TREATMENT
A FOUR PART DRAMA
CAMERON FOSTER // GREG LONSDALE
SYNOPSIS
A hard-hitting and thrilling drama that follows 16-year-old Reiss Banks as he begins to discover himself
through acting at a new-found drama group on Stoney Street as a means to escape both, literally and
figuratively, a life of violence in a gang fuelled hive on his home estate.
CHARACTER PROFILES
REISS BANKS
Our protagonist. After the traumatic incident of witnessing the murder of his brother, Reiss was left to grow
up with his manic depressive mother in a rough Nottingham estate plagued by violence and drugs. A cheeky
lad with a huge flair for acting, Reiss is the popular guy and finds that people naturally gravitate towards
him. He has a true zest for life but the increasingly dangerous stakes on the estate begin bearing down and
creating pressure on him. He begins to question where his loyalties really lie and how best to escape the life
he’s created for himself.
BULL (MICHAEL DODDS)
A powerful and menacing man that lives on and by all intents and purposes, runs, the estate. He has close ties
to key figures in the CID (Criminal Investigations Department) who aid in his ongoing business throughout
the estate area. After several attempts on his life Bull has grown paranoid and wary. He stays clear of getting
directly involved in business unless it is absolutely unavoidable. Through years of violence he has developed
an immunity to the horrors he is inflicting on people. For six years Bull has been in a relationship with Lucy,
who aids in the money laundering and finance operations of the business. She also has a maternal affection
for Reiss who Bull also feels partly responsible for after his good friend, Reiss’ brother, was killed by a rival
gang member.
LUKE MILLS
Reiss’ new-found partner in crime from the drama group. The leader of the pack, Luke is the rock of the
group and the glue thats holds them all together. Despite his tough exterior and alpha male mannerisms, he is
a kind and gentle guy seeking a committed relationship which is a rarity in the gay community. With big
ambitions and dreams of moving to London to pursue acting full-time, Luke works to feed his passion.
EPISODE BREAKDOWN
ONE
Reiss Banks a troubled 16 year old, 10 years after his brother’s murder, auditions for a drama group on
Stoney Street in an attempt to escape a life of violence and gang culture in the ends. Much to his paranoid
mother’s disappointment Reiss is successful and is invited to a party with the drama group in an effort to
welcome him into his new family of friends and misfits. There he meets Luke Mills, a confident, and
outspoken young man who takes Reiss under his wing and introduces him to the group of eclectic young
actors. In a desperate move Reiss’ mother, Carla, still damaged from the violent loss of her first son,
unsuccessfully attempts to end her life resulting in her being hospitalised and leaving Reiss to turn to the
dangerous drug dealer/ estate leader, Bull, for support. This move only serves to fuel Reiss’ desire to be
successful in the world of acting as he throws himself into an exciting audition process for a big role in a new
TV series that could instantaneously change his life for the better. Meanwhile Luke reveals he has a new
boyfriend whilst Carla and Bull’s girl, Lucy, fight over Reiss.
TWO
The pressure is on from external forces for Bull to expand his drugs trade business. In order to supply his
benefactors the increasing amount of money they demand he knows he needs to spread to other areas of the
city. Fresh off his first, promising audition for the TV role and a London call-back looming closer Reiss is
swept along with Bull as he begins his expansion initiative. Riding along with Bull into rival gang territory
Reiss is forced to witness the brutal lengths his supposed father figure will go to in order to gain more power
over the city. Reiss and Luke journey to London together as friends and rivals for their TV audition call
back. Feeling confident they both leave the audition and Reiss returns to the reality of his life in the ends.
Back at the drama group a play is announced with Reiss taking the lead role. During a drunken conversation
with Bull Reiss discovers the identity of his brother’s killer and through a fit of rage attempts to torch his
house. His crazed attempt spirals dramatically out of control when his target, the estate leader Dean, returns
home to find Reiss. Reiss finds himself with a hit over his head and his life on the line. The situation
becomes more dire when Bull, aware of the threat that Reiss is under severs ties and leaves him to fend for
himself. Meanwhile, Luke’s dad begins his political campaign for MP whilst urging Luke to aim for realistic
goals, drama group members Robyn and Connor go on an awkward first date, a sikh drama group member
Fay tries to hide her forbidden boyfriend and Reiss pays the musically talented Yasmine, another drama
group member a visit in her flat in the rival estate.
THREE
With an impending hit to be taken out on him at any moment Reiss escapes the deadly environment of the
ends back into London for his final audition for the TV role. For Reiss, his very existence relies on him
getting the part and escaping his old life for a promising new one. With the audition over Reiss heads to his
London hotel for the night and revels in the calm before the inevitable storm upon his return. The next day a
promising meeting with an acting agency gives Reiss more hope and optimism for the future. With nowhere
to run to when his friends on the estate warn him not to return Reiss turns to his hospitalised mother, who is
facing her own demons, for support. Unable to stay at the hospital Reiss is faced with the prospect of
homelessness until Luke offers him a lifeline after a costume fitting for the play. But when everything that
Reiss feels is promised for him comes crashing down he is forced to confront the imminent death by the
hands of Dean. Meanwhile, Luke’s fears comes to fruition when he outs his cheating boyfriend, Carla begins
to lose her faith, Connor revels in his night with Robyn who unbeknownst to him discovers she’s pregnant,
Fay confronts her family about her secret boyfriend, Yasmine meets a dodgy local record label manager and
Bull deals with a snitch in the most violent of ways.
FOUR
After a terrifying confrontation with rival estate leader Dean it’s clear Reiss had been set up by Bull in a
coup style attempt to take over his estate. With the hit removed from his head, Reiss, fresh from what felt
like death row, pays his mother a visit before his opening night in the play. Reiss’ mother begins
experiencing a change of heart after hearing all about Reiss’ success with the drama group. She starts to
believe that Reiss is doing better without her messing in his affairs and takes drastic action to remain on the
ward. After a successful opening night with the play Luke hosts a house party for the drama crew to
celebrate. But when Bull discovers that Reiss has been having discussions with Dean, he makes a move to
silence Reiss for good. Loose ends are tied at the party when Luke’s now ex-boyfriend confronts Reiss,
Robyn reveals she is pregnant much to Connor’s horror and Yasmine makes a move on Reiss. What begins
as a night of happiness and drunken antics at Luke’s house party, quickly dissolves into bloody tragedy as
Bull and Dean both arrive with their men to take care of business. Secrets are revealed as Reiss deduces that
Bull murdered his brother nearly 10 years ago and lives are lost when Bull and Dean reach their inevitable
violent conclusions. Through the brutal events of the night Reiss is left shaken and scarred along with several
of his friends from drama group as they are left fighting to save a wounded gang member’s life. After
everything that has happened over the past 9 months with the escalating stakes in the ends Reiss is left with
his time in the drama group and his family there to help him through the coming healing months of leaving
his past life and beginning working on realising his dream of breaking into acting.