Abra Durant
Encyclopedia
Percival "Abra" Durant is a fictional character
from the BBC
medical drama
Holby City
, portrayed by actor Adrian Edmondson
. The character first appeared on-screen on 5 July 2005 in the episode "Tuesday's Child", episode 38 of the show's seventh series. Initially making a one-off, guest-appearance, Edmondson has since reprised the role of Abra numerous times, stating that he has loved the show since its 1999 conception. He departed from the show for the final time on 9 December 2008, in episode "Sweet Bitter Love".
Abra's initial role in the show was that of Third World
rights champion and humorous surgical maverick, whose major storylines centered around serious rule breaking (including stealing returned anti-retroviral drugs to send to African countries in need, performing an experimental xenotransplantation
without authorisation, and secretly using Holby City Hospital's theatres at night to perform charity operations on African children) as well as his relationship with colleague nurse Kyla Tyson
. Upon returning to the show in April 2008, the character took a darker turn, resorting to self harm as a symptom of post-traumatic stress, following a harrowing experience in the war torn Congo
.
Well received by the show's fans, writers and directors, Abra has established an enduring popularity which has seen Edmondson invited back to the programme regularly. TV critics have proved almost entirely favourable to the character, even when commenting on the unrealistic quality of many of his storylines.
would be making a guest appearance in Holby City
in July of that year, although the character he would be playing was not disclosed. The storyline running at the time saw established character, General Surgical
Consultant
Ric Griffin
(Hugh Quarshie
), depart from Holby to work in his brother's hospital in Ghana
, with Registrar
Diane Lloyd (Patricia Potter
) following on in an attempt to persuade him home. Edmondson's character, Abra Durant, was introduced as a new friend and colleague of Ric's, also working in his brother's clinic. Although the character's given name is actually Percival, it was explained within the episode that he goes by Abra, short for the Ghanaian name 'Abrafo', meaning 'troublemaker'. The episode was shot on location in Ghana, and formed part of the BBC's
'Africa Lives' series, aiming "to give the viewers a more rounded portrayal of African life and culture through special editions of favourite shows as well as new commissions."
Several of Edmondson's Holby City co-stars have described feeling intimidated by the prospect of working alongside him for the first time, stemming from his already well established fame. Rakie Ayola
explained: "I thought it was going to be difficult at the beginning because he wasn't speaking to me. But he was initially just a little shy and sussing things out. He's a lot quieter than you would expect but then suddenly he'll say something that has everybody doubled up in laughter. You won't find anyone who doesn't like him." Edmondson himself has added that he gets along well with the cast, although finds that the distance of Elstree Studios
from most of their London homes makes them "weirdly unsociable".
Edmondson's casting in the role followed a trend remarked upon by television critic Jim Shelley
, who noted a tendency of Holby City producers toward hiring already well established actors, including Jesus of Nazareth star Robert Powell
and actress Patsy Kensit
. When asked in November 2007 whether she actively sought out well-known names to fill new roles in the show, series producer Diana Kyle responded: "It's lovely when we have a new member of the cast come in and bring an audience with them. But we want the best actors, and the star names we cast are always the best - which is why we go for them!"
attested: "Rebellious surgeon Abra was an anti-authoritarian and would always fight for what he believed in, even if it broke the rules. He worked hard and played hard and wasn't afraid to push the boundaries." The character has often been referred to as a "maverick", with editorials also mentioning his "heavy-drinking" tendencies. Edmondson has described his alter-ego as "a great character - he's a maverick and can do things the others would not be able to get away with.", while the Daily Mirror have discussed the personality trait whereby "Abra finds it hard to conform to bureaucracy and is a risk taker. He is not afraid to fight for what he believes in - which, inevitably, lands him in all sorts of trouble."
The character's return in April 2008 saw drastic changes to his personality. Edmondson attested that Abra returned in "a fragile state" following a traumatic incident in the Congo
, and had become "genuinely horrible". He said of the transformation: "He's not as humorous as he used to be. I used to like that, that sardonic wit that he used to have and it's kind of gone out of the window. But you can be quite funny when you're feeling everything's pointless. He does some things that are so cruel and cold that they're actually quite funny." While the character had once been known for his brash taste in bright, flamboyant shirts, The Sun
noted that Abra's return saw him a "shadow of his former self", wearing far less colourful apparell as a reflection of his more subdued state of mind. Edmondson agreed that Abra's new wardrobe of shirts "aren't quite as bright and dazzling - but that suits his current mood."
