2002 Radio Plays
Fractions of Zero....2002 (date nk)
By Bill Murphy.
"Life’s a lottery but death’s a certainty"......
An exciting detective story about the hunt for a serial killer obsessed with numbers. DS Sue Manson is grounded behind a desk at the Met’s Missing Person’s Bureau after accidentally shooting a man in an undercover operation. However, she soon uncovers a potential serial killer who is mocking the police around Britain by sending them cryptograms on the back of missing person’s photos.
With the help of Maths professor James Ellstrom and criminal profiler Fred Johnston, they decipher the codes into riddles. Unravelling the riddles leads to the whereabouts of four dead bodies.
Who is this man obsessed with numerical puzzles? How does he select his victims? These are the questions that Sue has to solve to locate her man and prevent any more deaths.
About Bill Murphy: This is Bill’s radio drama debut. He was also BBC Northern Ireland Drama’s first winner of our television writers’ bursary, The Tony Doyle Award (2001). Bill has written two novels Tin Kickers and Fractions of Zero (pub Hodder & Stoughton). The latter formed the basis for this radio drama adaptation, which relocates the story from the US to London. He is currently writing a third novel and adapting his work for television.
CAST:
Sue Manson: Susan Lynch (credits include the film Mapmaker and on television Revenge)
James Ellstrom: Philip Glenister (credits include Lloyd in Lloyd and Hill and Mac in Clocking off as well as Vanity Fair, My Wonderful Life and Roger Roger)
Fred Johnston: Clive Merrison (credits include The English Patient, Heavenly Creatures, Up at the Villa and on television Care and How do You Want Me.)
Notes by "S-J" ....to whom, my thanks......N.D.
THE STONE DIARIES....2001-2
31 Dec 01, daily for 5 days, by Carol Shields, dram.
by Claire Luckham and Bryony Glassco. The fictional
biography of Daisy Goodwill. With Liz Ross as Daisy.
THE CONDITION OF THE VIRGIN....2002
4 Jan 02, by Boothby Graffoe, his first radio
play. Gentle comedy about a statue which shows some odd
changes. Dir. Toby Swift.
A RAIN OF STONES....2002
7 Jan 01. By Wole Soyinka. About religious fanaticism,
deception, and some ancient tablets.45m.
THE HAPPY GATHERING....2002
10 Jan 01. Above-average play about an Asian wedding.
By N. Ahmed.
CLEARING THE RUBBLE....2002
By Mahesh Dattani, 17 Jan 02. About the
earthquake in Gujurat on 26 Jan 01.
JOHN GLEN STOLE MY SPACE SUIT....2002
18 Jan 02, by Louise Ironside. NASA's female
astronauts in the 1960's, when middle-class women
stayed at home. 45m afternoon play.
THE SKATEGRINDER....2002
21 Jan 02, by Celia Bryce. Immigrant Irish in
Canada in the thirties. 45m. This play won the
Imison Award - it's very good indeed. See the IMISON
AWARD page if you want more information: go there via
the RADIO PLAYS page.
ROB ROY....2002
By Walter Scott, adapted by Judith Adams. 2 x 60m.
22 & 27 Jan 02.
WHO GOES THERE?....2002
By John W. Campbell, R4 11pm, 24 Jan 02. 6 men are
trapped by a snowstorm in an Antarctic research Station. They find a strange
creature in the snow. In the "Chillers" series.
THE TUNER....2002
By Kevin Fagan, 25 Jan 02, Friday play, 55m. Chocker
is an ex-miner who is also a radio ham. He hears "the
radio girl" on his receiver. Directed by Patrick Rayner.
WHEN....2002
By Vaya Naidu. 21 Feb 02. Rekha needs to come to
terms with the death of her son. 45m.
FAMOUS....2002
22 Feb 02. An absorbing story about a daughter who
vanishes...then years later her parents hear her voice from
a most unexpected quarter. By Paul Dodgson, and yes, he
is the well-known composer. 45m.
Nigel Deacon / Diversity website
Above plays known to exist in VRPCC collections
