In case you thought that getting several feet of snow dumped on you was bad, we remind you that the plight of the Roman soldier in AD126 was way, way worse.
This cheeky tale, “It’s Grim Up North,” is a historic radio sitcom about the plight of Rome’s men manning Hadrian’s Wall, specifically, life at Milecastle 17 – Drizzlewort.
Widely considered to be the worst posting of all for those Romans soldiers unfortunate enough to be serving the Empire in Britain, life in Drizzlewort not only consists of building the wall but also manning the gate, which acts as a customs post and access point for local traders, and where sentry duty mostly involves keeping out the deadly, if hard-to-pin-down Picts.
The soldiers posted to Drizzlewort never stop complaining, and are generally the lowest of the low, most of whom would desert given half a chance. However, every cloud has a silver lining and, given the place’s strategic importance and isolation, there are always good business opportunities for people who can manipulate the system…
Produced by Ed Waugh & Trevor Wood, originally commissioned by BBC Radio Cumbria for a five-part radio sitcom.
Other Stuff
We hear from Matthew McLean’s Audio Drama Production Podcast and welcome David Rheinstrom aboard as reviews editor. We also announce our upcoming panel at South by Southwest, Movies in My Head: Audiodrama & Film. Thanks to Patience Wieland of Sound Stages Radio for pulling us all together!