Russell T Davies pays tribute after man who inspired It’s A Sin dies: ‘What a loss’
One of the inspirations behind queer drama It’s A Sin has died. (Getty/Channel 4)
Russell T Davies has shared a moving tribute following the death of one of the men who inspired his ground-breaking Channel 4 drama, It’s A Sin.
The series, which aired in 2021, focused on the spectre of the Aids crisis in Britain in the early 80s. It starred Olly Alexander, Callum Scott Howells, Omari Douglas, and Lydia West as Jill.
Jill was based on a real person, Jill Nalder, a friend of Davies who acted as the character did: as a motherly figure supporting her gay friends when they were struck down by what was then a fatal illness.
Nalder founded the Pink Palace, a “big flat in Hampstead” where Davies lived with his friends in London at the height of the crisis.
The Pink Palace, which appeared in on screen as the flat where Ritchie and his pals lived, was co-founded by Davies’ friend, Phil Lewis, affectionately as Pinky.
Writing on Instagram, Davies revealed: “The wonderful Pinky has died, what a loss.
“The lovely Phil Lewis. When I joined my Youth Theatre @wgytc in the 70s, Pinky and his gang were camp, hilarious, wise and brilliant. Camp became a way for us to express who we really are. Welsh camp too, the best,” he continued.
“Pinky moved to London with @jill.nalder and @jaealexander1 where they founded the Pink Palace, and Pinky went on to become a much-loved drag queen in Brighton.
“I didn’t see him for decades, though I heard the stories, but we all met up recently and we laughed. Like I’d seen him yesterday.”
The Doctor Who showrunner continued his tribute to his “beautiful” friend, and offered his sympathies to Lewis’ partner, family and friends. “I hope a mysterious woman in a big hat turns up at his funeral, he’d be delighted. Night, Pinky darling.”
When It’s A Sin aired, Nalder shared a little about what it was like being a resident of the real-life Pink Palace, surrounded by her queer friends.
“It’s loosely based on a lot of people’s lives, and Russell’s own interpretation of the era,” she told Gay Times. “I did live in the Pink Palace, me and a few other people who might be listening who lived in the Pink Palace, which was a fabulous flat to find in London in the 80s.
“There was a lot going on, it was a massive freedom for people who came from small communities where there was no tolerance of their lifestyle.”
Davies has previously said that the series was loosely based on his and his friends’ experience of living through the epidemic. It was nominated for 11 BAFTA awards at the 2022 ceremony, but didn’t win any in the main categories.
It’s A Sin is streaming on Channel 4 now.
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