BBC Radio 4, April 26, 2018

A sinkhole opens under Blackfriars and there’s only one woman in Britain who can save the day… Time for Modesty Parker to make her debut… 

There is something wonderfully freeing about Julian Simpson’s Mythos concept that allows him to get away with pretty much anything in these plays. If you’d asked me a couple of weeks ago whether we’d get a deconstruction of the spy movie alongside a fun recreation of Peter O’Donnell’s classic heroine Modesty Blaise in a story that features Geoffrey of Monmouth getting the same treatment that Blackadder meted out to Shakespeare, or Robin Hood as… no, that would spoil one of the real “you what?!” moments… on a Radio 4 afternoon play, I’d’ve said it was highly unlikely. And yet here we are, and it’s heartly recommended.

Nicola Walker, Phoebe Fox and Tim McInnerny continue to have fun with their roles with Tracy Ann Oberman guesting as Johnson’s deputy, demonstrating the same pragmatism and regard for the rules as her boss… up to a point anyway. Simpson once again plays with multiple fantasy and SF concepts, blending them into 45 minutes of controlled chaos – and I can’t wait to hear where he takes Mary and Parker next!

Verdict: A witty and clever piece of paranormal drama. 9/10

Paul Simpson