When the violence finally has to stop - Falling Apart (C4): The opening caption "one in four women in Britain suffers domestic violence at some stage" signalled what the subject matter of this one-off drama was going to be.

Anna Maloney's script, based on actual cases, charted the decline and fall of the relationship between Pete and Claire, two successful and intelligent people. On the surface, they appeared to be a couple who had everything - looks, money, good jobs and a loving relationship.

"He was funny, bright, good-looking and, above all, interested in me," recalled Claire of their first meeting. "There was no doubt he was what I wanted, a man who knew his own mind." Pete was equally smitten, seeing her as competitive and "something a bit special".

Slowly we saw this perfect match become less perfect as playful behaviour between the two led to brutality by him against her. He hurts her, but she can't bring herself to conclude that his actions are deliberate or unforgiveable. She even blames herself for things getting out of hand until one days she tells him: "Stop taking your problems out on me".

The device of Pete and Claire confiding their feelings directly to the camera and the use of handheld cameras added to the feeling of reality. There were times when you feared for her life as Pete's temper got the better of him. One day, a mobile telephone smashed in anger; the next time, it could be her body that bore the brunt.

She knows Pete has a problem with anger, that he sometimes pushes her a bit too hard. She thinks therapy will cure him. She won't admit the scale or truth of the problem. "I am not a battered wife," she says. She acknowledges such things go on, but refuses to admit it's happening in her relationship.

That this was occuring in an affluent, middle-class home rather than the usual underprivileged working-class home depicted in abuse stories helped take away the feeling of familiarity, that we were treading old ground covered in previous TV dramas. Coupled with believable performances by Mark Strong and Hermione Norris as the couple in crisis, this made Falling Apart even more effective.

Young guns go for it

King Lear, Royal Shakespeare Company Academy, Newcastle Playhouse

THE RSC has finally done something new and almost sensible. It has created an Academy Company, taking 16 young drama school graduates and using the maxim "learning it by doing it" given them the luxury of the best that only the RSC can give. Couple that with ten long weeks of rehearsal and Declan Donnellan's ability as a director, and of course Will Shakespeare's talent as a writer, and it should have been a superb evening. Almost certainly it was.

The complexity of King Lear did rather get the better of me, and I must admit to losing the plot slightly. The space between the actors was a little too large for proper interaction on occasions. There are blinding flashes of sheer brilliance too, especially when the Earl of Kent is turned into a ventriloquist's doll, sitting on the King's knee; hilariously and expertly observed and performed by Steven Robertson. The blinding of Gloucester (Ryan Kiggell) is especially gruesome and harrowing as his torturers shake with the horror of what they are doing. The energy and movement of the whole play, which lasts for over three hours, is stunning. I was surprised the time went so quickly.

The staging is superb; particularly the harrowing storm scene when Lear (Nonso Anozie) turns petulant and trembles with madness, like a big naughty child having an incomprehensible tantrum. Anozie is the only black actor on stage and his charisma coats the stage. We'll see him many more times in the RSC of the future.

As the play says: "Nothing comes from nothing" but I'm sure that something will definitely come of this new RSC venture. I just hope they chose something less complex next time.

Helen Brown

* King Lear runs until Saturday. Performances at 7.15pm Fri & Sat and 1.30pm Sat. Box Office: 0870 905 506