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Parkinson's Patients Find Friendship, Dance, and Love in New BBC Film
22 Oct
Summary
- Emmy and BAFTA award-winning actors to star in BBC film about Parkinson's
- Touching story of two people bonding over shared diagnosis and love of dance
- Film written by Parkinson's patient, directed by Oscar winner John Madden

In a heartwarming move, the BBC has announced the production of a new film titled "But When We Dance," set to premiere in the coming months. The 90-minute drama will feature an ensemble cast led by Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning actress Laura Linney and BAFTA award winner Rhys Ifans.
The film, written by Parkinson's patient Paul Mayhew-Archer and directed by Oscar winner John Madden, tells the story of two individuals, Tony Evans and Emma Dretzin, who are both unexpectedly diagnosed with Parkinson's disease on the same day. Despite not knowing each other initially, their shared condition and love of dance bring them together, leading to an unlikely friendship and the discovery of joy and love.
Joining Linney and Ifans in the cast are acclaimed actors Monica Dolan, Rory Kinnear, and Mayhew-Archer himself. The film, set and filmed in North Norfolk, is produced by Hilltop Screen, a John Gore Studios company, for the BBC One network and the BBC iPlayer streaming service.
Director John Madden expressed his excitement to bring this story of "humor and emotion, of challenge and bravado, of music and dance" to the screen, stating that it will "transcend the assumptions of a little understood condition, and triumph over the odds to find joy, release and love."