The Empire - BBC Radio 2 Sunday March 7th 9.30pm

This radio play was announced today. I had great fun doing this. It was recorded remotely online in India, various parts of the UK and the US all at the same time! It’ll be available on the BBC Sounds app after broadcast.

Here’s what it’s about:

India, 1917; the jewel of the British Empire. 400 million Indians are ruled by a handful of British administrators. No rebellion has been reported for 70 years, into this apparent calm sea of Governance comes James Albright (Alexander Owen, The Pin), 22, Oxbridge and Public School educated and about to become the District Magistrate for the Province of Darjeeling. Idealistic, naive, Albright doesn't know what he has let himself in for. His Indian right hand man Harbans (Anuvab Pal, Empire-ical Evidence) is there to help him, or is he? Local businesswoman Mrs Campbell (Michelle Gomez, Doctor Who) is ready to exploit his ignorance. And into this mix comes Sapna (Rasika Dugal, A Suitable Boy), an Indian proto-revolutionary and the first woman Albright has felt 'funny about'.

Albright … Alexander Owen
Sapna … Rasika Dugal
Harbans … Anuvab Pal
Mrs Campbell … Michelle Gomez
Kailash … Raj Ghatak
Mustafa … Sanjeev Kohli
Jhunwala … Eshaan Ackbar
The Viceroy / Narrator … Stephen Fry

Written by Anuvab Pal

Produced and directed by Ed Morrish

Recorded and edited by Rich Evans at Syncbox Post

A Channel X production for BBC Radio 2