BY D C Maher

Through the Barricades

‘Friends are with you for a lifetime’

How do you protect those you love when every decision you make causes harm? “Through the Barricades” is the story of a young man constantly trying to overcome insurmountable hurdles. It’s about ordinary people trying to achieve extra-ordinary goals. Set in working-class East London during the 1980s it’s the story of love, of friendship and of tragedy. Keagan Devlin is a sometimes troubled young man transforming from adolescent to adult. With the news that his best friend has Cystic Fibrosis, Keagan strives to be a better friend, constantly aware of his friend’s needs but not always managing to do the right thing. In trying to protect his friend Keagan makes a monumental error resulting in life-changing consequences. Accepting his illness, Keagan’s friend Peter is constantly trying to keep him from harm. Seeing the other side to his character, he pushes Keagan to focus on his goals and away from the violence he often finds himself involved with. Together, against all the odds, they find love. Emily and Jenifer, cousins they meet re-shape their lives and they settle into a stable and more positive pattern. But not for long. Keagan joins the British Army and is immediately thrust into war with the advent of the Falklands Conflict. Whilst this will have a profound effect on his life, events back in the UK will be the catalyst for even greater turmoil.