TWO ROADS DEVELOPMENT
Developed with the assistance of the BFI
CHARACTERS
CHARLOTTE (CHARLIE) DHUMAL (34)
White, self made and born working class. An athletic, practically minded woman who prides herself in having planned for every eventuality, and gotten herself out of every sticky situation she’s been in. A recent inappropriate run in with Darren at work has left her feeling like she failed.
Charlie and her twin sister, Amy, had little materially as kids. Their parents’ relationship was very tumultuous, and they divorced when Charlotte and Amy were in their teens. Charlotte found herself having to grow up quickly and act like an older sister, or even mother, taking care of tearaway Amy. Their mum (Emma Burton) passed away from cancer when they were in their late teens.
While Charlie took responsibility for the family at first, they are now estranged. They were not at her wedding. Her father is an anarchist, and he taught her many useful skills, but they don’t see eye to eye. Her family with Ash is a second chance for her, after her dysfunctional first family. She really doesn’t want to entertain the thought that it’s failing.
Charlie works in financial recruitment. She is excellent at her job, has worked abroad a lot, and is in line for a promotion. She is laser-focussed on her career and life goals, and otherwise has little time for the people she works with. Darren was her only friend, but things are now uncomfortable. She has left her friends behind in London and has struggled to make new ones in Leamington. She is secretly worried she isn’t as close to Emma as she should be.
Charlie is resentful of the couple’s continued reliance on the coin but can’t seem to let it go. In a crisis, her first thought is: survival of the fittest. She imagines the absolute worst, and plans how she’d tackle it. She knows that she might have to sacrifice what’s most dear to her to get through – and she’s prepared to do it, if the time comes.
ASHWIN (ASH) DHUMAL (37)
British Indian. A once fairly cool hipster who has allowed himself to settle into fatherhood. Had a wealthy upbringing in Leamington, was spoilt by his parents. Privately educated in Warwick, holidayed in Cornwall and India as a child. Ash did a BA and an MSt in English and Creative Writing at Goldsmiths. He spent his early career supported financially by his parents - something he doesn’t talk to Charlie about. He is very close to his parents, idolises them, and feels pressured by their ‘perfect marriage’.
He had a first novel published during the wilderness years of his 20s. It was pretentious and unsuccessful. He wrote his second novel during his second year with Charlotte. It drew inspiration from Charlotte’s life – and mischaracterised it, romanticising it and straying into poverty porn. It was moderately successful, and earned him a deal for a third book. He’s been struggling to write his third book for years. He used to blame it on being a new parent, but he just hasn’t found the inspiration. He’s now a stay-at-home dad, and he’s good at it.
Ash makes friends easily, and is close to the neighbours. He is uncomfortable around Charlie’s colleagues, and the person she is at work. He’s idealistic, romantic, left-wing. He likes to think of himself as a bit of an activist, but hasn’t done much about it. He hoards sentimental items. He has a history of mental health struggles but is largely on top of it. He isn't very handy around the house.
Ash is worried about his marriage, their communication, and their dependence on the coin, but hasn’t raised it. In a crisis, he will always avoid thinking of the worst case scenario, and try to creatively think of ways to cheat the system and ‘win’. He has a tendency to romanticise, and will try and keep his family together. He is naturally distrusting of the government.
ASH AND CHARLIE DHUMAL AS A COUPLE
They met 10 years ago at a bar in Dalston, London after being set up by an old school friend of Charlie’s. She found him charming, and thought it cool that he was a published novelist. He thought she was driven, and was intrigued by her past. When it came to paying the bill, each insisted on paying. Ash suggested they flip a coin over it, which Charlotte liked. She kept this coin. When Ash later texted asking for a second date, Charlotte flipped the coin over whether to see him again.
The first few years were happy. Lots of cultural exploits, trips, parties. Ash’s second novel came out 3 years after they met, and was a success. Ash then proposed. They married a year later.
