Character Relationship Map: Following

Characters

• The Young Man (played by Jeremy Theobald) — protagonist

  An unemployed young writer who follows strangers through London seeking material for a novel. He becomes Cobb's burglary accomplice, adopts the identity Daniel Lloyd, and is manipulated into copying C...

• Cobb (played by Alex Haw) — protagonist

  A well-dressed serial burglar who notices the Young Man following him and recruits him as an accomplice. Cobb treats burglary as psychological manipulation rather than simple theft, teaching the Young...

• The Blonde (played by Lucy Russell) — supporting

  A blonde woman whose flat is burglarized by Cobb and the Young Man, after which the Young Man pursues a relationship with her. She claims to have left the Bald Guy after a killing and says he is black...

• The Bald Guy (played by Dick Bradsell) — supporting

  A small-time gangster who was the Blonde's former boyfriend and whose gang murdered a man in her flat. The Blonde uses evidence from that crime to blackmail him. Cobb secretly works for him, and he wa...

• Home Owner (played by Gillian El-Kadi) — supporting
• Home Owner's Husband (played by David Bovill) — minor
• Home Owner's Friend (played by Paul Mason) — minor

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Home Owner's Husband → Home Owner (husband)
• Cobb → The Bald Guy (Professional Employee) — Cobb is secretly operating on The Bald Guy's behalf.

  After The Blonde reports her success, Cobb reveals that he actually works for The Bald Guy.

• The Blonde → The Bald Guy (Romantic Former Girlfriend) — Their past relationship becomes entangled with murder and blackmail.

  The Blonde says she is the girlfriend of The Bald Guy and that she broke up with him after he and his gang murdered a man in her flat.

• The Young Man → Cobb (Professional Mentor) — Cobb teaches The Young Man his burglary methods.

  Cobb invites The Young Man to accompany him on burglaries, then encourages and guides him in attempting break-ins.

• The Young Man → The Blonde (Romantic Pursuit) — His romantic interest is part of a larger manipulation.

  After burglarizing The Blonde's flat, The Young Man assumes the identity Daniel Lloyd and begins to pursue a relationship with her.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• The Blonde → Cobb (Alliance Criminal Collaborator) — She actively collaborates with Cobb in the deception.

  The Blonde reveals that she and Cobb have been working together to manipulate The Young Man into mimicking Cobb's burglary methods.

• The Young Man → The Bald Guy (Conflict Intruder) — Their direct conflict occurs during the safe burglary.

  The Young Man breaks into the Bald Guy's safe while trying to obtain money and photographs connected to The Blonde's blackmail.

• Home Owner's Friend → Home Owner (friend)

Story Analysis

An aspiring writer is drawn into burglary, imitation, and an elaborate frame-up orchestrated through deception.

Plot Progression

1. A Writer Finds A Teacher — The Young Man follows strangers through London and meets Cobb. Cobb reveals his burglary practice and draws the aspiring writer into criminal exploration.
2. Imitation Becomes Identity — The Young Man adopts Cobb's appearance and the identity Daniel Lloyd. He begins pursuing The Blonde after participating in burglaries with Cobb.
3. The Dangerous Safe — The Blonde describes her history with The Bald Guy and the blackmail photographs. The Young Man breaks into the safe, attacks a guard, and discovers the photographs are harmless.
4. The Imitation Trap — The Blonde exposes her collaboration with Cobb and explains how The Young Man was pushed to imitate him. The Young Man decides to surrender.
5. A Perfect Frame — Cobb reveals his employment by The Bald Guy, kills The Blonde, and plants the hammer and other evidence. Cobb disappears while The Young Man is implicated in the murder.