The Stage

Murder moves Mo writer to pen prison drama

Published Monday 15 March 2010 at 18:25 by Matthew Hemley

Bafta-winning writer Neil McKay, whose television credits include Mo and See No Evil, is penning a factual drama about a prisoner at Feltham Young Offenders’ Institution who was murdered by his cell mate.

RIP Boy focuses on the real-life murder ten years ago of Zahid Mubarek by Robert Stewart, and is being made by Red Production Company.

It stars Matthew McNulty as Stewart and Ross Boatman has a fictional prison officer. McNulty previously worked with Red on its dramas Unforgiven and The Mark of Cain.

Using Boatman’s character as a narrator, the 60-minute Friday Play for BBC Radio 4 drama explores how Stewart, a known racist with psychopathic tendencies and RIP tattooed on his forehead, ended up sharing a cell with Mubarek, who was serving 90 days for theft.

Nicola Shindler, executive producer for Red, said: “This is a really powerful and special script from Neil which we wanted to highlight the complete inadequacies of a prison system which simply doesn’t know how to deal with some mental illnesses. And which could lead to tragedy again if nothing is changed.”

Darren Kuppan, who most recently appeared in East is East at the Birmingham Rep, is playing Mubarek in the drama.

RIP Boy, which marks Red’s second production for radio, is being produced by Melanie Harris and will be broadcast on May 7 at 9pm.