Made in Britain
Tags: comedy

Plot synopsis:
The play begins with Trevor being tried in court charged with throwing a brick through the window of a Pakistani man, Mr. Shahnawaz. He has also been charged with shoplifting from Harrods. Trevor is defiant when questioned by the judge. Trevor's social worker, Harry Parker (Eric Richard) takes him to Hooper Street Residential Assessment Centre, where his punishment will be determined. The centre's deputy superintendent, Peter Clive (Bill Stewart), admits Trevor, and he's allocated a room with Errol (Terry Richards).
The next day, Trevor leaves the assessment centre, to job-hunt. Trevor, accompanied by Errol, breaks into a car and drives to the job centre. Near the job centre, he buys Evo-Stik for huffing, and immediately enters the job centre. Trevor breaks the queue, demanding a job from the job centre attendant. When asked to wait, he storms out, and hurls a brick through the window. He makes his escape, and walks with Errol to an abandoned swimming pool where he has hidden some tools. Trevor pockets the tools, and hands Errol a bunch of keys, instructing him to get it into the centre, and hide it. He then breaks into another car, and takes it and drives away. He orders Errol to get out, saying he is visiting some mates.
Later Trevor is eating a sandwich in the car. Peter Clive arrives and notices Trevor in the car. Trevor discards the sandwich and walks into the assessment centre. Peter Clive tells him to get rid of the car. Trevor agrees.
Inside the assessment centre, Trevor refuses to co-operate. He demands lunch, only to be informed that he is too late. In a rage he tries kicking down the cafeteria door. The chef (Jim Dunk) rushes out, only to be kicked in the groin by Trevor, who unleashes a vicious attack on him, before being stopped by care worker Barry Giller (Sean Chapman). Trevor is then held down by the chef and Barry, and locked up in a room.
The superintendent (Geoffrey Hutchings) arrives, proceeding to show Trevor an overview of what he has been through and where he is heading - prison. He explains that the assessment centre is Trevor's last chance to change the cycle of poverty, crime and prison. Uncharacteristically, Trevor is not aggressive and is lost for words. The superintendent is extremely articulate and faces little resistance from Trevor. As soon as the superintendent leaves, Trevor is back to his usual self. Trevor refuses to keep the peace, and eventually Barry and Peter decide to send him to a secure unit. However, while Barry is out making arrangements to send Trevor away, Peter offers to take Trevor banger racing if he promises to behave. Trevor accepts the offer, on condition that he be allowed to drive. Peter informs Barry about the change of plans, and warns Trevor that he is doing him a favour by giving him another chance, and that if Trevor lets him down, he'll team up with the chef and some of the biggest lads in the centre to kill Trevor.
They go to the races as planned and Trevor is given a chance to drive, as promised. Trevor seems to enjoy the experience, but gets into an accident, after which his car will not restart. Trevor is unable to complete the race. On the drive back to the assessment centre, Peter informs Trevor that he was up against professional racers, did well. He also tells him that he could join a racing team if he wished, and need not go around stealing cars any longer. Trevor makes no reply, and blankly stares out the window.
They reach the assessment centre late and have to be let in by the janitor, since Peter cannot find his keys. After everybody has retired to bed, Trevor wakes up Errol and shows him Peter Clive's keys, which Trevor claims to have picked up after Peter dropped them. Trevor and Errol make their way into the office, where Trevor rummages through the documents until he finds their respective files. Trevor reads through Errol's reports and contract, and finds a report titled 'The Future', which reads:
"It seems unlikely for this child to return home, his mother having rejected him for her own lifestyle. Bearing this in mind, future care seems to be the alternative. We would recommend a care order be made, in order to be able to continue our assessment of his needs".
He then proclaims to Errol "You're in here for life, mate!" Errol looks confused and dejected and asks "What'll I do?" Trevor is enraged. He drops the files on the floor and tells Errol to urinate and defecate on it. Errol defecates on his files, and Trevor urinates on his.
