BBC Radio 4, June 19 2018

A British soldier goes missing in Estonia…

This is an intriguing addition to 2018’s Dangerous Visions line-up. Hugh Costello’s play isn’t talking about a potential dystopia down the line – as Martin Jameson’s First World Problems was – or in hypothetical futures like Speak or Shadowbahn. It’s set very much in today’s world, with discussions of squaddies wanting to find the best place to watch the World Cup, and references to Trump, May and Boris – as well as Vladimir Putin. It’s a story about how the repercussions of small events can cascade, with all parties taken by surprise at how their actions can be repurposed by others with different agendas.

It’s also a play about truth; you can’t help but think of Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men at times. People claim that they want to know what’s going on, but often they can’t handle the truth, and the “fake news” – or propaganda, depending which side of the situation you’re on – provides them with a comfort blanket. When you get someone thrown into the mix such as the missing squaddie’s mother, Christine, then things can become volatile.

Jeany Spark and Elaine Claxton are powerful as the intelligence officer probing the kidnapping and the mother who simply wants her son back, with strong performances from the rest of the cast.

Verdict: A thought provoking tale. 8/10

Paul Simpson