Happy Even After

In this final part of the Dales trilogy, Leah Hinchcliffe is now 24 years old. It is 1975, and she is recovering from the latest of a series of knee operations, following a tragic motor accident when she was a pupil at the Royal Ballet School.

With her dreams of a dancing career hopelessly dashed, Leah is now teaching dance at the failing Nidderdale College of Performance Arts.

To revive falling student numbers, the college is producing a musical to be performed in a London theatre and filmed as part of a TV documentary. The college’s survival hangs on the success of the show, which depends in turn, on Gavin Lowe, the new Lecturer in Music, who is to write the music and lyrics, and fill the role of Musical Director.

As Leah and Gavin form a dynamic partnership leading inevitably to a romantic relationship, preparations for the show gather momentum. Only time will reveal the extent of its success, and whether, after a string of failed relationships, Leah can find in Gavin the stability and security she needs.