If you're a Stephen Graham fan, you'll already know that his performances often leave you profoundly moved, but one that takes things a step further is his role as recovering alcoholic, Joseph, in The Virtues. The terrific drama, which sees Joseph confront the demons of his past, is as heartbreaking as it is thought-provoking, featuring a performance from Stephen that will genuinely leave you speechless.
When his ex-partner moves abroad with their son, Joseph relapses and, upon waking up with the hangover from hell, he makes the decision to walk away from his current life and board a boat bound for Ireland to face the many troubling memories from his childhood. Co-written by Adolescence creator Jack Thorne, it's a deeply moving series with Graham's powerhouse performance easily one of his best to date.
With the series now available to stream on Channel 4, here’s everything you need to know about The Virtues, including the plot, cast, trailer and how to watch it.
What is The Virtues about?
The emotional four-part drama transports us to Liverpool where we meet recovering alcoholic, Joseph (Stephen Graham), who's in the clutches of despair when his ex-partner Debbie (Juliet Ellis) emigrates to Australia with their nine-year-old son. Distraught, he presses the self-destruct button after two years of sobriety. When he wakes up with a physical and mental hangover from hell, he decides to board a boat to Ireland and confront years of suppressed - and painful - childhood memories from his upbringing in care.
Upon his arrival, Joseph is reunited with his sister, Anna (Helen Behan), who can hardly believe her eyes since she hasn't seen her brother since they were small. Anna persuades her husband, Michael (Frank Laverty), to take Joseph in and offer him a job at their building company. It's here that Joseph comes face-to-face with fellow labourer, Craigy (Mark O’Halloran), a murky figure connected to his past.
His new family set-up is further complicated when he meets Dinah (Niamh Algar), a “wild-child” who comes onto the scene with a bang, after punching her boyfriend out of Anna's front-door. A sparks is instantly lit between the two troubled souls, as Dinah is also haunted by a buried past. As the episodes unfold and Joseph pieces together his fragmented trauma, he ultimately faces a choice between forgiveness and vengeance.
Stephen told Channel 4 about the extensive research he did before taking on the role, explaining: “I watched a lot of documentaries about people who had been victims in that situation, as well as looking into alcoholism and the reasons behind it. And I also looked into why and how people might repress things.
"The mind is an amazing thing, it can potentially block something out, put it in a box and never open it. But sometimes you get little flashes of what may have happened in your head."
Who’s in the cast of The Virtues?
The cast of The Virtues includes:
- Stephen Graham (Adolescence) as Joseph
- Niamh Algar (The Iris Affair) as Dinah
- Helen Behan (This is England) as Anna
- Frank Laverty (Raw) as Michael
- Mark O'Halloran (Garage) as Craigy
- Deirdre Donnelly (Barber) as Susan
- Niamh Cusack (Heartbeat) as Janine
- Juliet Ellis (Ruby) as Debbie
Is there a trailer for The Virtues?
Yes, you can watch the trailer for The Virtues below.
How can I watch The Virtues?
You can stream all four episodes of The Virtues now on Channel 4.
What other Stephen Graham dramas can I watch now?
For another standout performance, we'd recommend The Walk-In. Based on a true story, Stephen plays activist Matthew Collins, a reformed anti-fascist campaigner, who works to infiltrate and destroy far-right extremist groups following the murder of MP Jo Cox. You can watch The Walk-In now on ITVX. One of his lesser-known but equally brilliant roles is in The Damned United. The film portrays the tempestuous 44 days that outspoken manager, Brian Clough (Michael Sheen), experienced when he took over as Leeds United's manager, with Stephen playing the team's captain Billy Bremner. You can watch The Damned United on Netflix.