, now living in Ghana
. The storyline saw Ric eventually decide to return to Holby
, leaving both Abra and Ghana behind. Abra returned to the show later in the series, in episode "Great Expectations", when he accompanied an African patient to the UK for an operation. He displayed his maverick tendencies by transplanting a third-hand heart, despite having been expressly forbidden to do so by the hospital chairman, Michael Beauchamp (Anthony Calf
). He also proved instrumental in convincing recently demoted Matron Lisa Fox (Luisa Bradshaw-White
) to leave Holby to practice medicine in Ghana. Bradshaw-White said of the storyline: "I'm pleased it's a positive ending for her as she's been so miserable!"
Abra returned again in episode "Prometheus Unbound", when his 'nephew' Kyle was brought into Holby for a live liver transplant
. It was revealed that Abra was actually Kyle's father, and that he and Kyle's mother, Jenny, had brought the child up believing Abra to be his uncle, and his father to be Abra's fictitious brother Harry—supposedly a war hero living abroad with a family of his own. Discussing the storyline, Edmondson commented of his character: "Typically he has been drinking and hasn't warned Ric of his arrival. Abra tells Ric that the surgeon lined up to carry out the op has pulled out. He wants Ric to do it." Abra proved able to convince Ric to go ahead with the operation, even talking him into allowing him to perform part of the surgery himself, despite being under the influence of alcohol. As Kyle recovered, Abra came close to admitting his paternity, however lost his nerve at the last minute and departed from the show once more, despite Jenny's confession that she still loved him.
The character returned on a more permanent basis from June 2006. Abra confessed to old friend Diane he had been run out of Ghana by the father of a woman he had a fling with. He was offered a permanent position at Holby by Christopher Sutherland, however this was almost immediately retracted when Abra defied new protocol by utilising the designated emergency theatre for a minor gall stone operation. Edmondson explained of the storyline: "Abra promises a patient he'll operate on her immediately, but the hospital rules say he can't book the operating theatre for the same day. So Abra decides to do it anyway. He has a knee-jerk reaction to any kind of authority." Initially this plot strand was set to crossover with Holby's sister show, Casualty
, with Sutherland's role instead filled by Casualty manager Nathan Spence, however this was abandoned prior to broadcast. After clashing with colleague Nick Jordan in the following episode, "Invasion", Abra made a favourable impression on Lord Charles Byrne, an old family friend. He then left Holby again briefly for a research project recommended by Lord Byrne.
It was revealed at this point that Edmondson would be returning as Abra for six months from the autumn. Series producer Emma Turner stated: "We are delighted that Adrian has agreed to come back. He made a huge impact in the few episodes that he was involved in and there are some explosive and controversial storylines in store for his character when he returns to film with us."
Around this time, Abra began a relationship with Acting Sister Kyla Tyson
. When Ric departed for Uganda, Abra confessed the xenotransplantation
secret to Kyla, who helped cover for him upon the arrival of new General Surgical Consultant Daniel Clifford. It was revealed that Abra had been stealing returned anti-retroviral drugs from the hospital pharmacy to ship to African countries in need for some weeks. When Kyla discovered a small supply in his desk drawer, she assumed he was HIV positive, and after failing to extract a confession from Abra, terminated their relationship. The misunderstanding was resolved several episodes later, when Abra was able to win her back by serenading her in a grand romantic gesture in the hospital car park.
Soon after, the investigation into the suspected corruption within the General Surgical department was stepped up. After some weeks of intense investigation, Clifford managed extract a confession from Abra. He revealed an admiration for Abra's maverick ways, and instead of turning him in, instructed Abra to leave Holby immediately with his record intact. Abra penned a post-it note bearing a brief message of goodbye to Kyla, and fled the country, leaving her devastated.
. However, Abra persisted, and was able to convince her to resume their relationship, and move in with him. Ayola said of the relationship at the time: "It's love! Well, she loves him but I think he loves moving around the world more. He's a drifter. I wouldn't put any money on a happy ending for them. He's such a rolling stone and she's so emotionally wrong that I don't think it's going to work. On the plus side, I think this pair probably have a fantastic sex life and a great time down the pub."
It was revealed that his return to Holby was part of a deal made with hospital manager, Christopher Sutherland. Abra had agreed to turn around the hospital's struggling Acute Assessment Unit
, and in return, Sutherland would allow him to use the hospital's theatres at night to operate on African children through a charity scheme Abra was involved in. The plan fell through when Sutherland was fired after the Board of Directors
took a vote of no confidence in him. He was replaced by Jayne Grayson
, who refused Abra's proposal, citing budget constraints.
