Jacob Anderson as Charlie

BBC Radio 4, December 26 and then on iPlayer

Fat Charlie’s brother Spider makes himself at home in London…

There’s a wonderfully conversational tone to Dirk Maggs’ adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s novel – it feels very much as if the narrator is telling the story purely to you as the listener, with some great delivery of what could be quite dry description coming to life. The way in which Charlie’s hangover is explained and his panic when he realises the time is a particular case in point, added inestimably by Joseph Marcell’s colourful tones.

You get the definite feeling that Spider is one of those well-meaning people who’s always trying to help but somehow can make things worse as well. His handling of Mr Coats and his subsequent time with Rosie are nicely handled, and we feel Charlie’s pain when he sees Rosie and Spider together. The scenes with Daisy and Charlie’s mother-in-law-to-be are beautifully timed, and are given that extra edge because as listeners we know that Daisy is going to appear at exactly the wrong moment as far as Charlie is concerned.

Verdict: Some great character moments as the difference between the two brothers becomes increasingly clear. 8/10

Paul Simpson