BBC Radio 4, October 30, 2020 and on BBC Sounds

Sally Mop has returned – can Pilgrim restore Timbermoor?

This second part of Sebastian Baczkiewicz;s most recent Pilgrim tale has a number of surprises up its sleeve – and I don’t intend to spoil them. Suffice it to say that the ending does far more than leave the road clear for more stories, actually adding a potential new wrinkle to them. Along the way we get a Halloween singalong that you’d not quite expect, and the greatest love story of our age (NB there may be sarcasm in that last comment) referenced as a touchstone.

There’s a darkness at the heart of the legend involved here, and Pilgrim has to tread carefully when he gets caught up with some of the otherworldly beings. Paul Hilton brings that sense of William Palmer constantly riding the ragged edge of disaster, trying to extricate foolish mortals from the consequences of their own actions while not offending the greater powers.

Jane Whittenshaw’s Sally Mop and Roger Ringrose’s Mr Buttoner make good foils for Pilgrim and directors Marc Beeby and Jessica Dromgole ensure that the credibility of the tale never wavers, even when it’s apparently at its most absurd.

Verdict: A well constructed conclusion to a strong Pilgrim tale. 9/10

Paul Simpson

Click here for our review of part 1