The death of an old schoolmaster revives memories of the treasure hunts that he used to force his pupils to play…

There’s a certain irony in Jonathan Barnes penning this modernisation of M R James’ story: he’s perhaps currently best known for his excellent work on the Sherlock Holmes range from Big Finish, in which he’s recreated the various different periods in which the Great Detective lived – from the 1880s to the First World War and beyond, the same times as James was writing. This is another engrossing update – the Abbot of the title becoming part of the teacher’s surname rather than a job description – and it’s quite definitely not one to listen to alone on a dark night (particularly if you’re driving, as I discovered the hard way!)

Pearl Mackie takes centre stage as Mika Chantry, a new teacher at the school at which Abbot-Thomas taught, who’s focused on by a former pupil, Greg Parsbury (if you know the original story, you’ll get a wry smile from the way in which Barnes has created his characters’ names). Both Parsbury’s wife and Mika’s partner Sally are not impressed with the amount of time the pair spend on their quest to find the eponymous treasure… and they’ve got good cause to be concerned.

Mackie, Robert Bathurst, Jacqueline King and Antonia Campbell-Hughes all pitch their performances well. Perhaps of all the four stories in this set, this is the one that requires absolute credibility from the cast for its tale of obsession (in many forms) to work, and director Simon Barnard ensures they provide that, with sterling support from Stephen Critchlow, Ewen Bailey, Alfie Field and Chris Porter. Kirsty Gillmore’s sound design captures the claustrophobic feel needed for certain key scenes, while Edwin Sykes’ score is enabling rather than intrusive.

Verdict: Another excellent reinterpretation of James’ original. 10/10

Paul Simpson