best Single Play for Caught on a Train, the Evening Standard's Best British Film Award for Close My Eyes in 1992, the Critics' Circle Best Play Award for Blinded by the Sun in 1996 and the Prix Italia and the Royal Television Society Best Drama Award for Shooting the Past in 1999. His plays and films include Clever Soldiers (1974), The Carnation Gang(1974), Hitting Town(1975), City Sugar(1975), Heroes(1975), Strawberry Fields (1977), Stronger than the Sun (1977), Shout Across the River(1978), American Days(1979), The Summer Party(1980), Bloody Kids (1980), Caught on a Train (1980), Favourite Nights(1981), Soft Targets (1982), Runners(1983), Breaking the Silence (1984), Coming in to Land (1987), Hidden City(1988), She's Been Away(1989), Playing with Trains (1989), Close My Eyes(1991), Sienna Red (1992), Century (1994), Sweet Panic (1996), Blinded by the Sun(1996), The Tribe (1997), Food of Love (1998), Talk of the City (1998), Remember This (1999), Shooting the Past (1999), Perfect Strangers(2001), for which he won the Dennis Potter Award at the 2002 BAFTAs and Best Writer and Best Drama at the Royal Television Society Awards, and The Lost Prince (2003), winner of three Emmy Awards in 2005, including Outstanding Mini Series. His work for the BBC includes Friends and Crocodiles (2006) and Gideon's Daughter (also 2006), which won two Golden Globes and a Peabody Award in 2007, Joe's Palace(2007) and Capturing Mary(2007), which was Emmy-nominated and won a BAFTA.
More recently, Stephen released the feature film Glorious '39 (2010) with BBC Films. Stephen's latest stage play My City premiered at the Almeida Theatre in 2011 and his BBC television series Dancing On The Edge(2013) achieved international acclaim, winning a Golden Globe. His latest television series, Close To The Enemy premiered in 2016 on BBC Two.
