Petergrad
Long-time Communist Sam has one goal - to become the UK’s first Communist Party MP.
Rhona, meanwhile, is desperate to leave the party behind… but instead finds herself unexpectedly elected to its executive committee.
As Sam battles to balance his ideals with the compromises needed to win, the question looms: success at what cost?
The series, set in Liverpool is the grounded story of a relationship, in all its complications - But it also documents the toils, internal strifes, and mechanisms of a fringe UK political party struggling to stay alive and relevant in 2025.
EXTRACT
RHONA
Are you sure you want to go for this?
SAM
I've been turning up to everything, for years, and I haven't had any recognition... I want to take the reins, boot this party into the twenty-first century.
RHONA
I know, but... We should be cracking on with house buying, and more importantly, baby making.
SAM
If I get the branch sec’ role I don't think they're going to sterilise me.
RHONA
No, but I'm not getting younger, and this communism stuff is already dictating our bloody lives. I want to jib it.
SAM
What?! Why?
RHONA
I feel like I'm spending all my spare time in damp rooms with dusty old men.
SAM
You can't just cut ties -
RHONA rolls her eyes.
RHONA
I'm hardly a shining example of the perfect comrade. I'm always ordering from Amazon, and I've only ever used that copy of Das Kapital to kill spiders.
RHONA stands up to fetch her coat.
RHONA
Anyway, talking of sterilisation... I reckon I'm probably infertile through caning alcohol and cigs for the last fifteen years... That’s why it just isn’t happening.
SAM
We might've already done the job...
RHONA
I'm not pregnant, Sam. I can feel my period coming. I feel like... udders of the century... They always get dead heavy just before I start.
INT. THE CASA PUB - EVENING
Shot of the upstairs bar. Punters are lively, jovial. Music plays, laughter, dancing, people enjoying themselves. Stark contrast with -
INT. THE CASA BASEMENT - EVENING
Silence from the seven assembled communists, sparsely spread out across twenty or so chairs. They all strain to hear an old man speaking (via Zoom) on an old Dell laptop.
A large, red, cotton canvas banner hangs on the basement wall. Imposed on the banner is an image of communist leader Vladmir Lenin, taken from Alexander Gerasimov's 1930 'Lenin on the Tribune'.
SAM glances down at RHONA'S phone - she's leaving a scathing one star review of 'Pretty Reckless' Hairdressers.