Abra, aided by a returned Ric, decided to go ahead with the operations anyway, and secured the use of Kellar theatre at night from Clifford. However, events come to a head when they received a charity patient in episode "Duty of Care" chaperoned by Abra's father, Cecil. Having previously told Kyla his father was dead, Abra attempted to hide his identity from her, but she was furious to discover the truth. He placated her briefly, but was so worried when his father collapsed with ill-health that he ruined a social services meeting to decide whether her son may be returned from foster care. They rowed bitterly, and soon thereafter Abra's father died. He decided to take over the running of the charity in his father's place, and once more departed from Holby, again leaving Kyla behind. When asked whether the two characters would ever get back together, following Abra's second abandoment, Ayola responded: "He treated Kyla like dirt, so I don’t know if she’ll forgive him, but I love working with Ade – he’s a gorgeous man."
scar on his back... I imagine he’s been though some horror." He has stated that this appearance in the show will last four or five months, and that he doesn't yet know how the character will be written out this time, beyond there being "some kind of mental-health issue." It emerged that Abra had borne witness to a violent attack on the hospital he was working in in the Congo, eventually leading to him checking in to a psychiatric unit. After being discovered being treated by his own mother, Kyla and Lola Griffin convinced him to discharge himself and return to Ghana. He returned briefly to Holby in December 2008, when he convinced Kyla to move to Ghana with him, proposing marriage to her.
This particular episode garnered 7.4 million viewers and a 33 percent audience share, with both The Guardian
and Digital Spy
mentioning Edmondson's guest-appearance as Abra as a decisive factor in the high rating.
In early 2006, the character's "wacky" personality was deemed to have "proved such a hit, that Holby bosses got him back for two more episodes, shown in September and December (2005). And now they want to make Abra a permanent fixture in the show." Series producer Emma Turner said at the time that "(Abra) made a huge impact in the few episodes that he was involved in" and expressed her delight that Edmondson had agreed to reprise the role. TV critic Jim Shelley
satirised the unrealistic storyline given to the character upon his return, deeming Abra's line "Essentially, it's an experiment and illegal." when explaining to the sister of a patient that he intended to transplant a pig's kidney into her brother's body, his televisual 'Bad news of the week'. However, Digital Spy's
Dek Hogan was more positive about the plot strand, and especially the role of Abra therein, stating: "It’s been a cracking take this, another example of the excellent form that medical drama has been in this year, thanks in no small part to Adrian Edmondson marvellous turn as maverick surgeon Abra."
Jim Shelley again commented on the outlandishness of the character's storylines following Abra's next return to the show, in 2007. He wrote: "Ric and Ade Edmondson had been conducting secret operations on orphans smuggled in from Africa (as you do). [...] It's TV crack—instant, mind-altering, utterly addictive." He also dubbed the line "I don't know why people complain about the NHS." his 'Naive statement of the week', with the explanation: "Hmmmm let's see. Abra covering up that he was operating on his arms-dealer father. Maddy hiding the fact she killed her junkie sister's daughter. And secret cokehead Jesus Of Nazareth (Robert Powell) keeping quiet about counselling Elliot's son for heroin addiction. Oh yeah, and in Casualty, in Holby's A&E department, nurse Ruth Winters secretly fixed her dad's breathalyser test. Anyone detect a theme emerging?"
Abra proved a popular character amongst fans of the show, and in the 2007 official fans awards, was voted fifth favourite male character of series 9, and his relationship with Kyla voted fifth favourite coupling of the series. When Edmondson took time out from Holby City to work on his ITV
sitcom Teenage Kicks
, Mark Wright of The Stage
reviewed the show poorly, urging him to "go back to Holby City, you were good in that". Announcing that the role of Abra was indeed going to be reprised a sixth time, the Mirror described his return storyline as "sizzling".
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
medical drama
Medical drama
A medical drama is a television program, in which events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment.In the United States, most medical episodes are one hour long and, more often than not, are set in a hospital. Most current medical Dramatic programming go beyond the...
Holby City
Holby City
Holby City, stylised as Holby Ci+y, is a British medical drama television series that airs weekly on BBC One.The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama Casualty, and premiered on 12 January 1999...
, portrayed by actor Adrian Edmondson
Adrian Edmondson
Adrian Charles "Ade" Edmondson is an English comedian. He is probably best known for his comedic roles in the television series The Young Ones and Bottom , for which he also wrote together with his long-time collaboration partner Rik Mayall.-Early life:Edmondson, the second of four children, was...
