大象传媒

Highly excited to be starting a new job at the heart of government, 30-something Pip (Macy Nyman) is appalled to be late - trains, buses, roads are all cancelled or jammed. Nobody knows why, this isn鈥檛 a planned strike day.

At the Cabinet Office, Pip is directed to the Speechwriters鈥� Room. There, the enthusiastic new recruit finds Snick (Tom Glenister) amid a litter of cold pizza and drink bottles. Snick blearily explains that this really was a work event, an 鈥渁ll nighter鈥� by the speech-writing team. He couldn鈥檛 get home last night because, for some reason, transport seemed to be mucked up. Other members of the team arrive - Alex,(Alec Jennings), Head of the Unit, supervises the creation of a number of 鈥渉ot drafts鈥� - speeches for The Boss on imminent events, factory openings, the death of a public figure etc - and 鈥渃old drafts鈥� - lines for potential eventualities such as a terrorist atrocity, a natural climate disaster, the threat of a nuclear attack and so on.

In real-time, the team improvise and critique a series of speeches for these occasions, arguing over what can and can鈥檛 be said, even whether anything can be said.

Mark Lawson's play explores the serious issues of the limits of political rhetoric and government control of populations, in a digital, cynical age.

Cast:
Alex......................Alex Jennings
Pip.........................Macy Nyman
Dr Jason...............Jane Slavin
Snick......................Tom Glenister
Deep......................Avita Jay

Written by Mark Lawson
Directed by Eoin O鈥機allaghan
A Big Fish Radio production for 大象传媒 Radio 4