大象传媒

The Liars' League, which launched in 2007, is a live short story event now spanning the globe. 'Liars' because in a sense fiction and acting are both lies - and a 'league' because a company of actors and writers work to bring an evening of themed stories to an audience, once a month in London, New York and Hong Kong.

This is the third of three stories recorded at the Liars' League events. In Hong Kong the theme is 'Cruelty and Mercy', in New York it's 'Entrances and Exits', and in London - where we are this week - the theme is 'Boom and Bust'.

Each story brings a distinct flavour of its country of origin - of the culture, people and concerns. Each is populated by ubiquitous skyscrapers and familiar corporations and brands, but at the same time beats to an older rhythm of the people and their traditions - from a Catholic boyhood in New York, through life in London's drabber suburbs, to old traditions surviving amidst the bustle of modern Hong Kong.

In The Wallet by Joshan Esfandiari Martin, love from generation to generation struggles to breathe in a city suffocated by money. From the drab suburbs of London in the 1960s to the most glamorous restaurants of today's capital, every emotion and romantic gesture is compromised by money.

Read by David Mildon

Produced by David Roper
A Heavy Entertainment production for 大象传媒 Radio 4.