. The character first appeared on-screen on 5 July 2005 in the episode "Tuesday's Child", episode 38 of the show's seventh series. Initially making a one-off, guest-appearance, Edmondson has since reprised the role of Abra numerous times, stating that he has loved the show since its 1999 conception. He departed from the show for the final time on 9 December 2008, in episode "Sweet Bitter Love".
Abra's initial role in the show was that of Third World
Third World
The term Third World arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either capitalism and NATO , or communism and the Soviet Union...
rights champion and humorous surgical maverick, whose major storylines centered around serious rule breaking (including stealing returned anti-retroviral drugs to send to African countries in need, performing an experimental xenotransplantation
Xenotransplantation
Xenotransplantation , is the transplantation of living cells, tissues or organs from one species to another. Such cells, tissues or organs are called xenografts or xenotransplants...
without authorisation, and secretly using Holby City Hospital's theatres at night to perform charity operations on African children) as well as his relationship with colleague nurse Kyla Tyson
Kyla Tyson
Kyla Tyson is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actress Rakie Ayola. She appeared from 7 February 2006 to 9 December 2008, from the series eight episode "I'll Be Back" to the series eleven episode "Sweet Bitter Love"...
. Upon returning to the show in April 2008, the character took a darker turn, resorting to self harm as a symptom of post-traumatic stress, following a harrowing experience in the war torn Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
.
Well received by the show's fans, writers and directors, Abra has established an enduring popularity which has seen Edmondson invited back to the programme regularly. TV critics have proved almost entirely favourable to the character, even when commenting on the unrealistic quality of many of his storylines.
Background
It was first announced on 4 May 2005 that comedian Adrian EdmondsonAdrian Edmondson
Adrian Charles "Ade" Edmondson is an English comedian. He is probably best known for his comedic roles in the television series The Young Ones and Bottom , for which he also wrote together with his long-time collaboration partner Rik Mayall.-Early life:Edmondson, the second of four children, was...
would be making a guest appearance in Holby City
Holby City
Holby City, stylised as Holby Ci+y, is a British medical drama television series that airs weekly on BBC One.The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama Casualty, and premiered on 12 January 1999...
in July of that year, although the character he would be playing was not disclosed. The storyline running at the time saw established character, General Surgical
General surgery
General surgery, despite its name, is a surgical specialty that focuses on abdominal organs, e.g., intestines including esophagus, stomach, small bowel, colon, liver, pancreas, gallbladder and bile ducts, and often the thyroid gland . They also deal with diseases involving the skin, breast, soft...
Consultant
Consultant (medicine)
In the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, and parts of the Commonwealth, consultant is the title of a senior doctor who has completed all of his or her specialist training and been placed on the specialist register in their chosen specialty...
Ric Griffin
Ric Griffin
Kobina Eric "Ric" Griffin MBBS MD PhD FRCS FRCS is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actor Hugh Quarshie. The character first appeared on-screen on 9 October 2001 in episode "Rogue Males" - series 4, episode 1 of the programme...
(Hugh Quarshie
Hugh Quarshie
- Early and Personal Life :Quarshie is of mixed Ghanaian, English and Dutch ancestry and was born in Accra, Ghana, to Emma Wilhelmina and Richard Quarshie, and emigrated with his family to the United Kingdom when he was aged three...
), depart from Holby to work in his brother's hospital in Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, with Registrar
Specialist registrar
A Specialist Registrar or SpR is a doctor in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland who is receiving advanced training in a specialist field of medicine in order eventually to become a consultant...
Diane Lloyd (Patricia Potter
Patricia Potter
Patricia Caroline Potter is an English actress. Best known for her role as Diane Lloyd in the popular BBC medical drama Holby City, Potter has acted on stage, television, and in film. She married her partner, doctor Jim Down, in May 2007.- Personal life :Potter grew up on a farm in Kent with her...
) following on in an attempt to persuade him home. Edmondson's character, Abra Durant, was introduced as a new friend and colleague of Ric's, also working in his brother's clinic. Although the character's given name is actually Percival, it was explained within the episode that he goes by Abra, short for the Ghanaian name 'Abrafo', meaning 'troublemaker'. The episode was shot on location in Ghana, and formed part of the BBC's
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
'Africa Lives' series, aiming "to give the viewers a more rounded portrayal of African life and culture through special editions of favourite shows as well as new commissions."
