B7 Media, available now

A scientist reappears after 40 years – but does she have a place in the society in which she finds herself?

This 80-minute one-off play is written and directed by Max Hochrad, and has some interesting questions at its heart. Answers are slowly revealed as the play progresses, and we are constantly reassessing the roles of the characters, and the nature of the society in which they live. It’s set in an alternate version of today (or thereabouts), forty years after Amanda Higgs disappeared – a Britain cut off from mainland Europe that’s running itself into the ground. Higgs potentially has some answers at her old workplace in Wales… but even getting there proves to be a problem.

There are quite a few times where you feel as if the story has wandered into the near-future of the final Quatermass serial (that, perhaps ironically, was shown around the time that Higgs is meant to have disappeared) and a few clichés on show but you’re pulled past them by Sioned Jones’ performance as Higgs, and Rebecca Ross as social misfit Marnie.

Narrative clarity is usually one of the hallmarks of a B7 production, but on this occasion, scenes blend into one another and it’s not until you get some expository dialogue that you realise weeks or months have passed. I suspect that had the production got the luxury of a few more minutes running time (or a tighter edit on some of the earlier sections), this wouldn’t have been an issue, and if there are plans for future stories, it would almost be worth re-editing this into 3 x 30 minute episodes.

It may be best to think of this as a pilot audio movie – plenty of strengths to outweigh the areas that have potential for improvement – and it’s well worth an hour and a half of your time.

Verdict: An intriguing concept and a world I’d like to hear more from. 7/10

Paul Simpson