Michael Palin's stage play has been around for quite a long time, and been performed in various ways, but this is its first outing on radio. It has a particular draw to Palin fans, featuring Palin himself as the cantankerous central grandfather, joined by Penelope Wilton as his wife. Hugh Dennis takes on the role of the boring son-in-law with his usual flair for the tedious. (I'll confess, he actually does this a bit too well. The comically boring aim tends into boring listening a little too often.)
The family dynamic is intentionally vicious, even violent occasionally, with all of the characters being rather horribly flawed, from alcoholism, to adultery, via simple angst. Which is all pointlessly undercut by an ending that can't decide if it's saccharine or subdued.
There could be a lot of good in this, but it needs a lot longer than it got. Trying to get through an entire weekend in a single hour, with a half dozen characters is just too much. Everything is too busy and so nothing is done properly. The hints of deeper despair get knocked into the open far too quickly, because if they weren't, there wouldn't be enough progress in the hour to get sight of what little plot there is.
Which means that some of the excellent bits, of which I would happily take more, fall by the wayside. It starts with a beautiful little bit of Palin's dry wit, that I could have listened to for the entire hour. It doesn't last five minutes. Instead we get a dive into the misery of human existence with nothing really to redeem it or give it a payoff. I was excited by the concept of Palin. I was disappointed by the reality. Which is a bugger, because really, you should like him.
Not recommended.
Tagged: Radio Drama Cast Fiction Family/Relationships