Quarter 3 Review- 2/12

Listening to Time is a difficult one to summarize, but it had absolutely gorgeous music and was haunting and unusual.  A woman writes a letter to a man she met many years previously on a remote Irish island, for whom she has some unanswered questions.  They never meet again, but through their letters they go some way to resolving what exactly happened on the island.  This has been David Troughton’s best radio performance to date, as a Ukrainian trying to make peace with his past and the death of his brother. Originally from 2010, it was written by Judith Somerville and directed by Cherry Cookson and starred Kate Buffery, Joanna Monro, and Michael Shelford.

Another piece from Philip Palmer, The King’s Coiner was an excellent play.  Ian McDiarmud is just gold-dust in anything, but especially in audio.  He plays Isaac Newton, who references his role as mathematician but is in the play mostly through his work at the Royal Mint.  He is the first incorruptible head of this institution, but is conned by charming sociopath William Challoner (Barnaby Kay).  When Challoner’s duplicity is revealed, Newton vows to see him hang—and accomplishes this.  Also involved is Newton’s niece Katherine (Katie Kavanagh) who sets up common-law household with Newton’s patron, Lord Halifax (Jeremy Swift).  Some great music in this play as well.  Originally from 2002, it was directed by Toby Swift and also starred Freddy Anbal Dodu, Peter Marinker, and Colin Adrian.