Casting
Edmondson has discussed the surprised reaction he encountered upon assuming the role of Abra, stating: "I'm sure people are surprised I'm in it, but I don't give a toss. I have always liked it. It's like any soap - if you watch it, you get stuck in. I love working on it." He has mentioned that he is the only cast member to have been a fan of the show since its 1999 conception, that both he and his youngest daughter Freya often watch it together "as a bonding exercise", and going as far as to describe the role as "a dream". Commenting on his decision only ever to reprise the role of Abra on short term contracts, Edmondson has stated that: "I don't think I could handle any longer. The regulars on the show work very, very hard. Basically I don't think I could do what they do and still be alive!"Several of Edmondson's Holby City co-stars have described feeling intimidated by the prospect of working alongside him for the first time, stemming from his already well established fame. Rakie Ayola
Rakie Ayola
Rakie Ayola is a Welsh actress, best known for her role as Kyla Tyson in the BBC medical drama Holby City. She first rose to prominence in the lead role of the 1993 Jeanette Winterson screenplay Great Moments in Aviation...
explained: "I thought it was going to be difficult at the beginning because he wasn't speaking to me. But he was initially just a little shy and sussing things out. He's a lot quieter than you would expect but then suddenly he'll say something that has everybody doubled up in laughter. You won't find anyone who doesn't like him." Edmondson himself has added that he gets along well with the cast, although finds that the distance of Elstree Studios
Elstree Studios
"Elstree Studios" refers to any of several film studios that were based in the towns of Borehamwood and Elstree in Hertfordshire, England, since film production begun in 1927.-Name:...
from most of their London homes makes them "weirdly unsociable".
Edmondson's casting in the role followed a trend remarked upon by television critic Jim Shelley
Jim Shelley (TV critic)
Jim Shelley is a British television critic who writes a column for the Daily Mirror each Monday titled Shelleyvision. Prior to writing for the Daily Mirror he wrote for The Guardian and his collection of reviews "Interference: Tapehead vs. Television" was published by Atlantic Books...
, who noted a tendency of Holby City producers toward hiring already well established actors, including Jesus of Nazareth star Robert Powell
Robert Powell
Robert Powell is an English television and film actor, probably most famous for his title role in Jesus of Nazareth and as the fictional secret agent Richard Hannay...
and actress Patsy Kensit
Patsy Kensit
Patricia Jude Francis "Patsy" Kensit is an English actress, singer, model and former child star, known for her television and film appearances. Her films include Lethal Weapon 2 and she has been married to rock stars Jim Kerr and Liam Gallagher, as well as herself fronting the band Eighth Wonder...
. When asked in November 2007 whether she actively sought out well-known names to fill new roles in the show, series producer Diana Kyle responded: "It's lovely when we have a new member of the cast come in and bring an audience with them. But we want the best actors, and the star names we cast are always the best - which is why we go for them!"
Personality
Describing the character following his October 2007 departure from the show, the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
attested: "Rebellious surgeon Abra was an anti-authoritarian and would always fight for what he believed in, even if it broke the rules. He worked hard and played hard and wasn't afraid to push the boundaries." The character has often been referred to as a "maverick", with editorials also mentioning his "heavy-drinking" tendencies. Edmondson has described his alter-ego as "a great character - he's a maverick and can do things the others would not be able to get away with.", while the Daily Mirror have discussed the personality trait whereby "Abra finds it hard to conform to bureaucracy and is a risk taker. He is not afraid to fight for what he believes in - which, inevitably, lands him in all sorts of trouble."
The character's return in April 2008 saw drastic changes to his personality. Edmondson attested that Abra returned in "a fragile state" following a traumatic incident in the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
, and had become "genuinely horrible". He said of the transformation: "He's not as humorous as he used to be. I used to like that, that sardonic wit that he used to have and it's kind of gone out of the window. But you can be quite funny when you're feeling everything's pointless. He does some things that are so cruel and cold that they're actually quite funny." While the character had once been known for his brash taste in bright, flamboyant shirts, The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
noted that Abra's return saw him a "shadow of his former self", wearing far less colourful apparell as a reflection of his more subdued state of mind. Edmondson agreed that Abra's new wardrobe of shirts "aren't quite as bright and dazzling - but that suits his current mood."
Early appearances
Abra first appeared in episode "Tuesday's Child" as an ex-pat colleague of longstanding character Ric GriffinRic Griffin
Kobina Eric "Ric" Griffin MBBS MD PhD FRCS FRCS is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actor Hugh Quarshie. The character first appeared on-screen on 9 October 2001 in episode "Rogue Males" - series 4, episode 1 of the programme...
