Missing for over 40-years, gifted scientist Amanda Higgs mysteriously reappears in London. But this is not a country she recognises; it’s a dangerous and fragmented state, seemingly controlled by the Forman Corporation. Alone, confused and afraid, her only hope for survival is by confronting her distant past. But that sets off a chain of events that inevitably leads to an explosive confrontation with the Forman Corporation. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how clever you are at running away, your past always manages to catch up with you...

Dilation is an independent audio drama contradiction by B7 Media and Par-sec Productions. The play lasts for 1 hr, 16 min, 05 sec and once you've started listening you'll find it hard to break away from it. It's hard to discuss it without giving away any spoilers... so I won't divulge the main plot. The synopsis above is spoiler free and is pretty much all you need to know.

What I enjoyed most about this production was the way that the producers pretty much throw you in at the deep end. There's no explanation of where you are or what is going on. This you slowly discover as the action unfolds. It would have been so easy to have patronised the listener by dumbing everything down and giving a clear and easy explanation as to what's going on. But that would have robbed the listener of the mystery and intrigue.

The entire production rests on the shoulders of Sioned Jones. If the listener doesn't warm to her, or engage with the character of Amanda, then the entire drama fails. Thankfully Jones is more than up to the task of carrying the entire play. She's unsure and frightened, when she needs to be, and snippy and curt when the direction calls for it.

Rebecca Ross's Marnie acts as the listener's guide. Her questions to Amanda help to quickly and smoothly fill us in on what's going on. Likewise, her explanations to Amanda's questions about the world the story is set in help to ground us in this new universe.

The performers are, for the most part, relatively unknown and not only should they be applauded for turning in engaging performances, but also the casting director and audio drama director should be proud of how well everything flows. Although, if I had one slight complaint, it's that the ending seemed a little rushed.

Overall, an entertaining, engaging and wonderfully produced drama.

8

Darren Rea