Bafflegab for BBC Radio 4

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What is the secret of the Stones?

I was sixteen when the original Children of the Stones TV series hit our fuzzy black and white telly back in 1977, a mere forty-three years ago. Sixteen, and therefore far too old (and cool!) to be wigged out by such childish stuff… but wigged out I definitely was. Indeed, as I sat down to listen to this new audio incarnation all I could remember about it was the whole embarrassing ‘wigged out by a children’s telly show’ thing. So, does Children of the Stones merit a 21st century reinvention? I’d say so, definitely, yes.

Writers A.K. Benedict and Guy Adams have done a skilful job deftly modernising the characterisations and values, incorporating a good bit of sideways comment on the internet and populist disinformation along the way. 1977’s plucky innocent, Matthew Brake, is now a moody teen, Mia Brake (played with proactive 21st century confidence by India Brown, really driving the story). Mia is grieving her recently deceased mother, and negotiating a troubled relationship with her similarly grieving single dad, Adam (Steve Oram). Father and daughter come to live in the creepily brainwashed village of Milbury and soon become entwined in the mystery of its infamous Neolithic Stones. What is their secret? Why do the Stones exert such power over the residents? And will Mia succumb and become one of ‘them’? Luckily, she gets a few helpful pointers from local vagrant, Laces (Ralph Ineson at his woofer-vibrating best) and she is more than a match for dodgy local Svengali, Rafe Hendrick – part druidic mystic, part mad evil genius/scientist – played by Reece Shearsmith, just ever-so-slightly chewing the microphone’s pop shield.

Children of the Stones is at its best in its earlier episodes as Mia struggles to get to the truth of the villagers’ eccentric ‘happy day’ behaviour, and there is real jeopardy in the darkness of the unknown. A neat device of having her make a podcast allows the production to use audio to good effect, but, as with much sci-fi/horror, the more it tries to explain, the less engaging it becomes. All the best chills are in the shadows, and once we get into a lengthy exposition about black holes and suchlike this reviewer started to drift a little bit. Or perhaps it’s hard for us to find deep space as mysterious as we once did. Would I be spooked by the movie Event Horizon these days, now that I know that a black hole looks essentially like a slightly over cooked doughnut?

But, if you have less of a problem suspending your disbelief than me, you’ll be fine. The journey is, mostly, a bold, fun ride, if spread a little thinly in places – and overly focused on sci-fi hokum rather than picking up some of the more interesting characterisations and really running with them. But with Richard Fox’s immersive sound design, and a pulsating score from Edwyn Sykes to ramp up the tension, overall it’s a compelling, if slightly flawed, listen. More like this on the BBC Audio platforms would be very welcome.

8/10

Martin Jameson

Click here to download Children of the Stones from BBC Radio 4