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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