The Birthday Party

**The Birthday Party** is the first episode of Motherland Season One, and the second episode overall. It aired November 7, 2017 on BBC to 3.2 viewers, almost double the audience of the pilot, which was aired over a year ago. It was directed by Juliet May.

## Synopsis

After Liz convinces her, Julia plans to throw a party for Ivy's ninth birthday, and hires the "Animal Man", a racist children's entertainer. Amanda grows impatient.

## Plot

### At Julia's Office

Julia stands on the stairs outside her office, presumably on the phone to the school, as she is told that James does not have his trunks and therefore will miss swimming. Julia goes on to add that it's a "terrible awful terrible shame" and even a "tragedy." Annoyed after hanging up, she continually hits her phone against the metal railing on the stairs, then throwing it down with force and smashing it. She is caught by Andrew, her boss, who asks if it is a work phone. Julia hangs her head low, then looks back up, ashamed. "Yes," she says.

In Andrew's office, he empathises with Julia's situation, telling her he too is a parent and that he goes through all her struggles, and that you constantly feel you are letting someone down. Andrew tells her his family is full of strong women, and that he "really does understand." Just as it's looking good for Julia, he says "So just sort it out."

### At The Café

Liz and Kevin order at the café. He's carrying bags of cleaning equipment, and when Liz asks him what it's for he tells her it is date night with his wife, Jill, and he wants the house to be spotless so she won't be distracted. Kevin insists the importance of spending time with her after they've had kids... physically. He tells Liz he wants to have sex with Jill in the shower, as she used to love that in the 90s.

Julia walks in and expresses how torn she feels between her work and childcare, to which Kevin tells her she should do what Amanda does, a long and complex schedule he has seemingly memorised. Julia sarcastically remarks that she will just do that then. They move over to their normal table, where a lone man sits on his computer. They ask to sit there if he sits at a smaller table, but he tells them he's using the socket, to which Liz says she might as well has brought her ironing to really make the most of the plug. The man moves and the group takes their normal place.

Julia tells the others that Ivy's ninth birthday is coming up and she intends to take her and her friends to Pizza Express. Julia says she wants Amanda's children there, but worries she's still upset about the time she had to make her an omelette. Liz walks up and over to Amanda, who is cleaning a glass, and compliments her as being "dangerously thin" before returning to the table and telling Julia she needs to throw a party. Inviting thirty children will mean thirty invites back, which is free childcare. Liz explains how to make a party easily, including playing "Gangham Style" and giving the children undiluted squash.

Liking the idea, Julia walks over to the Alpha Mums and invites them all to Ivy's party on Saturday. Amanda says she didn't have Julia down as a "kids party person", but Julia says she "kids party's really hard." Amanda and her gang say nothing to Julia, who paces back to her table and reminds everyone that she organises events at work so should be absolutely fine.

### At The Restaurant

Julia paces into the restaurant where her mother, Marion, is eating with her friend, Sylvie, who she introduces to her. Julia tells Marion about Ivy's party, which starts at 2 o'clock, but Julia insists she must be there at 10 o'clock to help set up. However, Marion stubbornly refuses and insists on arriving at 2. On her way out, Julia asks Sylvie (who she has never met before) if she would like to come, and orders her to be there at 2.

## Cast

### Main

* Anna Maxwell Martin, in the role of Julia
* Diane Morgan, in the role of Liz
* Paul Ready, in the role of Kevin
* Lucy Punch, in the role of Amanda
* Philipa Dunne, in the role of Anne

### Recurring

* Oliver Chris, in the role of Paul
* Ellie Haddington, in the role of Marion
* Connie Wilkins, in the role of Ivy
* Peter Singh, in the role of Andrew

### Guest

* Ben Crompton, in the role of Animal Man,

## Notes

* This is the first episode to refer to Amanda's husband as Johnny as he is in the rest of the series, whereas in the Pilot he was named Ian.
* Ben Crompton guest stars in this episode. He is known best for playing Eddison Tollet in "Game of Thrones."
* This was the first episode of Season One.
* Julia May replaced Graham Lineham as director in this episode, and continues to direct for the rest of the season and many more episodes beyond it.