The Arbor

A Documentary Re-Invented

7.320101h 31mReleased

Drama

Documentary

Overview

The lives of the late Bradford playwright Andrea Dunbar and Lorraine, one of her daughters, and the community of Bradford, in the 30 years since the 18-year-old Andrea penned a play about growing up in the community titled "The Arbor".

StatusReleased

Release Date2010-10-22

Runtime1h 31m

LanguagesEnglish

CountriesUnited Kingdom

Revenue$21,268

Keywords

prison

autobiography

interracial relationship

Videos

2 total

Trailer

THE ARBOR trailer HD

Stream

DocAlliance Films

Metrograph

Strand Releasing Amazon Channel

Buy

Amazon Video

Fandango At Home

Rent

Amazon Video

Fandango At Home

DocAlliance Films

US data via JustWatch

Cast & Crew

Christine Bottomley

as Lisa Thompson

Manjinder Virk

as Lorraine Dunbar

Natalie Gavin

as The Girl

George Costigan

as Jimmy 'The Wig'

Monica Dolan

as Ann Hamilton

Neil Dudgeon

as Steve Saul

Jimi Mistry

as Yousaf

Robert Emms

as Young David

Kate Rutter

as The Mother

Danny Webb

as Max Stafford-Clark / The Father

Reviews

CinemaSerf

Jan 16, 2026

7/10

Using a combination on documentary style film making and some more theatrical re-enactments, this takes a candid approach to it’s telling of the story of troubled playwright Andrea Dunbar - probably most famous for her “Rita, Sue and Bob Too”. The arbor in question is a street on the 1950s Buttershaw housing estate in the Yorkshire city of Bradford…

Full review