They waited until Charlotte turned 29 to try to conceive, and did so relatively quickly. Emma was born 4 years ago. The downturn in their relationship began during Charlotte’s difficult pregnancy. After Emma was born, Charlotte found maternity leave dull; meanwhile Ash struggled to write and suffered from depression.
A year ago, they moved to Leamington from London to be near Ash’s parents - his mum in particular had helped him with Emma a lot. They ultimately flipped a coin over the move.
When the film starts, it’s the summer holidays before Emma goes to school. Charlotte is working full time, and Ash is, for all intents and purposes, a househusband (under the guise of ‘writing his third novel’).
They share similar goals in life – a balance of career and family – and a dry, sarcastic sense of humour. They remain attracted to each other, but now have less time for sex. They have shared interests in music, film and literature, but they don’t have the space to pursue these things anymore – unless it’s at 10pm, from their sofa.
Their politics are quite different – opposing, in many ways. She voted for this new government. Ash always votes for the left. Charlotte tends to trust the government, and other authority figures. Ash does not. Charlotte doesn’t trust ‘the public’ – she thinks without the government keeping order, society would descend. Ash thinks the government tries to pit everyone against each other, and life would be harmonious without them.
They don’t like the others’ friends. They never really have, but now have only a couple of local friends each, and are not really part of each other’s social lives. Ash knows the neighbours, Charlotte doesn’t. Charlotte occasionally drags herself to drinks after work with her colleagues. Ash is rarely invited and almost never goes.
Both envy the life the other has lived but would never admit it. Charlotte envies Ash’s wealth growing up, and how close he is to his family. Ash envies Charlotte’s challenging upbringing – more ‘interesting’, in his eyes – and the drive that he believes has come from it.
In a crisis, they will always be united by the desire to protect Emma, but inevitably will disagree over what this means. The Dhumals are a couple that love each other and get on brilliantly, but have been hiding from each other for years. Can they use the crisis to build a deeper, more honest bond?
EMMA DHUMAL(4)
About to go to school. A chatty, happy child.
SECONDARY CHARACTERS
ANAND (60) & VIDYA (61) DHUMAL
Ash’s Parents. A British Indian couple who live in a big house in a nice area of Leamington Spa. He is a semi-retired heart surgeon, She is a teacher of creative writing at Warwick University. They are sharp and breezy, full of life, and seem younger than their age. They are a mellow couple; the ease of their relationship bothers Ash. They have family in India, Kenya and Oxford, and a holiday home in Cornwall. Both are practicing Hindus and speak Gujarati - neither things have been passed on to their son. They met in their early 20s when Anand saw Vidya performing stand up at Birmingham University. Both are centrist left voters. Ash is their only child as they struggled to conceive. They have a lot of pride for Ash, but fear he’s taken some wrong turns. They worry that he’s unhappy in his marriage. They know that he gets stressed out easily, so they like not to worry him. This means they keep some secrets, and tell the odd lie … They appear to have a perfect marriage, but cracks appear across the night.
WILLIAM (BILL) BURTON (50s)
Charlotte’s estranged father. White working class. In his 50s. He’s wiry but grounded, sturdy; he has the same focus as Charlotte, and radiates energy – sometimes a little too much. Lives in a council house near Leamington with Amy. He has flighty left anarchist leanings, with activist tendencies. He refuses to use an ID bracelet. He’s occasionally worked as a mechanic. He’s got a temper, and will go to great lengths to prove a point when he really believes in it. He’s a bit of a Rooster Byron figure – wild, commanding, unreliable. He’s always been more interested in the world than his family. He loves conspiracy theories. He believes that the emergency is impending nuclear war. He’d like to take the end of the world as an opportunity to reconcile with Charlotte. If they do not hear from Charlotte, Bill and Amy go to Bill’s mate’s bunker in the Peak District.
AMY BURTON (34)
Charlotte’s identical twin sister. She’s what Charlotte could have been if she’d never left the grips of their father. Impulsive, a fighter, but gullible. She’s had a tendency to get herself into sticky romantic, financial, and legal situations, which she has historically asked Charlotte to bail her out of. She supports Bill financially. Her and Charlotte rarely speak, and when Amy does call, Charlotte tends to ignore it, sick of the drama. Ash has secretly met up with Amy in the recent past but is yet to reveal this to Charlotte. She receives a ticket to the Swansea Resettlement Zone.