, now living in Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
. The storyline saw Ric eventually decide to return to Holby
Holby
Holby is a fictional city in the United Kingdom, in which BBC medical dramas Casualty and Holby City, and police drama HolbyBlue are set. It is based upon the city of Bristol, and is located in the fictional county of Wyvern in the South-West of England, not far from the Welsh border...
, leaving both Abra and Ghana behind. Abra returned to the show later in the series, in episode "Great Expectations", when he accompanied an African patient to the UK for an operation. He displayed his maverick tendencies by transplanting a third-hand heart, despite having been expressly forbidden to do so by the hospital chairman, Michael Beauchamp (Anthony Calf
Anthony Calf
Anthony Calf is a British actor, born in Hammersmith, London, England. He studied acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art . He has recurring roles in the television medical drama Holby City, as Michael Beauchamp, and New Tricks as Strickland...
). He also proved instrumental in convincing recently demoted Matron Lisa Fox (Luisa Bradshaw-White
Luisa Bradshaw-White
Luisa Bradshaw-White is an English actress, best known for her roles on Holby City and This Life.-Career:...
) to leave Holby to practice medicine in Ghana. Bradshaw-White said of the storyline: "I'm pleased it's a positive ending for her as she's been so miserable!"
Abra returned again in episode "Prometheus Unbound", when his 'nephew' Kyle was brought into Holby for a live liver transplant
Organ transplant
Organ transplantation is the moving of an organ from one body to another or from a donor site on the patient's own body, for the purpose of replacing the recipient's damaged or absent organ. The emerging field of regenerative medicine is allowing scientists and engineers to create organs to be...
. It was revealed that Abra was actually Kyle's father, and that he and Kyle's mother, Jenny, had brought the child up believing Abra to be his uncle, and his father to be Abra's fictitious brother Harry—supposedly a war hero living abroad with a family of his own. Discussing the storyline, Edmondson commented of his character: "Typically he has been drinking and hasn't warned Ric of his arrival. Abra tells Ric that the surgeon lined up to carry out the op has pulled out. He wants Ric to do it." Abra proved able to convince Ric to go ahead with the operation, even talking him into allowing him to perform part of the surgery himself, despite being under the influence of alcohol. As Kyle recovered, Abra came close to admitting his paternity, however lost his nerve at the last minute and departed from the show once more, despite Jenny's confession that she still loved him.
The character returned on a more permanent basis from June 2006. Abra confessed to old friend Diane he had been run out of Ghana by the father of a woman he had a fling with. He was offered a permanent position at Holby by Christopher Sutherland, however this was almost immediately retracted when Abra defied new protocol by utilising the designated emergency theatre for a minor gall stone operation. Edmondson explained of the storyline: "Abra promises a patient he'll operate on her immediately, but the hospital rules say he can't book the operating theatre for the same day. So Abra decides to do it anyway. He has a knee-jerk reaction to any kind of authority." Initially this plot strand was set to crossover with Holby's sister show, Casualty
Casualty (TV series)
Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
, with Sutherland's role instead filled by Casualty manager Nathan Spence, however this was abandoned prior to broadcast. After clashing with colleague Nick Jordan in the following episode, "Invasion", Abra made a favourable impression on Lord Charles Byrne, an old family friend. He then left Holby again briefly for a research project recommended by Lord Byrne.
It was revealed at this point that Edmondson would be returning as Abra for six months from the autumn. Series producer Emma Turner stated: "We are delighted that Adrian has agreed to come back. He made a huge impact in the few episodes that he was involved in and there are some explosive and controversial storylines in store for his character when he returns to film with us."
Xenotransplantation; anti-retrovirals
Abra arrived back in Holby towards the end of series 8, immediately becoming embroiled in an illegal porcine kidney transplantation on renal patient Pete Golding. When Ric discovered what he had done, the deception strained their friendship, and Abra came close to losing his job. Eventually, Ric decided the pressure of covering up their misdoing was too great to bear, and after making up with Abra, departed once more for Africa on sabbatical.Kyla Tyson
Kyla Tyson is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actress Rakie Ayola. She appeared from 7 February 2006 to 9 December 2008, from the series eight episode "I'll Be Back" to the series eleven episode "Sweet Bitter Love"...
