Chris Lucas

Names Chris Lucas

Names - a story of hospitals, bad treatment, dodgy sex and cheap beer, the story of 2 teenagers arriving at a hospital for men and boys with learning disabilities, then called mental handicap or mental subnormality, in 1975. James has a learning disability and the hospital is seen from his perspective and from that of the staff as he is processed through the hospital machine, experiencing its' pecking orders and hierarchies. Craig is an 18 year old who is leaving home for the first time, to train as a Student Nurse at the hospital. Despite both being teenagers arriving at the same place, the differences are clear. Craig has chosen to be here, James did not. Craig's life revolves around the staff social club, drinking beer and having his first, cringe-worthy sexual encounters. The story of these two teenagers, whose paths collide, highlights some of the issues of institutional care experienced by people with disabilities, James becoming the victim of sexual and physical abuse, from staff and patients.