When my radio drama Dog Days recently got another airing on BBC radio I received an email from an HGV driver who had tracked down my contact details. He wanted to let me know that he had enjoyed the play so much he’d pulled his rig over onto the hard shoulder to he could listen to it properly. For me that’s the holy grail of radio writing: people interrupting their day to listen to your work.
Dog Days
Set in the world of independent greyhound racing ('flapping'), this poignant drama tells of three generations of men all connected with the sport.
Teenager Carl and his grandfather Eric dream of one day breeding a winning greyhound and in Angelfish they believe they might have a star. At the track, Angelfish surpasses all expectations and wins her first race. But Carl's euphoria is cut short when he comes face-to-face with his father Mick, who left without a trace years previously. Although Carl can barely remember him, Mick is desperate to be given a second chance. But Eric has heard it all before; his son has an ominous track record of letting everyone down and he can't bear to see it happen to Carl again. Has Mick really changed his ways or is this return just part of another ruse?
Directed by Sasha Yevtushenko with Rielly Newbold as Carl, Philip Jackson as Eric, and Tony Bell as Mick.
Dog Days
Set in the world of independent greyhound racing ('flapping'), this poignant drama tells of three generations of men all connected with the sport.
Teenager Carl and his grandfather Eric dream of one day breeding a winning greyhound and in Angelfish they believe they might have a star. At the track, Angelfish surpasses all expectations and wins her first race. But Carl's euphoria is cut short when he comes face-to-face with his father Mick, who left without a trace years previously. Although Carl can barely remember him, Mick is desperate to be given a second chance. But Eric has heard it all before; his son has an ominous track record of letting everyone down and he can't bear to see it happen to Carl again. Has Mick really changed his ways or is this return just part of another ruse?
Directed by Sasha Yevtushenko with Rielly Newbold as Carl, Philip Jackson as Eric, and Tony Bell as Mick.
The Weighing Room
Few sports are as risky as National Hunt racing and few sportsmen form the bonds of camaraderie found in the weighing room. Time Out's Pick of the Week, this BBC Radio 4 drama directed by Toby Swift and starring Lloyd Hutchinson looks at what happens when those bonds are tested. Noel is a jump jockey anxious to get his career back on track after a spell on the sidelines. Just what does it take to survive in the demanding and dangerous world of National Hunt racing?
“This excellent play by Justin Hopper is set in the world of National Hunt racing, an environment ripe for drama, being filled with ambition, superstition and the ever-present threat of serious physical injury. Lloyd Hutchinson – sounding uncannily like James Nesbitt – plays Noel, an ageing jockey with a dodgy shoulder who unexpectedly gets the ride on a good prospect in a big race. The young hopeful (Michael Legge) who’s been bumped off the horse is sure Noel has stabbed him in the back, and besides, Noel’s not sure he can sweat off enough pounds to make the weight. A tautly written script keeps the tension thrumming nicely, and the performances are all round gutsy and committed.”
Time Out
“There’s an authenticity to Justin Hopper’s The Weighing Room that makes it interesting even to those who have never got further into racing than the first few pages of a Dick Francis potboiler. What he captures best is the bloody-minded determination of jockeys to keep riding.”
The Times
“Full of authentic detail about the agony and thrill of being a jockey.”
Daily Mail
“This excellent play by Justin Hopper is set in the world of National Hunt racing, an environment ripe for drama, being filled with ambition, superstition and the ever-present threat of serious physical injury. Lloyd Hutchinson – sounding uncannily like James Nesbitt – plays Noel, an ageing jockey with a dodgy shoulder who unexpectedly gets the ride on a good prospect in a big race. The young hopeful (Michael Legge) who’s been bumped off the horse is sure Noel has stabbed him in the back, and besides, Noel’s not sure he can sweat off enough pounds to make the weight. A tautly written script keeps the tension thrumming nicely, and the performances are all round gutsy and committed.”
Time Out
“There’s an authenticity to Justin Hopper’s The Weighing Room that makes it interesting even to those who have never got further into racing than the first few pages of a Dick Francis potboiler. What he captures best is the bloody-minded determination of jockeys to keep riding.”
The Times
“Full of authentic detail about the agony and thrill of being a jockey.”
Daily Mail
The Greater Good
It is 1915 and the celebrated German chemist Fritz Haber turns to developing poison gas as a weapon for the German military. His wife and former colleague Clara is appalled and sets about trying to stop him. Pick of the day in the Guardian, this BBC Radio 4 drama starred Lesley Sharp as Clara and Anton Lesser as Fritz and was directed by Celia de Wolff.
“Set in Germany in 1916, The Greater Good focused on the life of the scientist Fritz Haber (Anton Lesser), who conducted secret experiments for the German army during the First World War … Justin Hopper’s play focuses on the familiar theme of the personal versus the political. Haber loves his wife, but his ambition drives him to commit crimes against humanity …. a gripping production.” Radio Drama Reviews online |