Institute History
Description
Set in working-class England, Girls’ Night portrays a changing friendship between two women. Middle-aged Dawn, who works on a factory assembly line, tries to manage her unruly children while she and her husband dream of paying off their mortgage. Jackie, her sister-in-law and best friend, also works at the factory and would like to get out of her mortgage but is more focused on trading her marriage for a passionate love affair. Dawn and Jackie, along with their friends from work, escape every Friday night to the neighborhood Bingo hall where the chances of hitting it big provide an antidote to the monotony and stress of their days.
Then two things happen suddenly to change the rhythm of these women’s lives and their friendship as they know it. One night at Bingo, Dawn wins a hundred thousand pounds, which she is bound by a previous agreement to share with Jackie. In the midst of deciding how to spend the money, Dawn is diagnosed with cancer. Jackie responds by taking Dawn on a dream vacation to Las Vegas, where they have always yearned to play the odds. It is there, while pursuing one last good time together, that the true nature of their friendship is revealed.
Devoid of melodrama or sentimentality, Girls’ Night explores universal themes with gripping realism. The thoroughly convincing performances are set against a highly textured backdrop. Using gambling as a recurring metaphor, Girls’ Night explores the human need to risk everything for a shot at love and happiness.
Nick Hurran, Director
Nick Hurran was born in London in 1959. After two years at London’s Royal National Theatre, he worked for a number of television companies as an assistant director. He began directing for the BBC and subsequently directed two award-winning TV comedy/drama series for Central Television and Carlton. His first feature films appeared in 1996: Remember Me for Channel Four Films and Perfect Match for Granada. His next feature is Virtual Sexuality for Columbia/TriStar.