| DEADLINE by Rob Shearman |
| Story ? Synopsis: Martin Bannister lives in an old people's home. He used to be a writer for television, but feels he has failed at life. He has had three marriages. One of his sons visits him to try and place blame for his own failure. Martin is pleased to learn he has a grandson, but less pleased when the warden of the home learns he is a writer and wants to share her poetry. He also has an unwelcome visit from Sydney, who wants to discuss Martin's work on Juliet Bravo, something Martin is dismissive of. Martin persuades his son, Philip, to bring along his grandson, Tom, so that he can make things right. But when Tom comes, Martin makes a mess of it, upsetting Tom. He climbs into his wardrobe and suffocates, surrendering to a growing delusion that his series Doctor Who was real. |
| Review:- A trip into the unusual sees a stark Doctor Who story that is more about life than any other, and how the slimmest of chances can have the gravest of consequences... Shearman's background as a stage playwright and writer of Radio 4 dramas comes to the fore here, with a story that could almost easily be a Radio 4 play, marked by the big star casting of Sir Derek Jacobi in the main part. But Doctor Who has been pushed into other, sillier formats before now, and works pretty well here. Martin Bannister is a tragic figure, made to realise what he has been missing in life, and still rejecting it all. He abandoned one wife to pursue his ambition as a writer, causing his son to look on him with disgust, and who has tried to be better with his son, but not realising he has failed. Martin is given the chance to put things right, to mend fences with his son, and help him, but he selfishly puts himself first again, and spoils it. As if this wasn't bad enough, Martin is plagued by his career failure, and haunted by the characters from a show he wrote, Doctor Who. Had it been made, it might have improved his life, but it wasn't, and he turned into a hack, working on Juliet Bravo amongst other shows. When confronted with the idea that some people consider Juliet Bravo to have some kind of big significance, rather than just disposable fluffy entertainment, he reacts with horrified disdain. So, with his personal and professional lives in ruins, what does he have left? A cupboard of dreams. As each avenue of his life comes to a dead end, he takes a drastic way out. I think the implication is that he suffocates in there in the final scene, but his mental fantasy takes over, allowing him to imagine himself as the lead character in Doctor Who. Quite why he would want that to happen is another matter. It's a very engaging piece of drama, enhanced by a genuine star turn, from a genuine star. How much of it was real? Well, that's probably best for the listener to decide. |
| Disclaimer: I own a copy. |