Trevor and Errol get out of the assessment centre, and drive away in the centre's Ford Transit van. They reach Mr. Shahnawaz's neighbourhood and hurl stones through the windows, and scream racial slurs. They get into the van and drive away. Trevor drives to a police station, and smashes the van into a car. Errol is rendered unconscious by the impact. Trevor exits the van and runs away, leaving Errol to be apprehended by the police.
Trevor begins walking to Harry Parker's apartment. On his way, Trevor looks into a shop window displaying a television, clothes, mannequins, and other items. He stares at them and their accompanying price tags, intently. He begins running into a tunnel, and screams "Bollocks!" Inside the tunnel, he discards his T-shirt, and screams at a passing vehicle after trying to kick it. Trevor walks past a school, presumably his, pausing to gaze through the iron gates before continuing on his way.
It is early morning by the time Trevor reaches Harry Parker's home. Harry is busy packing, and is preparing to leave on a holiday with his family. He is displeased to see Trevor in this state. He tells him to go back to the assessment centre before it is too late. Trevor informs Harry of his misadventures, and tells him that he is turning himself in. Harry, although reluctant at first, makes the necessary calls to the police.
Trevor is seen in a prison cell, pressing the buzzer in the room. The police officer orders him to keep his hands off the buzzer. Trevor walks away, but returns and proceeds to press the buzzer with his head. This time, another officer, P.C. Anson (Christopher Fulford) enters, with a truncheon. He orders Trevor to stay quiet, but Trevor continues to provoke him, saying that he is a juvenile offender, and that he must be taken care of and sent back to the assessment centre. Anson orders him to shut up and sit down. He tells Trevor that he would be taken to court in a few days, and this time he will end up in a detention centre or a borstal, not an assessment centre. He threatens to have his fingerprints taken as soon as he leaves the borstal, and use them to convict him of every unsolved taking and driving away in the district, dating back months. Trevor is still unfazed and sarcastically sneers "Sounds great!" Anson is livid, and brings the truncheon down, hitting Trevor on the kneecap. P.C. Anson smiles and says, 'You think you're hard, don't you?' Trevor, for the first time, looks defeated. He slumps in agony and shock, his face reddening. The warder tells Trevor that he is all talk, and decries his protests, saying that he has no choice but to respect authority and obey the rules, like everybody else.
The play ends with Trevor recovering from the pain and grinning, as the warders shut the door of his cell.

Review: Tim Roth blasted to the forefront of edgy screen actors with this bravura tour-de-force performance for British TV in 1982.
Seeing Tim Roth for the first time in this film, you wouldn't initially be sure you were watching an actor play a part.
Only through the dramatic pace and development of the film and the inclusion of other, mere mortal, actors might you let the magic slip momentarily and suspect you were watching a fictional movie, but the intensity ratchets up again, and before you know it you're looking at the end-credits and wondering why it's over and wanting more, more!Trevor on the surface is a deplorable human being: hateful, racist, selfish and violent.
In short, he is fascinating and you spend the whole short 73-minute film alternately shocked, transfixed, amused, bewildered and yet, pulling for him.If you've seen Tim Roth's other work, and you respect his abilities, you owe it to yourself to do whatever you have to do to see this film.
Set in the London I know I could relate to Trevor (Roth) as I was experiencing a similar thing at the time.
Upon first viewing I was amazed at the performance of Tim Roth playing Trevor because he was believable and he brought realism to the character.
Needless to say, I spent the entire film hoping that this desperately intelligent character would pull out of the spiral he'd got himself into.A bit of personal history, which I don't normally supply, but in this case I believe it's pertinent.
However, on repeated viewings I have consistently found this to be one of the best films ever made.Roth plays a disaffected, supremely intelligent young man called Trevor who knows far more about the world than his "betters" would wish him to.
Like him or hate him, you will respect the fact that he stands for his beliefs.Made In Britain is a film about standing up for what you believe in, no matter how extreme those beliefs are.
Following recent racial tension in Oldham and other towns in the North of England, the film's message seems particularly poignant now.There are very few bad performances in this movie, the notable exception being the female teenagers in the JobCentre.
