Living on the breadline

Daisy May Cooper stars as a poverty-stricken mum in a dark new comedy drama

Rain Dogs
Tuesday, 10.40pm (times vary), BBC1 (box set, BBC iPlayer)

A comedy drama about a single mum battling to make ends meet may not sound like a barrel of laughs, but BBC1’s Rain Dogs takes a wry, riotous and often heartfelt look at the difficulties of living a hand-to-mouth existence.

Penned by Cash Carraway and loosely inspired by the author’s memoir, the eight-parter sees This Country’s Daisy May Cooper play aspiring writer Costello Jones, who works in a seedy peep show and dreams of securing a better life for her 10-yearold daughter Iris (Fleur Tashjian).

But when Costello and Iris are evicted from their flat after getting into arrears, they are confronted with some challenging situations.

Among Costello’s eclectic and equally troubled group of pals are wild-child undertaker Gloria (Alex Rider’s Ronkẹ Adékoluẹjo) and ailing artist Lenny (Adrian Edmondson). Meanwhile, Costello also struggles to cut ties with her loose cannon, upper-class gay best friend Selby (Poldark’s Jack Farthing), who has recently been released from prison and tries to provide her with support but also leaves turmoil in his wake.

Here, Cooper, 36, and Farthing, 37, tell us more…