Jim is a Prison Officer's Prison Officer. Experienced, laid back and very popular with staff and prisoners alike Helen's firm-but-fair regime is too uptight for Jim's liking. He liked a little bit of give and take with the girls - that way everybody's happy. Jim doesn't see his sexual liasons with the women as exploitative - after all, they've made the choice and he would never take advantage!

Jack Ellis knows exactly what he thinks about Jim Fenner."He is a very good prison officer. He is able to keep an entire wing quite and trouble-free. he knows how to manipulate the system and the prisoners. He is not all bad, but he is devious, and he is capable of doing things that other people would think were appalling."

Like sleeping with two of the female prisoners. Like hiding things from his boss and pursuing his own agenda. But with the arrival of the idealistic new wing governor, Helen Stewart,Jim Fenner starts to have a few problems.

Jack says: "Up to the point of Helen's appointment Jim hasn't had any problems. However as soon as she arrives he can't stand her - and the feeling is mutual. She wants to change things straight away - and that brings conflict."

But Jack knows that Jim is not someone he would like to have much to do with in the real world - nor his job as Senior Officer.

"I couldn't do that job in real life. It wouldn't suit me at all. It's too claustrophobic, I don't agree with the way women's prisons are run in real life. I'm certainly not interested in herding people from one place to another, and I don't want a whole load of abuse on a daily basis."

Although Jack has had some first-hand experience of prison. When I was with the RSC, I did Hamlet at Broadmoor. That was a very intense experience, doing a play like Hamlet in a place like that. We weren't even allowed to know which infamous inmates were in the audience."