Since I encountered an episode of this at the Goldsmiths Audio Festival, I thought I'd best have a listen to an actual series of it, especially as Interrogation has run for quite a while now, and I've heard none of them.
The show is primarily set in a police interview room, with DCI Max Matthews (Kenneth Cranham) and DS Sean Armitage (Alex Lanipekun) attempting to discern the truth behind the crime of the week. They have to break down the (usually cunning) web of lies by clever questioning, running back and forwards through the relevant timeline, and pushing the emotional buttons of those under their "care".
Not having listened to previous, I don't know how typical the content is, but the first three episodes have had a nice spread of crimes and suspects/witnesses. Dan is perfectly compos mentis, but doesn't know how to help his wife after her suicide attempt. Nadine is both a childhood friend of Sean and a fellow copper, making it somewhat personal. And Evie is suffering from dementia, making it a confusing and painful experience.
All of the episodes are centred around the complexity of the interrogation process, but it's the Evie episode that impressed me the most. The poor short term memory problems mean that the same question can be approached in different ways, slowly teasing out the truth when a previous attempt has failed. It's both thrilling and more than a little sad, as Roy Williams (the writer) obviously has a sensitive touch.
But you'll always be here for the back and forth between the two leads. They've got an excellent rhythm, which I'm sure would be equally as effective in a real interview room, while still having a well-rounded bit of downtime at the end of every episode, bringing some humanity back to them after generally taking someone to pieces.
Excellent show, and one I'll have to add to my ongoing listen list.
Tagged: Radio Drama Cast Fiction Crime and punishment