When Poppy Monday moves down from Sunderland to London she could never have guessed that she would get to meet her idol, Vince Cosmos, but also to save his life. Cosmos is a glam rock artist who claims to be an alien, which in this world is not as odd as the Earth has already suffered a previous alien invasion...

Vince Cosmos: Glam Rock detective is a heart warming audio play written by Paul Magrs and produced and directed by Simon Barnard.

I’m presuming that the original recording was made at least eighteen months ago as the inclusion of a Jimmy Savile impression should guarantee that the audio play will never be transmitted on the radio. I’m surprised that they didn’t go back and overdub this section before release.

Vince (Julian Rhind-Tutt) channels his inner Bowie, although not a direct impression there are enough elements there for you to pick up on who the character was based, all doubts are removed when 'The Jean Genie' almost plays in the background. This is 1972, a time of male eyeliner and silver costumes, a time good taste forgot.

The play is told from Poppy’s perspective and Lauren Kellegher (Poppy) displays a subtle vulnerability suitable for a young woman, but as the second half of the play shows, Poppy is not without her own form of pluck, when the occasion calls for action.

The first half of the play only has Vince in the background, the story concentrating on Poppy moving to London and moving in with her friend Trisha (Margaret Cabourn-Smith). This introduces Vince as an idea, in the background, while we get to know Poppy.

Their landlady, Gilda Fairbanks (Katy Manning) lives below them and above the strange dwarf Mr Glister (Alex Lowe) obviously has a secret. Her domestic mysteries soon come to the fore when Poppy wins the chance to meet Vince Cosmos, where she saves his life. This event propels her into the world of the glam rock detective, trying to save the planet from alien hordes.

The main thrust of the play is to introduce the characters, so the plot is not overly complex. That said there are some nice comedic touches, the best is probably relates to Princess Margaret’s secret gin stash.

Overall, There is certainly enough here to look forward to further episodes from this series.

6

Charles Packer