DARREN (36)
Charlotte’s only real friend at work, who has recently taken advantage of their closeness at a work party. A working-class-done-good rugby boy who is definitely a bit of a prick and subscribes to the party boy lifestyle of their workplace and his new money. Charlie thought he was alright and they had something in common but has now seen his darker side. His obsession with Charlotte is fully revealed through the course of the night, and he is prepared to do whatever it takes to have her.
CURTIS (38)
38. Was in the school year above Ash. He looks like a perfectly nice, normal, competent (bureaucratic) man. He works as a civil servant, and has recently moved back to Leamington to live in his parents’ old house. He has a wife and three young children. He’s been given responsibilities with regards to evacuations in the area. He and his family are going to the Swansea Resettlement Zone. He is privy to information that members of the public are not. He is leaking information about the Resettlement Zones and the emergency. Ash harbours a serious dislike for him, as Curtis bullied him at school.
ALEX (36)
Curtis’s wife. She is attacked by an intruder during the night, but keeps Curtis’s secrets, and protects their children. Quiet but tough.
PENNY (45)
A publisher who lives in the biggest house in Ash and Charlotte’s cul-de-sac. She has a wife, Diana, and an 18 year old son, Oscar. Penny’s a snob, she’s nosy, she runs the neighbourhood watch, and she is responsible for a lot of the community organising that happens in the cul-de-sac. She was one of the founders of Artemis Books and, in keeping with the theme, she does archery and has Artemis-themed items about her house. She believes her family deserves tickets to the Resettlement Zone, and sees it as an opportunity to bring her distant son back into the fold. Her ruthlessness acts as a mirror to Charlotte’s potential.
Penny provides our commentary on privilege and entitlement. She isn’t an outright villain, but her belief that she fundamentally deserves safety, and deserves it first, takes her down some grotesque paths
DIANA (45)
Penny’s wife. Seemingly straight-laced, stiff upper lip but has the potential to fight where necessary. Allows Penny to put on a show of bossing her around but is probably in charge behind closed doors. Disapproves of Penny’s desperate attempts to earn their son’s love and thinks its the cause of his bad behaviour.
OSCAR (18)
A young right-wing conspiracy theorist who does not like his wealthy parents, and has spent his life rebelling and doing anything he can to upset them. He owns a drone and a crossbow. He is reluctant to come home, but Penny is desperately trying to lure him back with a ticket to the Resettlement Zone. The kind of uni student who brings his washing home for his mum to do.
NAZIM (45), MAARA (39) and ALI (10) SAMAAN
A family who are staying in the cul-de-sac. 45, 39 and 10. Ali is Nazim’s son, and Maara is Nazim’s sister. They have fled Syria due to its ongoing civil war, and have been staying with a couple in the cul-de-sac – THE SMITHS (70s). They have recently been granted asylum. Ali’s mother died in Syria. Prior to being taken in by the Smiths, the Samaans were moved around a lot by the government. Nazim remains grateful to the government, but Maara has grown to distrust them. The Smiths secure tickets to the Swansea Resettlement Zone for all three Samaans, but decide not to go themselves.
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​The Samaans are asking themselves very similar questions to our leads, but from a radically different perspective. They also offer a chance to explore the experience of being a refugee in Britain, in a film where characters often end up exiled from their home country.
THE SMITHS
Charlie and Ash’s more charitable neighbours. They have important children, but give away their VIP family passes to their refugee guests, the Samaans. The Smiths were very kind to the Dhumals when they first moved in.
