FWA client Mina Barber’s CLOSING TIME has been praised as a standout episode of Channel 5’s PLAY FOR TODAY series, receiving a five-star review from Kathryn Flett in Saturday’s Daily Mail following its broadcast on Friday 9 October.
Written by Mina Barber and directed by Dan Sloan, CLOSING TIME is part of PLAY FOR TODAY, Channel 5’s contemporary take on the classic BBC television strand. The series offers a platform for new writing and fresh voices, bringing self-contained dramas to the screen.
CLOSING TIME follows Mo, a gifted but undocumented migrant working in his uncle’s kebab shop, who keeps his culinary ambitions hidden. When he meets Laila, a thoughtful lawyer trapped in a stagnant engagement, their connection grows through late-night conversations and cooking sessions. As Laila encourages Mo to pursue his dreams, he gently challenges her to confront the life she has settled for.
Their relationship develops into a contemporary love story that explores ambition, intimacy and the courage to imagine a different future, while the circumstances surrounding them raise difficult questions about the risks they are prepared to take, both personally and professionally.
In her My TV Week column, Kathryn Flett awarded the film five stars, celebrating its “joyful romance”. Flett Barber’s writing, noting that “Mina Barber writes from both head and heart, with wit and grace.”
The review also highlighted the film’s “nuanced screenplay, narrative bravery – not all ends are happy, after all – and standout performances.”
CLOSING TIME also received praise from The Guardian. Critic Ali Catterall described it as “a gut-punch drama from Mina Barber” and was Critic’s Choice in The Times.
Together, the reviews recognise the film’s ability to balance romance with emotional depth, bringing warmth and complexity to the story of two people at a crossroads.
A standout episode in the PLAY FOR TODAY series, CLOSING TIME showcases Mina Barber’s distinctive writing and the power of original television drama to tell intimate, contemporary stories.
CLOSING TIME is now streaming on 5.