1. Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less: dramatised by Betty Davies -
Read by Stratford Johns, Paul Darrow, Francis Matthews
2. My Three Ladies: Ghostly happenings at the court of Henry VIII
(played by Paul Darrow) prove that past misdeeds can return to haunt
even the most powerful of men.
3. The Silver Sky: Once you get past the seventies music (luckily just
at the beginning) and the now rather quaint technological references as
well as the computer voices, it is, as one would expect from Radio Four,
really rather a classy production, and a fun example of Tanith Lee's
signature 'love in space' plots.
Paul Baxter's arrogantly waspish mad-scientist persona, oozing hurt
feelings from his wrecked marriage, is just begging to fall in love
with Elzereth on the beach and still she has to seduce the poor
repressed Englishman. His response is wonderfully shy and understated,
which of course just makes it all the sexier.
I am not a sufficient connoisseur of sci-fi, never mind time travel
theory, to comment on the credibility of the science bit, but it
convinced me, as I am very good at suspending disbelief. I am actually
glad it wasn't on TV, for all we missed Paul's beautiful face, because
for this sort of drama the pictures on the radio are so much better.
And Elzereth's wonderfully powerful presence manages to outweigh the
other aspect of the story that betrays its age - the patronising and
chauvinist attitudes of the other male characters towards the well
meaning, if irritatingly feminine, Francesca. No wonder Paul was sick
of her and took refuge in his work! He and Elzereth are clearly made
for one another.
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