Hard Labour (film) where the Leighs had lived in Cavendish Road." "The polarity between the worlds of Mrs Stone and the lady who cleans her house (the central figure, Mrs Thornley, the Catholic house-cleaner) is icily delineated. In the middle is the new housing estate, where Mrs Thornley's son, Edward, (played by Bernard Hill in his professional début), a car mechanic, lives with his wife Veronica (Alison Steadman)." Hard Labour (film) Hard Labour is a 1973 television film, directed by Mike Leigh and produced by Tony Garnett which aired as part of the BBC anthology series "Play for Today". The film stars Liz
Mike Leigh wonderful little episodes in Ozu's "Tokyo Story", in a hairdressing salon and a bar, must have been in Leigh's subconscious memory when he made "The Short and Curlies" (1987), one of his most devastatingly funny pieces of work, and the pub scene in "Life is Sweet"..." In September 1973, he married actress Alison Steadman; they have two sons: Toby (born February 1978) and Leo (born August 1981). Steadman appeared in seven of his films and several of his plays, including "Wholesome Glory" and "Abigail's Party". They divorced in 2001. The actress Marion Bailey is his partner. Leigh is a Distinguished