The late great Alan Clarke (Scum) brings us Made in Britain, a tough and uncompromising (though not actually physically violent) character study of a bored and angry teenager, played by Tim Roth, one of 'Fatcher's' children.
Rather than an anti-hero, Tim Roth's character seems to be more of a anarchist anti-authoritarian (rather like Alan Clarke himself) who is locked away for admitting to what he believes in.So if you're in the mood, settle back and watch a film that packs a powerful punch.
Alan Clarke's unflinching realism might be too much for some viewers.However ,'Made in Britain' is a definitive study of the criminal mind.Roth is right on the money(as always).The movie is so simplistic ,but that's why it works so well.The movie has a great feel ,it was constructed with a series of steadicam set ups.Clarke's camera follows Roth's character in a series of long takes.The movie doesn't really have a traditional structure,it just happens.A good introduction to Alan Clarke..
Made in britain is a gritty play/movie that shows the mentality of some of the youth during Thatcherite Britain when the Tory Government were about greed and cared nothing for the high unenmployment rate and crime rate.Tim Roth plays a youth who feels that the system has let him down and rebels against all authority and anybody who wants to help him.
The language is very hard which only adds to the quality of the film and the acting from Tim Roth is of the highest standard especially considering this was his first big project.
From the minute Made in Britain kicks off, with a 17-year-old Tim Roth with skinhead and a swastika tattoo between his eyebrows, slouching into the juvenile court to the strains of The Exploited, the energy never flags.
I'm in exactly the right place at the right time."Trevor is hateful - he's racist, bullying, utterly selfish and dangerous, but he's also so bright and eloquent that the main feeling on watching the film is wonder at a society that could possible have produced people like this.
Good film, especially for Tim Roth fans.
This is a TV film by Alan Clarke but is just as good, if not better, than for example "The Firm" or "Scum" (I know many people might not agree on that) You can sense from the start that it's a film by Alan Clarke and like Mike Leigh, the actors always seems to be at their best when working with Alan Clarke.
This is true especially for Tim Roth in this film (his first role by the way) who has never been better.
In fact I don't think I have seen a better performance by any other actor in any other film than Tim Roth´s acting here.
After first seeing the film I thought that Tim Roth really was like this and that was the reason for his amazing performance.
And for the film´s sake it's lucky that Tim Roth did as well as he did because this film had never worked without a good actor to portray Trevor.
The film is about the angry Skinhead teenager Trevor who seems to be in war with the world and hates everything - authorities, school, Pakis...
A part of me wants to give it 10/10 because I have seen it ten times and are still fascinated by it, but when I think and compare it to other good films I notice its lack of story and feel it might only deserve 5-6/10.I can also feel like it romanticizes racists and racism but I guess that is only in the eye of the beholder...
) I had a small recollection of certain scenes from the movie ( mainly the pissing and shitting on the files ) I have to say, that now at the age of 35 and watching this movie for the second time I was totally blown away by Tim Roth's performance!!
I will definitely seek out all his roles on IMDb, and follow his career, I was blown away by his acting skills in Made in Britain, and will now recognise him as a stand alone actor rather than just another face amongst many talented actors ( which is what I thought during pulp fiction ) Thank you ENGLAND, British, U.K , for the most talented actors and the best of British films :o) This one is timeless to all of us who lived the 80's and more!a must see film, no matter you religion, faith or background, the acting alone is worth a view.
We got a young and promising Tim Roth here playing Trevor the juvenile delinquent skin head.
I've always admired and liked Tim Roth, believing him to be one of the U.K's finest acting exports.
I found this DVD at a local CashConverters for 99p and it sat on my shelf for a year.Finally seeing it, it did not surprise me that within ten minutes, not only had skinhead Trevor (Roth) stolen a car but was also sniffing glue, with his room-mate from the open assessment detention centre that the Court had only just sent him to.I so wanted not for this to be a catalogue of 'let's be as nasty racist criminals as we possibly can' but couldn't see how it would not be.
As a pertinent statement on Thatcher's Capitalist Britain it certainly hits hard, with Roth being very believable and natural, his facial configurations often being a whole act in themselves.The film does try and breakdown how the bright Trevor got to this stage in life, which to do in a credible way, is commendable.
