Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Matthew Goode, Janet Montgomery, Angel Coulby, Sam Troughton, Jacqueline Bisset, Joanna Vanderham, Anthony Head, Jenna-Louise Coleman, John Goodman, Mel Smith, Allan Corduner, Mike Brett, Oroh Angiama, Jane Asher, Jamie Crew, Trevor Edwards, Austin Hardiman, Tom Hughes, Cosimo Keita, Neville Malcolm, Wunmi Mosaku, Jay Phelps, Caroline Quentin, Miles Richardson, Chris Storr, Steve Williamson, Emily Joyce.

…And the band plays on, even though there are some small cracks appearing as one of the members of the jazz group is enticed by thoughts of greater stardom and the call of Royal appointment is forever looming in the distance for the Louis Lester band, Dancing on the Edge continued its series with the second part and it becomes one of the most delightful surprise hits of the winter season.

It seems as though for a long time the B.B.C., for all its excellent work with one-off dramas and suspenseful two-parters, had forgotten how to commission excellent quality drama that ran for more than 90 minutes and stayed well away from the inestimable amount of soaps that it carries across its range and yet away from the festive period and thoughts of cosy nights in watching great names and great stories allowed to only develop as far as a couple of hours, it seems the B.B.C. have found something worth shouting about once more.

Much of this must be put down to allowing Stephen Poliakoff to express himself freely with a troupe of actors made for this type of stunning tale. The story is as free flowing as the jazz in the time between the wars was made to take people minds off the daily struggle and spectres of conflict on the horizon.

Chiwete Ejiofor continues to impress as the band leader and piano player Louis and his sparky friendliness with both Matthew Goode as music journalist Stanley Mitchell and Janet Montgomery as society photographer Sarah gathers pace. He and the band are also catching the eye of both the future King and his younger brother George, in more ways than one it seems with George. The nature of Mr. Ejiofor’s performance so far has been one of understated brilliance, calm, collected and absorbing but also there is the note of incensed perfectionist in his voice as it seems one of his number, the wonderful Angel Coulby, is about to be tempted by the thrill of misplaced adventure.

What has been a revelation is the voice of Ms. Coulby, her ability to beguile viewers with her singing is surely one of the many reasons that the show has captured the imagination of those catching this fine drama.

It is a shame that the drama takes a break for a few days and it can’t be helped to wonder whether the B.B.C. could not have cleared the decks on their second channel for it to be placed over one entire week.

Dancing on the Edge continues next Monday on B.B.C. 2.

Ian D. Hall