Friday 16 November 2012

Review: 'The New World Order: Part 2: 1651'


By independent URY reviewer Ben Bason.

Part 2 of URY’s epic drama ‘The New World Order’ is even more passionate, even more dramatic and even more brilliant than the previous episode. And that’s saying something. Set 6 years after Part 1, the alien Holekhor race from a ‘New World’ turn from allies to enemies as their presence in England adds to the high political and religious tensions of the Civil War, culminating in a grand finale of epic proportions.

We are introduced to the Dommon’el – the wonderfully evil ruler of the Holekhor, played by David Malinsky – who arrives in England and ends up putting both Dhon Do and his son in awkward positions by furthering the Holekhor’s presence in England, leading to messy consequences as the two cultures clash dramatically.

The stand-out performance of this concluding episode is without doubt that of Toby King as Daniel. The character starts off as a naive youngster very much in the shadow of his father, but the story quickly turns into somewhat of a coming-of-age narrative for the boy, as he develops into an independently-minded adult. He is given power as a Holekhor commander by the Dommon’el early on in the episode and must choose where his loyalties lie as the events of the story unfold. The passionate anger King employs to present Daniel’s inner frustration is just right, and brings the tension of the drama almost to boiling point. Praise must be given to the director here, John Wakefield, who creates exactly the right tone for these scenes.

Wakefield’s production is also incredible – the range of different settings to which he can transport the listener is remarkable, as the sound effects create a world of which the audience is almost a part. The ambush of a train is particularly graphic, despite existing merely in audio form. My only slight quibble is the sound of the footsteps; often characters converse whilst walking, yet the pace of their steps is often slightly too high, losing a bit of realism. Alas, a very small issue that doesn’t take away from the majority of the drama which sounds stunning.



James Whittle’s score is again a resounding success, with the impeccable dramatic timing of instrumental stabs adding that extra cinematic element to the most appropriate of dramatic scenes. The music also provides the backdrop to some of the most emotional encounters, such as that of Daniel and his father at the end of the episode. Having been separated for almost the whole two hours of drama, the pair’s reunion is permeated with sparse strings that make the scene extremely touching. These two, almost forced by their situation on to different sides of a war, are finally together again as the episode draws to a close.

Part 2 offers a slight comic element which was not present in the previous episode – the still immature King Charles (Ryan Hall) provides some light relief from the drama of the unfolding conflict, as he attempts to give Daniel (whom he still refers to as ‘Boy Troll) some life-lessons. It’s a very funny interlude which is certainly very welcome in the course of the narrative.

So, if you thought ‘The New World Order’ couldn't get any better, you were wrong. The second part is much more fraught with emotions – the performances of the actors convince us that the loyalties they hold are real, and we can’t help but feel attached to them all. With whom are we meant to sympathise? There is no definitive answer: over the two parts all of the characters appeal to our emotions, even the sneering King Charles. And it is this which makes ‘The New World Order’ so captivating and a truly staggering piece of radio drama.

You only have one chance to catch the concluding episode of ‘The New World Order’ – tune in this Sunday at 2 – across campus on 1350am and online at www.ury.org.uk.

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