What makes this film work for me is that it presents Trevor's side of the argument without much editorial comment from the "authorities" who believe that they always know what's best for the rest of us.
Best of all, he doesn't change, or break down and cry, like Edward Norton's character in "American History X." After all, if you really believe in something, speeches won't make a bloody bit of difference.When watching this film, if you're not of the same mind as the main character, try to understand and identify with him.
Tim Roth's preformance as the social degenerated, rebel without a clue skinhead, Trevor, is unflinching and enigmatic.
The story follows a young skinhead, who's thrown away every chance he's had at going straight;now 16, he has a criminal record, and offends every one from his probation officer to the secretaries at the Job Centre, upto the point where he's dug his hole too deep.The film was origionally written for TV, not for theatre, but has been regarded as a cinematic success since it's time.
Tim Roth is wonderful in this early film in his career.
I was certain that I'd see much more of Tim Roth in the years to come--absolutely a shattering, must-see performance.
His compulsive need to defy authority overrides everything, and he simply refuses to stay out of trouble.Directed by Alan Clarke ("Scum"), and scored by anarchist musicians The Exploited, this gets a lot of juice from the magnetic performance by Roth.
He gave breakthrough roles to Ray Winstone in SCUM and Gary Oldman in THE FIRM and in 1982 gave an unknown actor called Tim Roth the lead in this television drama from David Leland .
Remembering my own teenage years wanting to strike back at the oppressive and hypocritical and frankly BS nature of society there is an aspect of recognition that means I could empathise with Trevor and like SCUM this television play was a very memorable for any teenager who saw it .
The movie doesn't emphasize to the reasons that led anti-hero Trevor to this situation but shows the uncontrollable anger of a young man who's dealing with everything that surrounds him (historically that time was very tough for the English people due to Thatcherism).
Roth's incredible performance as a rebellious and difficult skinhead embodied the alienation and rage felt by many young, white males, myself included.Like Clarke's other brutal masterpiece, 'Scum', 'Made In Britain' is an important antidote to the slick 'brat pack' flicks that came out of Hollywood during the 80s and an important social document of how Thatcherism (and its New Labour descendants) dealt with its discontents.As a teenager, Trevor was my hero.
"Made in Britain", a made-for-TV movie directed by the master director of British juvenile delinquent films, Alan Clarke ("Scum", "The Firm") introduces Tim Roth, in his outstanding screen debut role, as the neo-nazi skinhead Trevor, a nihilistic and ravenous 16 years old lad that roams the streets looking for trouble supporting a tattooed swastika on his forehead and a heart full of hate.
"Made in Britain" it's a gritty & obscure piece of work somewhat depressing, but with a poignant feel to it, shot almost like a documentary allowing the viewer to follow a couple days in the life of a degenerated skinhead until he disgraces his life forever.
STAR RATING: ***** The Works **** Just Misses the Mark *** That Little Bit In Between ** Lagging Behind * The Pits Trevor (Tim Roth) is a skinhead with a Nazi symbol tattooed on his forehead roaming the streets of London with no respect and no regard for authority.
Alan Clarke died in 1990, so his work was just about before my time, but it seems the bloke sure knew how to make a shocking film, with his most well known feature Scum and a few years down the line this very short but undeniably hard-hitting piece (which copies the aforementioned film's effective strategy of not having a soundtrack.) In his debut role, Tim Roth takes the lead and, despite his more calm, composed presence off screen, here he somehow manages to convincingly portray a dangerous and violent rebel completely off the rails and with little hope of redemption.
You obviously don't understand that this is a benchmark film in the career of Tim Roth.
Not to say that the lead character Trevor wasn't entirley correct on his views but there are still people in society who have come from broken homes and this film is still relative.
This was the first movie I saw Tim Roth in and it made him one of my favorite actors.
This film is one of, if not the, earliest appearance of Tim Roth on screen.
Most commonly reviewed on the basis that it represents '80's Britain' and is 'Britain how I remembered it' this is a story of Trevor the 16 year old skinhead who has no respect for authority, anarchistic tendencies as a result of a misspent youth with no father figure, and a mean racist streak.
