A Documentary Re-Invented
The lives of the late Bradford playwright Andrea Dunbar and Lorraine, one of her daughters, and the community of Bradford, in the 30 years since the 18-year-old Andrea penned a play about growing up in the community titled "The Arbor".
The Arbor (2010) is a drama and documentary film directed by Clio Barnard, released on October 22, 2010 with a runtime of 1h 31m. It stars Christine Bottomley, Manjinder Virk, Natalie Gavin and George Costigan. Viewers rate it 7.3 out of 10 across 49 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for The Arbor before you stream it.
Official trailers, teasers, clips and featurettes for The Arbor.
Trailer
Trailer
Christine Bottomley
as Lisa Thompson
Manjinder Virk
as Lorraine Dunbar
Natalie Gavin
as The Girl
George Costigan
as Jimmy 'The Wig'
Monica Dolan
as Ann Hamilton
Neil Dudgeon
as Steve Saul
Jimi Mistry
as Yousaf
Robert Emms
as Young David
Kate Rutter
as The Mother
Danny Webb
as Max Stafford-Clark / The Father
Matthew McNulty
as Andrew Dunbar
Kathryn Pogson
as Pamela Dunbar
Directed by Clio Barnard, produced by Tracy O'Riordan.
Average viewer score of 7.3/10 from 49 ratings.
Using a combination on documentary style film making and some more theatrical re-enactments, this takes a candid approach to it’s telling of the story of troubled playwright Andrea Dunbar - probably most famous for her “Rita, Sue and Bob Too”. The arbor in question is a street on the 1950s Buttershaw housing estate in the Yorkshire city of Bradford, and it’s primarily through the eyes of those portraying her…
Reviewed on January 16, 2026
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The Arbor (2010) is available to stream on Strand Releasing Amazon Channel, and to rent or buy from Amazon Video and Fandango At Home. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of The Arbor (2010) includes Christine Bottomley, Manjinder Virk, Natalie Gavin, George Costigan and Monica Dolan. The film was directed by Clio Barnard. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
The Arbor was released on October 22, 2010 and runs for 1h 31m.
The Arbor (2010) holds an average rating of 7.3 out of 10 from 49 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy drama and documentary films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official The Arbor trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
