Faye Minton
In 2020, the miniseries The Salisbury Poisonings featured on the BBC. Since last week when it hit Netflix, it’s been on everyone’s lips. Starring Anne-Marie Duff, Rafe Spall and Annabel Scholey, the drama follows a group of individuals in the aftermath of the 2018 Novichok poisonings.
On 4 March of that year, Russian military officer and double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned by a nerve agent in Salisbury. They were admitted to hospital in a critical condition, but were thankfully discharged eventually. Local DS Nick Bailey was at the scene where Sergei and Yulia collapsed, and later searched their home as part of an investigation. He became contaminated himself and fell ill, requiring urgent medical attention. Just when everyone thought the nightmare was over, in June in nearby town Amesbury, a couple came into contact with a perfume bottle containing Novichok. They were poisoned, too – Charlie Rowley survived, but Dawn Sturgess unfortunately passed away on 8 July.
“It was like a film”
While most of us remember the story from the masses of global headlines at the time, the series gives us a more personal insight. It reconnects us to the humanity within the story: it’s not every day that there’s a high-profile poisoning right on our doorstep. It was like a film, filled with spies, drama, political uncertainty, and danger.
For the people of Salisbury, particularly, it was a scary time – they didn’t know if they were safe, how easy the poison was to spread or absorb, how long it lasted, or whether there would be another attack. Those at the core of the investigation were desperate to give answers, but they couldn’t, and that was met with further (understandable) anger.
Tracy Daszkiewicz (Director of Public Health and Safety for Wiltshire) was at the epicentre of one of the series’ storylines. As she fought day and night to push the investigation forward – sleeping in her office and sacrificing her family dynamic – audiences were rooting for her. It encouraged a whole new level of empathy for the officials involved, who we at the time were frustrated with for not having all the answers. Anne-Marie Duff’s incredible acting showed how harrowing the experience was, and the pressure she and her entire team were under. Anne-Marie managed to capture the passion Tracy had for the job, as we as audiences wondered if we would’ve been able to handle it ourselves.
“challenges the stigma”
Scenes featuring MyAnna Buring as Dawn Sturgess were equally as emotive. For months, Dawn fought for access to her daughter, Gracie (Sophia Ally), while also battling addiction. In 2018, when Dawn and her family made headlines, we heard of the addiction – it was even a barrier to her healthcare, when paramedics and her own family initially assumed she’d overdosed. The series writers were empathetic and understanding, showing that Dawn was worth far more than just her issues. It challenges the stigma surrounding seeking help. Allowing us to see inside her life made Dawn’s poisoning all the more heart-breaking – we knew the impact it would have on her family.
Rafe Spall’s portrayal of Nick Bailey, and Annabel Scholey’s performance as his wife, Sarah, were just as commendable. Sarah’s distress at seeing her husband vulnerable felt so real, and her determination to stay by his side was captured perfectly.
“insightful, both intellectually and emotionally”
The Salisbury Poisonings is honestly a must-see for anyone who hasn’t already watched. It’s got politics, science, romance, and comedy in the right places. It’s insightful, both intellectually and emotionally, and it’s a great explainer for anyone who needs some context on the poisonings. For those of us who missed it the first time it aired, it’s safe to say that Netflix treated us this Christmas.
Featured image courtesy of Franz Hajak on Unsplash. No changes or alterations were made to this image. Image license found here.
Faye Minton
Faye is a former Empoword Editor in Chief and an MA International Journalism student at Swansea University.