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Acclaimed Scots actor Kevin McKidd (Grey's Anatomy, Trainspotting, Rome) leads an all-star cast in One Night In Emergency, a unique and distinctive drama written by award-winning Black Watch playwright Gregory Burke for BBC One Scotland through Silver River Productions.

One Night In Emergency marks Burke's television writing debut and charts Peter's (McKidd) other-worldly journey through an inner-city hospital as he desperately searches for his wife, Penny, played by Michelle Ryan (The Bionic Woman, Doctor Who, EastEnders).

As Peter ventures deep into the labyrinthine building, he is drawn into a surreal, parallel world, encountering strange characters along the way including his nemesis, a One-Eyed Security Guard, played by Igal Naor (Green Zone, House of Saddam).

One Night In Emergency also stars James Cosmo (Braveheart, Trainspotting), Ewen Bremner (Black Hawk Down, Trainspotting), David Hayman (Trial & Retribution, My Name Is Joe), Gary Lewis (Billy Elliot, My Name Is Joe), Jamie Sives (Valhalla Rising, The Passion), Sanjeev Kohli (Hope Springs, Still Game) and Tam Dean Burn (River City, Wedding Belles).

Gregory Burke explains his vision for the drama: "I wanted to create something mythical and One Night In Emergency is a modern interpretation of Homer's The Odyssey set within a hospital environment with surreal twists and turns.

"It's all about yearning for your loved ones, wanting to return home and how, in times of crisis, being with the people you love becomes paramount.

"I'm proud and humbled that so many acclaimed actors are involved in One Night In Emergency, not least because it's my drama first for TV. We're all giddy with excitement."

Gaynor Holmes, Executive Producer, BBC Scotland, says: "We're absolutely delighted to be working with Silver River and thrilled to have such a stellar cast on board for One Night In Emergency.

"Gregory has crafted an exciting and sometimes surreal adventure from within the corridors of an inner city hospital and we're sure the audience will be utterly gripped."

Leslie Finlay, who is executive producing the drama for Scottish Screen, said: "Scottish Screen is thrilled to be supporting acclaimed playwright, Gregory Burke, on his first produced screenplay for television. This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase Scottish talent."

Filming on the distinctive drama started in Glasgow this week.

One Night In Emergency is directed by Michael Offer (Moses Jones, The Passion, The State Within) and produced by Dan Hine. The drama's executive producers are Gaynor Holmes for BBC Scotland and Daisy Goodwin for Silver River.

One Night In Emergency is scheduled to transmit on BBC One Scotland later in 2009.

One Night In Emergency joins a long list of distinctive productions from BBC Scotland including New Town (Pirate Productions, BBC Four), Fiona's Story (BBC in-house, BBC One), Zig Zag Love (Machine Productions, BBC One Scotland), Hope Springs (Shed Productions, BBC One), P.A.s (2AM TV, BBC Three), God On Trial (Hat Trick Productions, BBC Two) and the BAFTA award-winning Wallander (Left Bank Films, BBC One).

It is produced by Silver River, the company behind BAFTA-nominated and South Bank Award-winning comedy drama, Pulling, as well as recent BBC Two series Grow Your Own Drugs and Supersizers Go...

One Night In Emergency was commissioned by Ewan Angus, Commissoning Editor, BBC Scotland.

Notes to Editors

Gregory Burke was born in Dunfermline in 1968 and currently lives in Edinburgh.

In 2007, Black Watch won the Writers' Guild of Great Britain Award for Best Play and the South Bank Show Theatre Award. Most recently, it won the Best New Play award at 2009's Laurence Olivier Awards.

His latest play, Hoors, opened at Edinburgh's Traverse Theatre this month and runs until the 23 May.

Gregory's other plays include Gagarin Way, On Tour and Liar. Gagarin Way won the Critics' Circle Most Promising Playwright Award and the Best New Play Award at the TMA Barclays Awards. He was also joint winner of the Meyer-Whitworth Award and nominated for both the South Bank Show Theatre Award and Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play.

Both Black Watch and Gagarin Way have been adapted for BBC Radio and he has also written original radio plays such as Occy Eyes and Shellshocked.

Scottish Screen provided third-party funding for One Night In Emergency.

JW4