The Iron Lung

A SCREEN PLAY. The Iron Lung is the nickname of the designated smoking carriage (coach B, second from the rear) on the rush-hour Anglia line service between Norwich and London Liverpool Street (second from the front on the evening journey homeward). Set in 2004, six travellers from different walks of life meet daily for the the train scheduled to leave Manningtree – England’s smallest registered town which sits close to the border of Essex and Suffolk – at 07.30am. One passenger (Michelle) has boarded the train at Norwich, two (Guy and Julia) arrive by the branch line from Harwich while the other three (Charles, Jacob and Suzanne) start their commute from Manningtree. These are the exploits of how they survive the tedium of travelling up to five hours daily through the week . . . and all to live far from the metropolis. It’s about the camaraderie and the booze culture, the bonds of friendship they form and the routines that dominate so much of their lives.