There's been a few of these fifteen minute shows recently. I've not been wildly impressed thus far (though The Hauntening was good), so it's nice to enjoy one this much.
Joseph Morpurgo brings us a different style of audio guide, with a little more chaos and a little less guidance. It's a relaxing walk through Yosemite National Park, with its varied foliage, interesting moss and bear attacks.
The guide comes with helpful hints from a local rambler, useful acorn facts and an unexpected romantic subplot between our main narrator and his ex-girlfriend, who gets a bit more airtime than is entirely necessary for the weary traveler.
It's a fun trip, combining the dry humour of the unhelpful documentary with the hectic sprint of our hapless traveller, who exits pursued by a bear. There's a certain over-reliance on sound effects, which was a significant annoyance through a set of headphones, as they're played at just a smidge too loud relative to the voices. One in particular is playing that "this is an annoying sound" trick, but the joke isn't funny enough to carry it off. I'm a firm believer in the experience in general being a pleasant listen.
The use of language is a definite highlight however, mainly because there's a few things thrown in at just the right moment (and it's been too long since I heard someone use the term "spaffed") both in the main narration and in the "helpful" interjections of local experts. Those dialogue pieces help add a bit of variety to a form that is often a little too monotonic, and lets it find the right balance.
Highly recommended.
Tagged: Radio Comedy Cast Sitcom Spoof