Susan Calman's first series came before I started doing this, though I did listen to it. Seems reasonable then to whack together a review for this one. Apparently, Susan Calman is a bit stressed. No, not 'a bit' stressed, 'a lot' stressed. Actually, let's just say she's the most stressed and not start another argument about it.
And since she's an annoying sod when she's stressed, her wife has convinced her to take up gardening. This is both because gardening has been shown to reduce stress levels, but possibly also in the hope that she'll spend more time in the garden screaming at the sky, instead of inside screaming at the telly. Or her cats.
Luckily, Calman has a handy gardening expert in her friend circle, in the form of Val McDermid. Yes, the murdery one. It seems that when she's had enough imagining poisonings, beheadings and stabbings, she likes nothing more than pruning a Primula (a genus of mainly herbaceous flowering plants, containing the familiar primrose [Citation needed]). Presumably with some 'very' sharp secateurs.
She's also hilarious. Calman is always funny, but these two together are a joy. There is a deep well of humour in the combination of brutal violence and the botanical garden, and it's nicely drawn up here. Never actually read a Val McDermid, but may need to have a look into one.
Calman's utter ignorance of gardening and her fear that she will be judged for it is in her usual vein of self-deprecating comedy, so she's weirdly comfortable being uncomfortable. Which makes for a good programme. This should apply reasonably well to the rest of the series, as she has one well-known figure or another drop in. Definitely worth a listen.
Highly recommended.
Tagged: Radio Comedy Cast Documentary Autobiographical