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IMDbPro

Then Barbara Met Alan

  • TV Movie
  • 2022
  • 1h 7m
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
272
YOUR RATING
Ruth Madeley in Then Barbara Met Alan (2022)
Barbara Lisicki and Alan Holdsworth, two disabled cabaret performers who pushed the campaign for disabled rights into the spotlight.
Play trailer0:37
1 Video
2 Photos
BiographyDrama

Tells the story of Barbara Lisicki and Alan Holdsworth, two disabled cabaret artists who met in1989 and became the driving force behind Direct Action Network - whose protests pushed disabili... Read allTells the story of Barbara Lisicki and Alan Holdsworth, two disabled cabaret artists who met in1989 and became the driving force behind Direct Action Network - whose protests pushed disability rights into the spotlight.Tells the story of Barbara Lisicki and Alan Holdsworth, two disabled cabaret artists who met in1989 and became the driving force behind Direct Action Network - whose protests pushed disability rights into the spotlight.

  • Directors
    • Bruce Goodison
    • Amit Sharma
  • Writers
    • Jack Thorne
    • Genevieve Barr
  • Stars
    • Ruth Madeley
    • Arthur Hughes
    • Philippa Cole
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.8/10
    272
    YOUR RATING
    • Directors
      • Bruce Goodison
      • Amit Sharma
    • Writers
      • Jack Thorne
      • Genevieve Barr
    • Stars
      • Ruth Madeley
      • Arthur Hughes
      • Philippa Cole
    • 4User reviews
    • 5Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 3 nominations total

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 0:37
    Official Trailer

    Photos1

    View Poster

    Top cast35

    Edit
    Ruth Madeley
    Ruth Madeley
    • Barbara Lisicki
    Arthur Hughes
    Arthur Hughes
    • Alan Holdsworth
    Philippa Cole
    • Sue
    Reece Pantry
    • Billy
    Fergus Rattigan
    • Ian
    Laura Aikman
    Laura Aikman
    • Victoria Scott
    Nadeem Islam
    • Deepak
    Shreya M. Patel
    Shreya M. Patel
    • Shivali
    • (as Shreya M Patel)
    Liz Carr
    Liz Carr
    • Liz
    Mat Fraser
    Mat Fraser
    • Mat
    Vivienne Soan
    Vivienne Soan
    • Nora
    Manny Ahmed
    • Dev
    Andy Chaplin
    • Police Officer
    Brydie Service
    • Steph
    Jo Sargeant
    Jo Sargeant
    • Floor Manager
    Ross Grant
    Ross Grant
    • John Fallow
    Dan Mersh
    • Joe Simpson
    Bonnie Rackham
    • Jasia (Baby)
    • Directors
      • Bruce Goodison
      • Amit Sharma
    • Writers
      • Jack Thorne
      • Genevieve Barr
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews4

    6.8272
    1
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    10

    Featured reviews

    10trina17601

    entertaining and informative!!

    This movie was so entertaining and informative for me to watch as an American with a disability. While focusing on Alan Holdsworth and Barbara. Lisicki's story as disabled performers, it also was informative about the disability civil rights movement in England. Two very enthusiastic thumbs up, and I can't wait for it to be more readily available to us in the US.
    9henri-26842

    I wish we could have another 2 hrs in their company

    Ruth Madeley makes the film definitely. The story is so important as Alan and Barbra deserve to be known and the story isn't over. Its a beautiful film even if it is just a summery.
    3Janet1612

    Great story but lots of foul language

    An interesting film. I remember the protests and angry, aggressive people. It's a shame that's what it takes to get your point across: the disability rights act should have been around years back.

    The actress playing Barbara is fantastic, actually all the cast are. I didn't enjoy the footage of the protests, I can understand their anger but boy are they nasty.

    I hope those involved in Direct Action realise that they cannot get to 'all corners of the world'. Many of our wonderful Victorian/Edwardian buildings just aren't built of wheelchair access, and most aren't suitable to have a ramp. I recall a protestor in my home town complaining she couldn't get her wheelchair up the steps of the beautiful Victorian bank - to me this was plain daft and unnecessary. Bank elsewhere! My friend experienced a wheelchair user turning up at her small Guest House - she hadn't informed anyone on booking that she'd require wheelchair access. The building is Georgian with stone steps, not suitable for a ramp. It's sad, but right to state that not every building will be accessible for wheelchair users. They will just have to book elsewhere that's suitable.

    The bus ramps are here at last! Well done Barbara, Alan and their fellow Rights Protestors.
    8owen-watts

    Nothing About Them Without Them

    This punky and extraordinary film about disability rights activism in the early 90s told through the romance between Barbara Lisicki and Alan Holdsworth is brimming with wild confidence and subversive energy. In its brisk 67 minutes it doesn't quite manage the character depth of similar recent-history protest biopics but what it lacks in structure it makes up for in a winning sense of authenticity. Not just with an extraordinary cast that involves many of the activists themselves - but with a style that uses a smart collage of contemporary footage with analogue recording. There really is a feeling that this is a protest story told by protestors - with all the hope and futility, all the fire and creativity that this entails. It feels like more of an explosive primer than a history lesson, and it feels like it arrived at the exact right time.

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    Storyline

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • March 21, 2022 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Official site
      • British Broadcasting Corporation (United Kingdom)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • A luta de Barbara e Alan
    • Production companies
      • Dragonfly Film and Television Productions
      • One Shoe Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 7 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 16:9 HD

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