Onwards and Sideways

Onwards and Sideways opens at Odeon Stoke on Friday 6 November, with the first screening at 14:20. It's a British dramedy about two people brought together by humour, dance and Parkinson's, and it runs for 105 minutes. If that afternoon slot doesn't work, there are further screenings from 7 to 12 November, so you've got a good window to catch it.

The story follows Tony Evans, a deputy head of a local primary school, and Emma Dretzin, a pianist, composer and single mother of two. They're both diagnosed with Parkinson's on the same morning and drift in and out of each other's lives over the next five years, discovering that living with the illness doesn't mean giving up on fun, romance or trying something new. It's a life-affirming look at the condition, and it makes a point of not letting the illness dominate the story.

Behind it is director John Madden, who you'll know from Shakespeare in Love and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. The script is by Paul Mayhew-Archer, whose own experience of Parkinson's gives the film a rare personal insight. The lead roles go to Rhys Ifans and Laura Linney, with Rory Kinnear, Monica Dolan and Isabella Nefar in the supporting cast.

It's playing at Odeon Stoke-on-Trent, on Etruria Road in Etruria, ST1 5SN. That first screening is Friday 6 November at 14:20, with more dates running through to 12 November.