VILOET (VI) (Mid 30s)
A neighbour of Ash and Charlotte’s, who doesn’t live on the cul-de-sac. Mid 30s. She’s always setting up charitable projects, and calling round the community to ask for support. She sets up a ‘Community Action Group’ to respond to the crisis. She often comes into conflict with Penny and challenges Ash and Charlotte’s ethics. She never goes to the Resettlement Zone – she always stays out and fights. Vi is our window into what a serious, community-minded activist might do in this situation, but, in certain circumstances, can be lured into more reckless endeavours by conspiracy theories.
DANNY (mid 30s)
Vi’s husband, very supportive of her endeavours but quick to get riled up - a trait that can get him into trouble.
MARK NEWMAN (early 40s)
A neighbour of Ash and Charlotte’s. Early 40s. He’s an expert in population behaviour, based at Birmingham University. He’s pretty dry. He has a ticket to the Swansea Resettlement Zone, and he’s meant to be taken there early because of his expertise.
MR & MRS NEWMAN (60s)
Mark Newman’s parents, who get to the Resettlement Zone early and safely. A kind pair who will be brave in stepping up to help others.
PRIVATE BLAKE
A soldier responsible for picking up VIPs and getting them to the Resettlement Zone with his reckless partner, Wilson. He has a young child, and is morally conflicted when violence breaks out at their hands. He doesn’t want to do terrible things, but when acting out of desperation, goes quickly down a dark route.
PRIVATE WILSON
A soldier picking ticket-holders up in Hatton. 20s. Wilson doesn’t really care about his role in the night’s violence. He’ll do basically anything to get to the Zone.
PRIVATES BARRETT and BRIDLE
The counter to Blake and Wilson - committed to their duty of protecting citizens.
PRIVATES MICHAEL and DUNN
Two opportunistic soldiers on patrol.
HEAD OF THE ARMY
Runs the Swansea Resettlement Zone. He’s a tough disciplinarian, and relatively inflexible in his thinking. Keen to set an example of obedience to secure his power.
SERGEANT JOHNSON (40s)
A slightly rogue leader of men, keen to please the head of the Army and to get his men to safety, whatever it takes.
THE INTRUDER (40s)
A mysterious gloved figure who breaks into Curtis’s house in search of some destroyed files and hidden documents.
GABIE AND MICHAEL KING (40s)
A wealthy pair of party hosts who we meet in a cocaine fueled spectacle early in Chapter One. A childless couple struggling with adoption who really want a child, and will use tonight as an opportunity to act out their desires.
NATIONALIST MILITIA AND LEADER
A group who form a ‘militia’ in the area around Ash’s family’s Cornish holiday home during the crisis. They want to stop people they don’t like (particularly people of colour) crossing into the area. Their Leader (30s) is a nationalist thug.
THE PRIME MINISTER
Female. 60s. Centre right. Losing control.
'UNCLE' JIM
An old friend of Charlie’s father, who lives on Wildman Farm. An anarchist, prepper conspiracy theorist who has built a nuclear bunker with Bill’s help.
JACOB
A young scientist in the Resettlement Zone, determined to get to the bottom of where the crisis is coming from. An expert in artificial intelligence.
GROUP OF YOUNG WHITE MEN
Riled by racist conspiracy theories, this group moves around the Dhumals’ local area, causing trouble for people from minority groups.
THE LOOTER
An opportunist who attempts a late-night break-in on the Dhumal’s home.
LAUREN
The Dhumal seniors’ cleaner in the cottage in Cornwall. She is one of the early victims of the crisis.
LAUREN'S TEEN SON
Left confused when his mum dies suddenly, he sometimes warns the Dhumals not to travel to Cornwall. Looking for someone to blame, he’s recruited to the local militia.
HELPFUL SOLDIER
One of the staff soldiers in the Resettlement Zone. Has no malicious intent, and acts for the greater good in a number of difficult situations the Dhumals find themself in.
FRENCH NAVY PERSONNEL
Seen in just one ending of Two Roads, the crew on board a French Navy battleship are instructed to gun down those crossing the channel from England. They revolt and refuse to do so.
RAF PILOT CREW
A unit on a mysterious mission. Their plane crashes in a field near Leamington, and the Dhumals meet them in one ending.