Mary Quaile Club presents The Spongers screening + discussion at Working Class Movement Library

Writer Jim Allen’s feature-length television drama The Spongers aired on BBC One back in 1978, yet its clear links with issues in today’s Britain still make it a particularly apt catalyst for political debate. This month, the Mary Quaile Club host a very special screening of the Mancunian-based show, followed by what promises to be an insightful discussion introduced by BAFTA award-winning screenwriter Jimmy McGovern (Cracker, The Street, Accused). The show’s relevance to contemporary social issues is evident even from its title, which stems from the derogatory term ‘sponger’ used at the time to describe people dependent on state benefits – still a hot topic in today’s media. The Spongers sympathetically follows the disintegration of a working-class, single-parent family following cutbacks in council services. Expect no happy ending to this tale, which is now regarded as something of a classic, with the likes of former Doctor Who star Christopher Eccleston publicly singing its praises.

Sat 21 Jun, Working Class Movement Library, 51 Crescent, Salford, M5 4WX, 1pm, FREE (advanced booking recommended), maryquaileclub.wordpress.com