A short drama written and directed by Ian Cottage and produced by Common Features by Stewart Mackinnon and Derek Stubbs about a deaf boy who wants to reject his hearing aids and feels he cannot communicate properly with the world. One day, Uncle Mangetout comes to stay with the boy's family and begins to eat everything around him - toys, furniture, ashtray, the lot. The boy's world is turned upside down as he begins to regurgitate the uncle's past (a circus) and create a new...

A short drama written and directed by Ian Cottage and produced by Common Features by Stewart Mackinnon and Derek Stubbs about a deaf boy who wants to reject his hearing aids and feels he cannot communicate properly with the world. One day, Uncle Mangetout comes to stay with the boy's family and begins to eat everything around him - toys, furniture, ashtray, the lot. The boy's world is turned upside down as he begins to regurgitate the uncle's past (a circus) and create a new world for himself. The film opens showing birds flying overhead. Title: Mangetout A view through the rear window of a car shows a young boy looking upwards at the night sky as the car travels along. He wears a pair of comedy spectacles which have a false nose and moustache attached. He sits down and looks out of the window at the parked cars and buildings they are travelling past. The car horn suddenly sounds and an aggressive looking man having nearly walked into the path of the car, walks from the front of the vehicle to the rear scowling through the windows at the occupants. The car speeds off leaving the man in the middle of the road shouting after them. The occupants get out of the car. As the walk away the boy tries to tell his father a ‘knock-knock’ joke. They are at Newcastle central station and his father walks towards another man who is the boy’s uncle, who stands next to a pillar on one of the platforms. The boy watches his father go to meet him; the boy then removes his joke spectacles. Back in the car the boy looks suspiciously at this new passenger. Then his uncle starts to eat the cigarette tray and all its contents. The boy watches in disbelief and he adjusts the rear-view mirror to see the reflection of this odd man. A change of scene follows as the boy sits still while his hearing aid earpiece is fitted by his mother while he eats an egg. The boy moves to a bedroom where he finds his uncle jumping up and down on the bed while carrying a suitcase. He stops and sits on the edge of the bed. The boy shows him a toy clown he has in his hand. His uncle tries to grab it off him to eat it. His uncle starts to eat the toy and the boy, who has been pushed to the floor looks at him disapprovingly. The uncle walks downstairs as he puts on his jacket and the boy follows. He goes out in the street followed by the boy. The boy pulls out his hearing aid at a busy road crossing. The boy catches up with his uncle in open grassland and tells him to eat the hearing aids. His uncle walks off and wanders about the field looking for something in the grass. He finds a multicoloured umbrella, opens it and hold its above his head. The boy closes his eyes and moves his head back as though he was looking at the sky. The boy runs into the big top of a circus which is deserted except for one figure. It is his uncle with his back to him sheltering underneath the umbrella as water pours down on it. He turns and looks at the boy, his uncle has transformed his appearance into a clown complete with face make up. His uncle reaches behind the boy’s ear and produces a hardboiled egg which he eats. He then produces a live pigeon from his mouth, which he releases, and it flies to the top of the circus marquee. The film changes to the backyard of the boys home, where he bangs a tin can and walks through laundered items hanging on a washing line. A close view of his face shows that he has applied his own clown makeup. A close view of his face shows him produce a false red nose from his mouth. He then goes into the house and examines his mouth in a mirror, and he puts on the red nose. His uncle wanders from a back room down the hallway to find out what his nephew is doing. The boy is transported back to the circus arena, where complete with clown make-up he smiles. The film shows the boy in bed at night. A flash back shows the uncle in clown make-up getting drenched by water in the circus arena. The boy apparently still asleep produces a silver whistle from his mouth, it falls onto some sawdust. A pigeon flies up to the roof of the circus marquee. The boy wakes up on top of what appears to be circus props piled in a room almost reaching the ceiling. The film moves on showing the boy looking up at the sky through the rear window of a travelling car. He turns round and sits down and looks at the countryside as it flashes past the car. Suddenly he sees his uncle with an open umbrella balancing himself as he walks along the top of a fence bordering a field. The film ends as the boy takes out one of his earpieces and eats it. Credits: Child – Liam Nesbitt Uncle – Freddie Davies Cast: Fiona Mac Pherson Tony Neilson Stephen Thirkeld Thanks to: Jan Hawley, Maria & David Nesbitt, Kenneth Aitken, Trevor & Karen Hopkins, Dave & Sue Hawley, Lucy Vinnecombe, Monkhouse Primary School, Mike Myers, Steve Lucock, Newcastle College, Stonehills Studios. Assistant Director: Tony Glover Location Manager: Bob Davis Continuity: Susie Weber Art Director: Sarah Beaman Production Design: Peter Hastie Art Department: Alison Richardson, Sophie Hebron, Joy Catterick, Zoe Pearson Wardrobe: Trisha Havery Lighting Camera: John Worwick Focus Puller: Rob Hill Sound Recordist: Jane Barnett Dubbing Editor: Dave Maughan Music Engineer: Charles McGovern Keyboards: Kate Ryder Dubbing Mixer: David Skillton Composer: Roger Redgate Editor: Roger Buck 10 X 10 Series Producer: Jeremy Howe Producers: Stewart Mackinnon, Derek Stubbs Writer/Director: Ian Cottage Made With Financial Assistance From Northern Arts A Common Features Production For BBC BBC Bristol MCMXCVI