. When Ric departed for Uganda, Abra confessed the xenotransplantation
Xenotransplantation
Xenotransplantation , is the transplantation of living cells, tissues or organs from one species to another. Such cells, tissues or organs are called xenografts or xenotransplants...
secret to Kyla, who helped cover for him upon the arrival of new General Surgical Consultant Daniel Clifford. It was revealed that Abra had been stealing returned anti-retroviral drugs from the hospital pharmacy to ship to African countries in need for some weeks. When Kyla discovered a small supply in his desk drawer, she assumed he was HIV positive, and after failing to extract a confession from Abra, terminated their relationship. The misunderstanding was resolved several episodes later, when Abra was able to win her back by serenading her in a grand romantic gesture in the hospital car park.
Soon after, the investigation into the suspected corruption within the General Surgical department was stepped up. After some weeks of intense investigation, Clifford managed extract a confession from Abra. He revealed an admiration for Abra's maverick ways, and instead of turning him in, instructed Abra to leave Holby immediately with his record intact. Abra penned a post-it note bearing a brief message of goodbye to Kyla, and fled the country, leaving her devastated.
Night operations
Abra returned yet again to Holby in episode "The Human Jungle". Initially, Kyla was furious with him, and resisted his attempts to win her back—blaming him for the death of her ex-husband, which occurred in his absence and resulted in her son being taken into foster careFoster care
Foster care is the term used for a system in which a minor who has been made a ward is placed in the private home of a state certified caregiver referred to as a "foster parent"....
. However, Abra persisted, and was able to convince her to resume their relationship, and move in with him. Ayola said of the relationship at the time: "It's love! Well, she loves him but I think he loves moving around the world more. He's a drifter. I wouldn't put any money on a happy ending for them. He's such a rolling stone and she's so emotionally wrong that I don't think it's going to work. On the plus side, I think this pair probably have a fantastic sex life and a great time down the pub."
It was revealed that his return to Holby was part of a deal made with hospital manager, Christopher Sutherland. Abra had agreed to turn around the hospital's struggling Acute Assessment Unit
Acute Assessment Unit
An acute assessment unit, or acute admissions unit, is a short-stay department in some hospitals that is sometimes part of the emergency department, although a separate department. The AAU acts as a gateway between a patient's general practitioner, the emergency department, and the wards of the...
, and in return, Sutherland would allow him to use the hospital's theatres at night to operate on African children through a charity scheme Abra was involved in. The plan fell through when Sutherland was fired after the Board of Directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
took a vote of no confidence in him. He was replaced by Jayne Grayson
Jayne Grayson
Jayne Grayson is a fictional character in the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actress Stella Gonet. The character first appeared on-screen on 10 July 2007 in episode "Under the Radar" - series 9, episode 39 of the programme...
, who refused Abra's proposal, citing budget constraints.
Abra, aided by a returned Ric, decided to go ahead with the operations anyway, and secured the use of Kellar theatre at night from Clifford. However, events come to a head when they received a charity patient in episode "Duty of Care" chaperoned by Abra's father, Cecil. Having previously told Kyla his father was dead, Abra attempted to hide his identity from her, but she was furious to discover the truth. He placated her briefly, but was so worried when his father collapsed with ill-health that he ruined a social services meeting to decide whether her son may be returned from foster care. They rowed bitterly, and soon thereafter Abra's father died. He decided to take over the running of the charity in his father's place, and once more departed from Holby, again leaving Kyla behind. When asked whether the two characters would ever get back together, following Abra's second abandoment, Ayola responded: "He treated Kyla like dirt, so I don’t know if she’ll forgive him, but I love working with Ade – he’s a gorgeous man."
Post-traumatic stress
It was announced on 7 November 2007 that Abra would again be returning to Holby City, in spring 2008. Edmondson revealed that "Abra comes back as a patient because some trauma has happened in Africa and he will be sponging off Ric." Expanding on this, he explained: "Abra’s in a very fragile state, as he’s suffering from post-traumatic stress. He keeps hurting himself, but no one knows why. Ric’s pretty off with Abra at first, but he agrees to let him stay at his place for a week. Abra used to be a nice guy, but he’s horrible now. Something happened to him on his travels, though even I haven’t been told what it is yet. What I do know is that Abra has a huge macheteMachete
The machete is a large cleaver-like cutting tool. The blade is typically long and usually under thick. In the English language, an equivalent term is matchet, though it is less commonly known...
scar on his back... I imagine he’s been though some horror." He has stated that this appearance in the show will last four or five months, and that he doesn't yet know how the character will be written out this time, beyond there being "some kind of mental-health issue." It emerged that Abra had borne witness to a violent attack on the hospital he was working in in the Congo, eventually leading to him checking in to a psychiatric unit. After being discovered being treated by his own mother, Kyla and Lola Griffin convinced him to discharge himself and return to Ghana. He returned briefly to Holby in December 2008, when he convinced Kyla to move to Ghana with him, proposing marriage to her.
