Screen Two - The Grass Arena (1992)

Raised in a religious family with an abusive father, young Johnny soon learns that he has to learn to defend himself. He takes up boxing, but soon falls victim to alcoholism and with his boxing career over, John takes to the "Grass Arena" - parks where he lives with other alcoholics. His life descends into an horrific journey of homeless alcoholism and the associated lifestyle of crime and jail and danger. Is there anything that can offer him a hope of salvation? Starring Mark Rylance, Pete Postlewhaite, Lynsey Baxter, Marian McLoughlin, Billy Boyle, Andrew Dicks, Nick Dawney, Andrew Napper, John Garrett, Brian Hall, Gerard Horan, Clive Russell, Louis Mellis, Anna Keaveney, Paddy Joyce, John O'Toole, Harry Landis, Ronan Vibert, Lyndam Gregory, Julian Firth, Nicholas Pallister, Bunny May, Nigel Bradshaw, Rosalind Bennett, Amanda Mealing, Natalie Slater, Noreen Kershaw, Tam Dean Burn, David Foxxe, Roger Frost, Dee Orr, Steven Hammett, Philip Fox, Kiera Clarke, Stephan Hartford and Mark Anthony Newman among the cast. This was part of the Screen Two anthology series and based on the autobiography of John Healy. Originally broadcast on January 19th 1992, this is a hard hitting drama with an early lead role for Mark Rylance, as well as featuring a number of familiar faces in this. This was requested by Zachary Monson, but I - and you - have Zack Smith to thank for this video, as he was able to find this for me. It's not easy viewing, but it is a story that shows no matter how hard life can be for some people, there may be redemption somewhere - sometimes in the most unlikely of places. Please note that this contains swearing and violence.