LUCKY LONNY

1st Broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 6th June 2006

Director

Dirk Maggs

Producer

Helen Chattwell

Written By

Mike Stott

Production

Above the Title Productions Ltd

Synopsis

Lonny, a man who’s never done an honest day’s work in his life. Oh, he’d pretend to work of course. Mind, even that got to be an effort, but since his pal (and GP) Harvey confirmed he had a heart murmur (or was it flutter?), life’s been a doddle. He’s known plenty of people who have loved work.

They ‘built things up’ ’till they dropped dead, or they 'developed things' ’till they went daft. He’s never wanted money, and all he has achieved is seven kids, until one day he foolishly agrees to be interviewed by local reporter Kimberley Plumb, and he reveals that he was given a winning lottery ticket, but he’s not going to claim the 5 million.

Or so he thinks, until long lost ‘friends’ and even strangers come out of the woodwork determined to make him get the dosh and give it to them

or

Lonny (Johnny Vegas) would pretend to work, of course, but since his back injury, sustained during a frenzied session of Swedish speed weeding, life's been a doddle.

Lonny doesn't care for money or status; he is happy to live in his motor home and avoid a hoard of ex wives and a clutch of children.

Everything is lucky for Lonny until he wins six million pounds on the National Lottery and local reporter Kimberley Plumb (Lyndsey Marshal) enters his life. Then his luck turns...or does it.....?

From The Radio Times

This is a fable with a fish supper, Yorkshire man"Lucky Lonny" Hargreaves leads "a life of lovely, lucky, idleness", one "of fishing, fags, girls and Guinness", living in a caravan, avoiding a vague number of ex-wives and lovers and their progeny. In other words, a character tailor-made for Johnny Vegas

"I'm happy. I've always been happy, me." That is, until two things happen to him. One is a winning lottery ticket, the other is an interview by reporter Kimberley Plumb (Lyndsey Marshal). She believes that a piece on the local "colour" will be her passport away from a life reporting on WI meetings. Then she finds out that Lonny has been lying to her.

Is he really as idle as he makes out? What do the words "Swedish speed-weeding" mean to him? Who will end up with the lottery money? And what is the meaning of the ominous thunder that accompanies Lonny's narration of his story? More importantly, is he really, really lucky? You have to wait until the end of Mike Stott's smashing comedy thriller to find out.