SITTING In Limbo star Patrick Robinson has admitted the Windrush drama’s script left him in tears when he first read it. Patrick, 56, plays the role of Anthony Bryan in the BBC drama – a man who was mistakenly classified as an illegal immigrant by the Home Office in 2015. Builder Anthony was then sacked […]
SITTING In Limbo star Patrick Robinson has admitted the Windrush drama’s script left him in tears when he first read it.
Patrick, 56, plays the role of Anthony Bryan in the BBC drama – a man who was mistakenly classified as an illegal immigrant by the Home Office in 2015.
Builder Anthony was then sacked from his job, twice arrested and twice sent to immigration removal centres, where he spent a total of five weeks, before being booked on a plane to Jamaica, a country he hasn’t visited since he moved (entirely legally) to London as an eight-year-old in 1965.
Speaking about the first time he saw the script, Patrick said: “When I read the script, I was in tears easily halfway through and blubbing at the end, knowing that I wanted to be involved in this piece, because it made me feel.”
He added in an interview with The Guardian: “I knew this was happening to lots of people. I wanted to be involved with the film in any shape or form.”
Patrick revealed that he had a friend, Junior Green, who was in a similar situation and was refused re-entry into Britain after visiting Jamaica, despite having lived in the UK for 60 years.
“I was aware of it before it hit the news. The whole West Indian community was just collateral damage in the debate on immigration,” the former Casualty actor continued.
“The government’s apologies are like putting a little piece of sticking plaster on a great big, gaping, festering wound.”
Patrick went on to admit that his own family could have quite easily found themselves in Anthony’s awful position as both his parents came from Jamaica in the 1960s and his four older siblings were born in Jamaica too.
After moving to the UK, Patrick’s father tried to continue his career as an electrician, but later accepted work as a bus driver.
“He kept getting laid off,” Patrick explained, before being asked if he believes that was due to racism.
“Probably. He wouldn’t speak much about it. The history of people coming to the so-called motherland, and the history of double-standards that followed, is very close to me,” he replied.
“People find it hard to believe that this happened. They can’t believe that I went through all that after 50 years here. People still trust the government; they just can’t believe they would do this to someone,” Patrick added.
Meanwhile, viewers have slammed the BBC for their bad timing as the drama aired amid the current Black Lives Matter protests.
Replying to a tweet which shared the trailer of the 90-minute BBC drama, one person wrote: “Good timing guys, let’s cause some more chaos,” while a second said: “Stir it up BBC. ffs.”
A third person tweeted: “You guys supported and continue to support with rabid intensity the political forces that did this and worse – YOU KNEW what they were doing. #Hypocrites.”
Another person commented on the YouTube trailer saying: “This isn’t timed to fan flames 
(sic).”