Reception
The light-hearted, comedic quality the character of Abra brought to Holby City was a focal point of early reviews. Daily Mirror TV critic Jane Simon wrote of Abra's second Holby appearance:The laughing gas has been in desperately short supply at Holby of late. [...] What they really need is for someone to come along and prove that heart transplants can be fun. It's a job for comedy cardiac specialist Percy Durant (guest star Ade Edmondson), who we last saw working out in Ghana with consultant Ric. You could easily imagine Percy driving around in a van with a big, red, plastic heart on top of it, or cracking open someone's chest and pulling out a bunch of flowers. And when it comes to Lisa (Luisa Bradshaw-WhiteLuisa Bradshaw-WhiteLuisa Bradshaw-White is an English actress, best known for her roles on Holby City and This Life.-Career:...
), he magically comes up with the answer to all her problems.
This particular episode garnered 7.4 million viewers and a 33 percent audience share, with both The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
and Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
mentioning Edmondson's guest-appearance as Abra as a decisive factor in the high rating.
In early 2006, the character's "wacky" personality was deemed to have "proved such a hit, that Holby bosses got him back for two more episodes, shown in September and December (2005). And now they want to make Abra a permanent fixture in the show." Series producer Emma Turner said at the time that "(Abra) made a huge impact in the few episodes that he was involved in" and expressed her delight that Edmondson had agreed to reprise the role. TV critic Jim Shelley
Jim Shelley (TV critic)
Jim Shelley is a British television critic who writes a column for the Daily Mirror each Monday titled Shelleyvision. Prior to writing for the Daily Mirror he wrote for The Guardian and his collection of reviews "Interference: Tapehead vs. Television" was published by Atlantic Books...
satirised the unrealistic storyline given to the character upon his return, deeming Abra's line "Essentially, it's an experiment and illegal." when explaining to the sister of a patient that he intended to transplant a pig's kidney into her brother's body, his televisual 'Bad news of the week'. However, Digital Spy's
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
Dek Hogan was more positive about the plot strand, and especially the role of Abra therein, stating: "It’s been a cracking take this, another example of the excellent form that medical drama has been in this year, thanks in no small part to Adrian Edmondson marvellous turn as maverick surgeon Abra."
Jim Shelley again commented on the outlandishness of the character's storylines following Abra's next return to the show, in 2007. He wrote: "Ric and Ade Edmondson had been conducting secret operations on orphans smuggled in from Africa (as you do). [...] It's TV crack—instant, mind-altering, utterly addictive." He also dubbed the line "I don't know why people complain about the NHS." his 'Naive statement of the week', with the explanation: "Hmmmm let's see. Abra covering up that he was operating on his arms-dealer father. Maddy hiding the fact she killed her junkie sister's daughter. And secret cokehead Jesus Of Nazareth (Robert Powell) keeping quiet about counselling Elliot's son for heroin addiction. Oh yeah, and in Casualty, in Holby's A&E department, nurse Ruth Winters secretly fixed her dad's breathalyser test. Anyone detect a theme emerging?"
Abra proved a popular character amongst fans of the show, and in the 2007 official fans awards, was voted fifth favourite male character of series 9, and his relationship with Kyla voted fifth favourite coupling of the series. When Edmondson took time out from Holby City to work on his ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
sitcom Teenage Kicks
Teenage Kicks (TV series)
Teenage Kicks is a British sitcom starring Adrian Edmondson, Ed Coleman and Laura Aikman, filmed at Teddington Studios. Originally as a radio show for BBC Radio 2 in 2007, it was turned into a TV series by Phil McIntyre Productions for ITV...
, Mark Wright of The Stage
The Stage
The Stage is a weekly British newspaper founded in 1880, available nationally and published on Thursdays. Covering all areas of the entertainment industry but focused primarily on theatre, it contains news, reviews, opinion, features and other items of interest, mainly to those who work within the...
reviewed the show poorly, urging him to "go back to Holby City, you were good in that". Announcing that the role of Abra was indeed going to be reprised a sixth time, the Mirror described his return storyline as "sizzling".