I don’t talk here much about radio plays, but I intend to make some amends in 2004, since I hope to listen to more plays on my Tungsten E. So let’s start with The Mouse That Roared based on the comic novel by Leonard Wibberley. Better known in its film version with Peter Sellers, it involves the tiny principality of Grand Fenwick declaring war on America in the hope of getting reparations after the conflict that’ll bail them out.
Fairly harmless, yet thoroughly entertaining afternoon fare, although I did like the Glorianna character played by Julie Austin.
And a quick word too for Cold Calling, an afternoon play that aired over Christmas. We heard three call centre employees from different countries in different parts of the world as they strained to answer their calls and remain sane. Interestingly, it was written by Lynn Truss, the same woman who’s had an exceptional Christmas period with her book being one of the biggest sellers in the country! Very amusing, particularly the fiendishly hard questions, the answers to which you supplied yourself when you set up your account.
Whilst on the subject of call centres, I just read a wonderful article on Salon (directed via Boing Boing) about life in the customer serivces department of a nameless US corporation in North Carolina. Can’t wait for the second part.