Iwan Rheon & Steffan Rhodri star in brand new feature length drama Men Up
The forthcoming drama is about five ordinary Welshmen who embark on an extraordinary journey when they take part in the trial of a new drug which would later become Viagra.
The real 1994 trial not only transformed the lives of the medics and patients involved; but also changed the lives of millions worldwide. The drug quickly became one of the most controversial and profitable in history, reshaping how we talk about sexual and mental health in the process.
In this fictionalised account, Meurig (Iwan Rheon) yearns for intimacy with his wife, Ffion. He loves her with all his heart but feels trapped by his inability to rekindle the spark in their marriage. He’ll do anything to reignite the flames. Anything but talk to her.
There’s Tommy, a gay man who desperately lies about his sexuality because the trial was set up for straight sex. Spurred on by his friend and clinical nurse Moira Davies , how far will his lies go to find happiness?
Colin (Steffan Rhodri) lives an isolated life with his crossword puzzles after his wife’s death. He thinks he’s found the one in Teresa, his phone pal from the Lonely Hearts column. But when she asks to meet in person, fear sets in. It’s been so long since he’s been with a woman. What if she wants to consummate their budding romance?
Peetham ‘Pete’ Shah has a seemingly perfect middle-class existence. A nice job, a wonderful wife in Alys who has a new lust for life hosting lingerie and sex toy parties. But they’ve lost their spark. Blaming his impotency, he sees a fix-all problem in this tiny white pill (which didn’t become blue until much later). Can it shrink the gulf between them?
And Eddie , a bulldog of a bloke. A seemingly strong man but beneath the surface is a vulnerability. Desperate to please his wife, can this trial fix his problems?
Men Up will air on BBC1 and BBC iPlayer on December 29th 2023
To enquire about Iwan or Steffan for voiceovers, email sophie@deanstreetvoices.com