Percival "Abra" Durant is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actor Adrian Edmondson. The character first appeared on-screen on 5 July 2005 in the episode "Tuesday's Child", episode 38 of the show's seventh series. Initially making a one-off, guest-appearance, Edmondson has since reprised the role of Abra numerous times, stating that he has loved the show since its 1999 conception. He departed from the show for the final time on 9 December 2008, in episode "Sweet Bitter Love". Abra's initial role in the show was that of Third World rights champion and humorous surgical maverick, whose major storylines centered on serious rule breaking (including stealing returned anti-retroviral drugs to send to African countries in need, performing an experimental xenotransplantation without authorisation, and secretly using Holby City Hospital's theatres at night to perform charity operations on African children) as well as his relationship with colleague nurse Kyla Tyson. Upon returning to the show in April 2008, the character took a darker turn, resorting to self-harm as a symptom of post-traumatic stress, following a harrowing experience in the war torn Congo. Well received by the show's fans, writers and directors, Abra has established an enduring popularity which has seen Edmondson invited back to the programme regularly. TV critics have proved almost entirely favourable to the character, even when commenting on the unrealistic quality of many of his storylines. Creation Background It was first announced on 4 May 2005 that comedian Adrian Edmondson would be making a guest appearance in Holby City in July of that year, although the character he would be playing was not disclosed. The storyline running at the time saw established character, General Surgical Consultant Ric Griffin (Hugh Quarshie), depart from Holby to work in his brother's hospital in Ghana, with Registrar Diane Lloyd (Patricia Potter) following on in an attempt to persuade him home. Edmondson's character, Abra Durant, was introduced as a new friend and colleague of Ric's, also working in his brother's clinic. Although the character's given name is actually Percival, it was explained within the episode that he goes by Abra, short for the Ghanaian name 'Abrafo', meaning 'troublemaker'. The episode was shot on location in Ghana, and formed part of the BBC's 'Africa Lives' series, aiming "to give the viewers a more rounded portrayal of African life and culture through special editions of favourite shows as well as new