FIRST LOOK: BBC Warrington bombing drama Mother's Day

Mother’s Day is coming to BBC Two in the autumn and will show the events, aftermath and public response to the IRA bomb in Bridge Street which took the lives of Johnathan Ball, three, and Tim Parry, 12.

Anna Maxwell Martin (Motherland) and Daniel Mays (Against The Law) will play Wendy and Colin Parry who went on to establish The Foundation for Peace to promote non-violent resolution of conflict.

The 90-minute drama has been written by Warrington's own Nick Leather (Murdered For Being Different) and will focus on two women living either side of the Irish Sea, brought together in the wake of the tragedy.

Vicky McClure (Line of Duty) plays Susan McHugh, the Dublin mother-of-two so outraged by the loss of young life that she organised one of the largest peace rallies in Irish history, leading thousands through the streets in protest at the continued violence of the Troubles. 

The programme is called Mother's Day because the tragedy happened the day before Mothering Sunday.

Colin and Wendy Parry in Ireland

Anna Maxwell Martin said: “I know that many will recall the bravery and dignity shown by the families affected by the Warrington bombings. It’s a real honour to be telling their story.”

Writer Nick Leather added: “As someone who grew up in Warrington and was on my way into town on the day of the bombing, bringing this astonishing story to the screen has been a career-long mission. 

"Over the past year, I’ve been fortunate to work with a wonderfully supportive team at the BBC, including the director Fergus O’Brien, and have found the Parry and McHugh families to be even more inspiring than I did as a kid. I hope people are as moved and affected by this drama as we have been making it.”