In this sense the film isn't stuck in the 80's and that's why I feel it is still relevant today.Tim Roth was excellent and you can see why such a performance got him noticed.It's not a long film, but doesn't need to be.
They could've quite easily added an extra 20 minutes onto the end of the film to make it feature length, but the way it ended was a great example of letting the viewers make up their own mind about what was eventually going to happen to Trevor.As much of a despicable character Trevor is you do feel sorry for him.
While listing to Skinnyman's album: Council Estate Of Mind, I was curious of a angry young man swearing at cursing at everything.I bought the film since I'm also a fan of Tim Roth, and i'm very happy with my choice.
Kick-a$$ film.Skinhead Trevor wonders around London, nicking cars, attacking Pakis and being a bit of a *ucker really.
Having been a fan of both Tim Roth and Gary Oldman for quite some time, I made it my mission to see the films that started their careers, and this was the film for Roth.Roth plays a out-of-control teenager, whos one step away from jail, and one step away from losing everything.The story centers on Roth's actions and behaviour, most of which will make you laugh by todays standards, nevertheless, this is a perfect example of young british talent at its best, forget all the pretty boy actors nowadays, this is what makes an actor.Despite what I thought it would be like, this film flew by, and enjoyed every second of it, I recommend it to those that enjoy seeing where actors came from, rather than where the pretty boys came from.7/10.
The films, all written by Leland, were a reaction to Margaret Thatchers political regime, and Made in Britain depicts the sort of character that was emerging from the increasingly violent and racist youth culture of the time.When we first meet Trevor (Tim Roth in his debut), he is being tried in court for throwing a brick through a Pakistani family's window and shoplifting.
Normally, someone like Trevor would be an unbearable character to spend 70 minutes with, but Roth, Leland and Clarke make him into a fascinating embodiment of nihilism.
now take your pretentious, self absorbed vapid remarks about a great film, and stick them up your arse (to quote Trevor) ;-) oops the Nazis at IMDb wont post this unless i get 10 lines, so i'll carry on with my tirade with 'play333r' (oh the irony) This film, (if you grew up in the 80's) has resounding effects on people just like me (i.e i'm NOT middle class) Luke i wish you all the luck in the world (i'm sure you'll inherit a good amount) but to dismiss a great bit of British/social filmaking is just ignorant...
His facial expressions were also a treat at times, especially at the end when you realise there is just no hope for him.Obviously this film is not for everyone, as it deals with the kind of issues you would expect from the director of the firm and scum.
I first seen Made in Britain as a thirteen year old skinhead living in Belfast, and needless to say in 1983 Britain was as grim as it was portrayed in the play it brought sharply home to me the realisation that i was personified as a mindless racist thug of which i am none, it was more the hard nut image i wanted and my mates and me all saw Trevor in each and every 1 of us.
It was the must see film of the moment and i personally feel it has stood the test of time, along with Ray Winstone, I feel that Tim Roth is vastly underrated and as this performance at such a young age shows, how adaptable he is this is a British classic and 1 not to miss..
Anyway, Tim Roth is great as the uncontrollable Trevor and as you know, thisrole gave him such acclaim.
I don't think I am alone when I say these things; however, I hesitate to talk about how this movie stacks up to other films about skinheads, particularly American HISTORY X.
The fact that both movies include the nationality of the main characters says it all--as much as we might like to think that all skinheads are alike, insomuch as they are all equally stupid, Trevor wouldn't make sense in America and Derek Vinyard (Ed Norton's Chararter in AHX) wouldn't make sense in Britain.
"Made In Britain" follows Trevor, a 16 year old thug, thief, vandal, sociopath, over a three day period - but in this very short time frame his young life moves out of one phase and into another.
To those of you who gave this movie a good rating, you can go on all you want about how the characters shocked and captivated you all you like.
With a few recognisable characters from ITV's Crossroads and The Bill, and an excellent role played by Tim Roth, who most people seem to think started acting a week before Reservoir Dogs was cast.