BBC Radio 4, March 31, 2018

James Bond encounters Hugo Drax, benefactor of Britain… and card cheat.

 

Ian Fleming’s third James Bond novel has probably been adapted more often into other media than any other of his stories. The novel formed the basis of a Daily Express comic strip, and was made into a radio play in South Africa featuring future Blockbusters host Bob Holness as 007. Elements of it were used for the 1979 feature, which itself was novelised by Christopher Wood. More elements turned up in GoldenEye, and the general plot (of a weapon being used for revenge by someone whose heritage wasn’t what he claimed) was the basis of Die Another Day… In which Toby Stephens played the Drax equivalent, Gustav Graves. (Those doubting it – Rosamund Pike has confirmed her character’s name was originally to be Gala Brand, one of the very few heroine names created by Fleming not used in the movies.) And, infamously, there was a hoax a few years back in which it was claimed Orson Welles had filmed a version… With Peter Lorre as Krebbs. You have to wonder if the extremely Lorre-esquire performance by Nigel Anthony in Archie Scottney’s  new radio play is a homage to that fake: it’s an interesting take on the character, certainly.

It’s a strong version of the original story, although inevitably some bits are altered. We lose Bond’s use of drugs during the card game, for instance, and the fetishistic growth of moustaches by Drax’s men isn’t mentioned. One of Fleming’s best moments for Bond goes – the Hell is Here! mistake that he makes – and for some reason, we get a totally pointless appearance by Q. But the core elements remain present – the encounter at Blades (a little less pointed than the DAD version!), the investigation in Kent, the intriguing relationship between Bond and Gala, and the final reveal of Drax’s plans.  Thank goodness, Scottney has toned down his tendency to make Stephens’ Bond come out with schoolboy one-liners – something that has really felt out of place in some of the other productions – and even where the dialogue and descriptions aren’t pure Fleming, they feel that way.

As ever, Martin Jarvis and Rosalind Ayres have assembled a strong cast. Samuel West has recently shown great versatility in his Doctor Who audio appearance, and he’s excellent here, totally credible as Drax, complete with volatile temper and a barely muted constant fury. Stephens’ Bond is probably at his best here, helped by Katherine Kingsley’s strong Gala Brand. Patricia Hodge makes a slightly over the top Professor Train (gender swapped from the original) and Anthony’s Krebs is highly memorable.

Verdict: These Radio 4 adaptations have been some of the best material released in the 007 canon in recent years and Moonraker continues the trend. 9/10

Paul Simpson