A rare of example of a SF take of rural politics, set in Northumberland.

The selection committee of Coanwood Cricket Club is meeting to decide the lineup for the final match of the season, at the farmhouse of chairman John Ridley. His wife Morna is providing afternoon tea and she notices the men are acting unusually secretively. Once she has been sent away, Lord Slaggyford activates a device to disrupt computer and radio surveillance, either by their rivals Blenkinsop or the Forrestry Commission. The meeting gets underway, using an online version of Wisden which stores all their match data and can suggest the ideal team order and strategy. However, soon cricket talk gives way to the matter of an incompetent guerilla raid on a local farm carried out by John’s son Willie and his friends.

Cricket was written by Michel Wilcox and directed by Michael Darlow. Presenting a special mini series examining BBC1's Play for Tomorrow from 1982. Six looks into the future by up and coming playwrights, produced by the Play for Today team.

Featuring writer, editor and cricket fan Steve Hatcher as our special guest.

Find out more at https://westlakefilms.uk/verybritishfutures/

Find out more about Steven Hatcher's local group work at https://www.whoovers.org.uk/home.php

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Visit garethpreston.blog for more info on the podcast, reviews, fiction and more about host Gareth Preston

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New Year’s Eve 1999. Great Britain is part of the European State. The Euro army is in the midst of a controversial war in the Middle East. Sam Howard has come to a French prison to see his daughter Cathy, who has been arrested for being part of a conspiracy to assassinate a pro-war politician, and is facing execution. The authorities hope he can persuade her to issue an apology regretting her actions, allowing them to commute her sentence to prison time. Waiting outside her cell, Sam remembers two earlier New Year’s Eves. How can he save his daughter - and should he?

Presenting a special mini series examining BBC1's Play for Tomorrow from 1982. Six looks into the future by up and coming playwrights, produced by the Play for Today team.

Bright Eyes was written by Peter Prince, and stars Robin Ellis, Sarah Berger and Stephen Greif.

Featuring guest contributor Jon Arnold, writer and co-host of the Strangers in Space podcast.

Find out more at https://westlakefilms.uk/verybritishfutures/

Listen to the insightful Strangers in Space at https://strangersinspace.libsyn.com/

Follow us on X at @futuresvery or visit our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/verybritishfuturespodcast

A British prison at the beginning of the 21st Century. Psychologist Melvyn is leading a therapy group of prisoners. What constitutes a crime in the near future? As different prisoners tell their stories and build up a picture of Britain, we are left to wonder whether Melvyn's world is quite as reasonable as it seems?

Presenting a special mini series examining BBC1's Play for Tomorrow from 1982. Six looks into the future by up and coming playwrights, produced by the Play for Today team.

Crimes was written by Caryl Churchill, who would soon become one of the UK's most celebrated playwrights. It stars T P McKenna, Sylvestra La Touzel and Julia Foster.

Featuring guest contributor Rod Brown, from the Nostalgia Tours podcast.

Find out more at https://westlakefilms.uk/verybritishfutures/

Listen to the marvellous Nostalgia Tours at https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/rod-brown58

Follow us on X at @futuresvery or visit our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/verybritishfuturespodcast