DESERTERS is the story of Cliffie, a feckless, sexually ambiguous drifter, who has taken temporary refuge in Brighton as the lover of Barry, who owns a cafe. Cliffie is also attracted by May, a mysterious, deeply unstable young woman, who also has a room at the cafe. When May is committed to a mental hospital, Cliffie decides to rescue her and the pair embark on a vertiginous journey into madness, terror and pain before at last each one finds peace.