1993 audio adaptation by Michael Bakewell of Christie's 1969 mystery,
in one 90-minute episode. At a Hallowe'en party, a girl says that she
once saw a murder, but didn't realise it until later. By the end of
the evening she's been drowned in the apple-bobbing tub.
This is early in the BBC's series of radio adaptations of
Christie, but it's a late and relatively disorganised story from
Christie; one wonders why they picked it to adapt. Still, with some
judicious axe-work the relevant parts are retained and some of the
flapping loose ends can be pruned without disturbing anything
important, even if two killings are still left unresolved. (The
daring-for-1969 use of the term "Lesbian" is elided; indeed, there's
not much to signify the period here except for the idea of English
people having a Hallowe'en party at all, and a passing mention of the
abolition of capital punishment.)
There are several children in this story, and I found a distinct
division between the ones who just sound like adults and the ones who
sound like unconvincing children. (Is there a way to sound like a
convincing child? Presumably so.) The adults do rather better,
particularly June Barry in the rather demanding role of Rowena Drake.
Overall it's a decent production, but it can't rise much above the
unpromising original.
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