This is a bit smashing. The BBC have taken the series of short sketches that Frayn published as a follow-up to Matchbox Theatre, and put them on with a cast of serious acting heavyweights. Interestingly, the Pocket Playhouse Book thus far has rather terrible reviews (though this seems to be mostly due to its unsuitabiity for larger theatre troupes). Matchbox appears to be a bit divisive as well, perhaps requiring to be done in spoken form to give the desired result.
That's what this does, giving wonderful voices something to get themselves around, such that it's much more of a listening delight than something you'd ever want to read.
The sketches spread far and wide, from the slightly old concept of theatre being "updated" for the sake of publicity (though this gets a pass due to a couple of the examples of previous plays put on), to the much more fun instructions to assembling the Playhouse in the first place. This is one of the best sketches, with a gorgeous voice instructing and berating the feckless assembler, with absurd advice and a complete lack of health and safety.
There are a couple of misses in here, particularly the Mozart sketch (too rambly, doesn't really have a point) and the portrait sketch, but there's definitely more hits and those make it worth a listen. The packaging sketch is another one that's at risk of re-treading old ground, but you've got Alfred Molina doing it and so you don't really care. Probably my favourite is Ian McKellen as God, who manages to get far too much acting out of simply reading the Bible, aided by Joanna Lumley as the troublesome Mrs. God.
The material is a little variable, but the presentation is so spot on that I can only recommend it. It reminds me of Conversations from a Long Marriage, which again sold me solely on the character of the voices involved. Go give it a listen.
Tagged: Radio Comedy Cast Sketch Adaptation