The new mayor of Grenoble faces challenges on all sides…

Tensions ratchet up in the middle part of this trilogy, as Vincent discovers that it’s much harder to try to deal with problems when you’re the one responsible for handling them than to criticise from the outside. The supposedly impartial civil service are clearly anything but, and those who try to maintain that impartiality end up being seen (by a lot of parties) as allies of a highly unpopular regime.

The other side of the coin is also given plenty of airtime within the play – the radicalisation of an Algerian teenager. There’s a fascinating contrast between Vincent’s rallying speech in the town hall (the one that we now know gained him the mayor’s position) and the pep talk given about how the boy will never really be part of life in France. There’s also a valuable history lesson about the society that the Prophet wanted to bring about – which may come as a surprise to many listeners.

Adrian Penketh and director Marc Beeby never fail to keep the human side of this drama to the fore – this is about the people caught up in events (whether it’s a reporter embroiled in one of the protests, or a mother concerned about her teenage son). It’s powerful drama and hopefully won’t be overlooked just because it happens to be set three years in the future…

Verdict: Powerful and gripping. 9/10

Paul Simpson