The Curse - Episode Billings
Category: Press Pack ArticleEPISODE 1 - ‘Would You?’
It’s the East End of London, early 1980s, and times are hard. Ordinary people are turning to crime as a way out of poverty, a way to join in Thatcher’s false promise of prosperity for everyone. Albert Fantoni and his wife Natasha run a greasy spoon cafe and are down on their luck - looking for their own way out. Their lives change when one evening Albert and his old mates Phil Pocket, a wannabe gangster, and washed up ex boxer Mick Neville meet up with Natasha’s brother Sidney at their local pub.
Sidney explains that he has a new job at a warehouse which handles cash shipments in transit. Security is almost non existent and he could easily let the boys in and they could help themselves to as much as £50,000.
But what they find there is something quite different – boxes and boxes of gold bullion worth over £30 million. They take it and make their escape. But what they don’t know is that this gold will curse them for the rest of their lives.
EPISODE 2 - ‘Act Normal’
News of the robbery has spread fast and wide. It’s all over the news, all over the world. The gang are oblivious at first, as they stash the gold in a hiding place and Clive offers what he calls an ‘even split’ - Albert and his pals take the few grand in cash that they stole and leave dealing with the gold to Clive and Joey. But Mick suspects that’s not actually very even at all…
Meanwhile the police are sniffing around. Detective Saunders, as old school as they come, suggests a synchronised raid on every known armed robber in London but his new colleague Thread has an altogether more modern idea. Puzzled by how the gang got into the warehouse with no sign of forced entry, she suspects an inside job and wants to gather the security guards for a reconstruction.
Sidney quickly caves and gives the police the names they’re looking for. Or so they think …
EPISODE 3 - ‘The Fear’
At a loss for what to do with the stolen gold, the gang set Mick to work hiding it all. Albert and Natasha tell Sidney to keep a low profile, while Phil gets a call telling him to expect an important visitor.
At the café, Albert and Natasha receive an important visitor of their own in the shape of Ma McTavish, head of the local crime firm, and her associate Billy English. Ma seems to know all about the robbery, and the gold. And the fact that Albert, Natasha and co are way out of their depth. She explains that she had backed the robbery, and now she will be helping them to monetise it, in exchange for a cut of the proceeds. It’s not the friendliest offer of help, and she leaves them in no doubt that they would do well to follow Billy English’s instructions. He gives them the address of a safe house, an abandoned farm. But no sooner have the gang set themselves up at the farm than things take a very unexpected turn - and now they’re in even more trouble.
EPISODE 4 - ‘The Monkey and The Cat’
A deeply troubled Albert throws himself into smelting gold as fast as Billy can sell it on. The money is rolling in thick and fast but it’s dirty money - and Billy tells the gang they can’t spend any of it yet. He’s set up a meeting with The Baptist, a high end Swiss money launderer - but not all the gang are invited. And along with Phil receiving some ominous orders from elsewhere, the cracks are starting to show in the gang’s friendships.
EPISODE 5 - ‘Millionaires’
Months have passed. The money has been quietly rolling in, and while Albert and Natasha have kept a low profile, Mick and Phil - who haven’t spoken to the others in a long while - are living it large. They’ve bought a nightclub in Soho, Mick’s driving a gold Bentley and they’re starting to draw unwanted attention to themselves.
Sidney, meanwhile, is receiving death threats and needs to get out of town. Billy sets up a meeting to arrange for Sidney to escape to Spain. But the net is closing in on the whole gang - with Ma McTavish on one side and the police on the other, it feels like time is running out. Time to run …
EPISODE 6 - ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’
The gang are running out of options. The police are getting closer, watching the cafe night and day. And Ma McTavish is breathing down Mick’s neck wanting her share of the gold. The gang have nowhere to turn. It might be time to make a run for it - but how? Well Albert has a plan. And it just might work …