Woman's Hour Drama - Chronicles of Ait - Echo Beach
Written by Michael Butt.
The remote east coast settlement of Ait is reckoned to have siren-like powers to entrap and enthral its visitors - and that, at least, is how it appears to disaffected writer Linus Scott when he arrives from London in search of oblivion, for his first encounter is with a mermaid emerging from the North Sea.
Echo Beach is the second story from the Chronicles of Ait to come to BBC Radio 4, connected to the first tale only by the location and the names of its two main characters.
Episode 1
Actually Alice Pyper isn't strictly speaking a mermaid, just a lovely local woman taking a cold swim, but Scott is captivated by her beauty and, on a later meeting, with other paraphernalia of enchantment, for she insists on telling him a local story of passionate concern to her, a legend-like narrative of unexplained tragedy and loss on nearby Echo Beach. Scott's dormant writer's appetite is awakened and, rather against his will, he finds himself caught up in both a beguiling story of family treachery, and a tantalising love affair.
Episode 2 - 3
In the family house on the beach, Naomi (Amanda Drew) shows Linus (Greg Wise) a hidden room and throws some light on her disturbing family history.
Linus Scott ..... Greg Wise
Alice Pyper ..... Indira Varma
Naomi Pyper ..... Amanda Drew
Doctor/Robert ..... Jonathan Keeble
Agnes ..... Patience Tomlinson
Ben ..... Simon J Williamson
Producer/Director John Taylor A Fiction Factory production for BBC Radio 4.
Broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 10:45AM Mon, 28 Feb - Fri, 4 Mar 2011
Duration 5 x 15 minutes
Episodes 1-3 of 5
Replies
Chronicles of Ait - Echo Beach by Michael Butt
Episode 4
Following a disturbing vision, Naomi gives Linus a different slant on events in the family history, raising Linus' doubts about Alice.
Episode 5
Linus waylays Agnes in the hope of extracting a conclusive explanation for the story of Echo Beach, but finds himself led in an unexpected direction.
Episodes 4-5 of 5
110303_chronicles_of_ait_echo_beach_ep4.mp3
110304_chronicles_of_ait_echo_beach_ep5.mp3