By Jules Verne, adapted by Moya O’Shea

Radio 4, March 19, 2017 (and on iPlayer)

The discovery of an ancient parchment takes an explorer, his reluctant nephew and their guide deep beneath Iceland…

There’s a palpable excitement in this adaptation of Jules Verne’s classic novel that permeates the whole first hour – affecting everything from Neil Brand’s excellent musical score to the very nicely pitched reluctance (and dare one say it even, slight cowardice) of Joel MacCormack’s Axel to the almost lunatic obsessiveness of Stephen Critchlow’s Professor Otto Lindebrock. Moya O’Shea’s script and Tracey Neale’s direction very carefully balance the needs of narration and full cast drama, with some very strong soundscapes – I was particularly impressed by the almost-montage sequence as the explorers wait for the weather to turn at a critical juncture. Those who enjoyed the recent War of the Worlds for the alternate take it presented on the events of Wells’ novel may want to note that O’Shea follows Verne’s plot and characterisation.

Critchlow and MacCormack carry most of the story, and both give terrific performances – the Professor’s single-minded pursuit of whatever it is he’s after the time is abundantly clear, Critchlow barely pausing for breath as he incorporates Lindebrock’s greeting to his niece into the instructions he’s in the middle of giving. MacCormack’s Axel has a degree of change of heart towards the end of the episode, and you believe that his rock-solid feelings have changed that dramatically.

Verdict: A highly enjoyable take on Jules Verne’s classic tale. 9/10

Paul Simpson