Bad Salsa

The road back after cancer treatment can be tricky and full of obstacles.

Two middle-aged women and their younger friend seek to regain their zest for life and love by learning to dance at Bad Salsa, the club where everyone knows your name but no-one knows your prognosis!

Depictions of people with cancer on TV and radio too often follow a standard format; there is the diagnosis, the depression the chemo, then the false recovery followed by the tragic death.

Written by Kay Stonham, Bad Salsa tries to paint a picture at once more hopeful and more in line with survival rates, which have improved immensely over the past 20 years.

For many, 'living with cancer' is now their day-to-day challenge. Our characters have finished their treatment and are in the process of finding their way back to normal life or at least finding a 'new normal.

Everyday challenges must go on like boring marriages, distracting crushes, troublesome children, difficult workmates and infuriating parents. But their brush with mortality gives them a new perspective.

So do they preserve their pre-cancer status quo, or in Terri's words, to say, 'sod it all' and 'go for it!'?

Follow the women as they embrace the world of salsa whilst they adjust to life after cancer.

Terry - Camille Coduri

Marco - Doc Brown

Colin - David Cann

Tim - Matt Houlihan

Sara - Antonia Reid

Chippy's Mum - Kay Stonham

Producer: Alison Vernon-Smith

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2014.

After their cancer treatments, Chippy is mad, Jill is sad and Terri is dangerous to know.

Two middle aged women and their younger friend seek to regain their zest for life and love by learning to dance at Bad Salsa, the club where everyone knows your name but no-one knows your prognosis!

Depictions of people with cancer on TV and radio too often follow a standard format; there is the diagnosis, the depression the chemo, then the false recovery followed by the tragic death.

Written by Kay Stonham, Bad Salsa tries to paint a picture at once more hopeful and more in line with survival rates which have improved immensely over the past 20 years.

For many, 'living with cancer' is now their day to day challenge. Our characters have finished their treatment and are in the process of finding their way back to normal life or at least finding a 'new normal.' Everyday challenges must go on like boring marriages, distracting crushes, troublesome children, difficult workmates and infuriating parents. But their brush with mortality gives them a new perspective.

So do they preserve their pre-cancer status quo or in Terri's words, to say 'sod it all' and 'go for it!

Follow the women as they embrace the world of salsa whilst they adjust to life after cancer.

Terri Camille - Coduri

Marco - Derek Elroy

Elaine - Ayesha Antoine

Joel - Joe Johnsey

Producer: Alison Vernon-Smith

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2014.

Marco's sister is unimpressed with Terri, Jill wavers and Chippy tussles with a shark.

The road back after cancer treatment can be tricky and full of obstacles. In Bad Salsa, two middle aged women and their younger friend seek to regain their zest for life and love by learning to dance at Bad Salsa, the club where everyone knows your name but no-one knows your prognosis!

Depictions of people with cancer on TV and radio too often follow a standard format; there is the diagnosis, the depression the chemo, then the false recovery followed by the tragic death.

Written by Kay Stonham, Bad Salsa tries to paint a picture at once more hopeful and more in line with survival rates which have improved immensely over the past 20 years.

For many, 'living with cancer' is now their day to day challenge. Our characters have finished their treatment and are in the process of finding their way back to normal life or at least finding a 'new normal.' Everyday challenges must go on like boring marriages, distracting crushes, troublesome children, difficult workmates and infuriating parents. But their brush with mortality gives them a new perspective.

So do they preserve their pre-cancer status quo or in Terri's words, to say 'sod it all' and 'go for it!

Follow the women as they embrace the world of salsa whilst they adjust to life after cancer.

Terry - Camille Coduri

Marco - Doc Brown

Colin - David Cann

Tim - Matt Houlihan

Sara - Antonia Reid

Chippy's Mum - Kay Stonham

Producer: Alison Vernon-Smith

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2014.

After their cancer treatment, Chippy is mad, Jill is sad and Terri is dangerous to know.

The road back after cancer treatment can be tricky and full of obstacles.

Two middle aged women and their younger friend seek to regain their zest for life and love by learning to dance at Bad Salsa, the club where everyone knows your name but no-one knows your prognosis!

Depictions of people with cancer on TV and radio too often follow a standard format; there is the diagnosis, the depression the chemo, then the false recovery followed by the tragic death.

Written by Kay Stonham, Bad Salsa tries to paint a picture at once more hopeful and more in line with survival rates which have improved immensely over the past 20 years.

For many, 'living with cancer' is now their day to day challenge. The characters in the series have finished their treatment and are in the process of finding their way back to normal life or at least finding a 'new normal.' As in the real world, the challenges of everyday life go on for our characters; like us they have boring marriages, distracting crushes, troublesome children, difficult workmates and infuriating parents, but unlike us their brush with mortality has given them a new perspective.

The fun and excitement of the series is in watching them decide to preserve the pre-cancer status quo or in Terri's words, to say 'sod it all' and 'go for it!

Follow the women as they embrace the world of salsa whilst they adjust to life after cancer.

Terry - Camille Coduri

Marco - Doc Brown

Colin - David Cann

Tim - Matt Houlihan

Sara - Antonia Reid

Corrine - Kay Stonham

Producer: Alison Vernon-Smith

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2014.

Three women embrace Bad Salsa, where everybody knows your name, but not your prognosis.

Jill has left her husband and son to live at her new boyfriends' parent's house, Camille is planning a huge life change and Chippy has a new live-in wannabe step-father in the shape of Gordon from their salsa class.

In the first episode Camille is still with Marco and reveals their plan to start a new life together, Jill is struggling with jealousy and living with Tim's parents, Chippy discovers what Tinder can bring and Gordon takes advantage of the opportunities his new salsa role offers.

The series is not about cancer, but about life after cancer, how you cope the changes in your outlook, your desires and your expectations.

It's also about how other people cope with the change in you.

Written by Kay Stonham.

Tim - Matt Houlihan

Marnie - Jessica Turner

Producer: Alison Vernon-Smith.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2016.

Sitcom about three women embracing the world of salsa while adjusting to life after cancer

Jill is still trying to decide whether to have reconstruction while Tim lives the high-life on a photo shoot and Chippy thinks she can save her budding relationship with a lie.

Series two of the sitcom about three women who meet during cancer treatment and start going to salsa class together to maintain their friendship. As they adjust to life after cancer they realise that they've all changed.

The series is not about cancer, but about life after cancer, how you cope the changes in your outlook, your desires and your expectations. It's also about how other people cope with the change in you.

Written by Kay Stonham

Elaine - Ayesha Antoine

Producer: Alison Vernon-Smith.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2016.

Marco's sister is less than impressed by Terri, and Jill is still wavering.

Series two of the sitcom about three women who meet during cancer treatment and start going to salsa class together to maintain their friendship. As they adjust to life after cancer they realise that they've all changed. This second series begins as Jill has left her husband and son to live at her new boyfriends' parent's house, Camille is planning a huge life change and Chippy has a new live-in wannabe step-father in the shape of Gordon from their salsa class.

The series is not about cancer, but about life after cancer, how you cope the changes in your outlook, your desires and your expectations. It's also about how other people cope with the change in you.

Written by Kay Stonham

Tim - Matt Houlihan

Elaine - Ayesha Antoine

Consultant 1 - Chris Pavlo

Consultant 2 - Ayesha Antoine

Director: Alison Vernon-Smith

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2016.

One of the women gets some devastating news, and Chippy's lie comes back to haunt her.

Series two of the sitcom about three women who meet during cancer treatment and start going to salsa class together to maintain their friendship. As they adjust to life after cancer they realise that they've all changed.

The series is not about cancer, but about life after cancer, how you cope the changes in your outlook, your desires and your expectations. It's also about how other people cope with the change in you.

Written by Kay Stonham.

Tim - Matt Houlihan

Colin - Chris Pavlo

Dancer - Jessica Turner

Barman - Leo Wan

Director: Alison Vernon-Smith

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2016.

Each of the women gets to grips with their own particular cancer aftershocks.

As they adjust to life after cancer they realise that they've all changed.

It's not about cancer, but about life after cancer, how you cope the changes in your outlook, your desires and your expectations. It's also about how other people cope with the change in you.

In Kay Stonham's final series there's a funeral and a wedding.

But whose funeral and who is marrying who?

Ann - Kerry Gooderson

Assistant - Philip Fox

Producer: Katie Tyrrell.

A BBC Studio production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in August 2017.

The sitcom set in a salsa club with Natasha Little, Jessie Cave and Camille Coduri.

Jill and Chippy try to follow Terri's wishes and make her funeral the event she planned. Starring Natasha Little. From 2017.

This gives Terri an idea that involves Chippy.

The final episode of the sitcom about three women who meet during cancer treatment and start going to salsa class together to maintain their friendship. As they adjust to life after cancer they realise that they've all changed.

The series is not about cancer, but about life after cancer, how you cope the changes in your outlook, your desires and your expectations. It's also about how other people cope with the change in you.

In Kay Stonham's final series set in a salsa club, there's a funeral and a wedding. But whose funeral and who is marrying who?

Shop Assistant - Kerry Gooderson

Celebrant - Kerry Gooderson

Producer: Katie Tyrrell

A BBC Studio Production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in August 2017.

The final episode of the sitcom set in a salsa club with Natasha Little and Jessie Cave.

Jill plans to remarry her ex-husband Colin to protect their son's future, giving Terri an idea. Stars Jessie Cave. From 2017.