Body Horror

A BBC Radio dystopian thriller

By: Lucy Catherine

Narrated by: Jill Halfpenny, Full Cast, Shelley Conn, Samantha Dakin, Chetna Pandya

London, 2049.

Full body transplants on sale here: the more you pay, the better the body. But can an expensive upgrade really fulfil the life-changing expectations of demoralised mortician Caroline McAleese?

Caroline is desperate to be promoted to the sales team - but she's overweight and over 40, and in a world where attractiveness is prioritised ahead of intelligence, her prospects are slim. Then she hits the jackpot in the Citizens' Lottery, and gets the chance to trade up to the perfect new body: one that's young, lithe and beautiful.

It's a dream come true for Caroline - until she starts to experience teething problems. Her behaviours begin to change, and she is haunted by violent dreams. She's not alone in her new body, and no longer in control. What shadows have been left by her body's former inhabitant? And whose voice is it she hears in her head?

Developed through the Wellcome Trust Experimental Stories scheme, this dark, futuristic series was written by award-winning dramatist Lucy Catherine, whose credits include Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology, Gudrun and The Master and Margarita. It stars Jill Halfpenny as Caroline, with Shelley Conn, Samantha Dakin and Chetna Pandya.

Cast
Caroline - Jill Halfpenny
Gloria - Shelley Conn
Rowan/Benefits Office Computer - Adam Courting
Anastasia - Samantha Dakin
Tom/Car Salesman - Ian Conningham
Waiter/Security Guard - Greg Jones
Bar Guy/Che - Ikky Elyas
Virtual James - Will Kirk
Government Computer/Stan - Neil McCaul
Work Computer/Library Computer - Sinead MacInnes
Lift Voice/Young Mum - Lucy Reynolds
Paulina - Chetna Pandya
Mel - Liza Sadovy
Trevor - Clive Hayward
Karina - Heather Craney
BodyEx Computer - Scarlett Courtney
Hotel Computer - Laura Christy

Directed by Toby Swift
Developed through the Wellcome Trust Experimental Stories scheme
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 11-13 March 2020

A ghost story featuring a haunted body

Middle-aged Caroline wins the Citizen's Lottery and pours all her winnings into a young, beautiful replacement body. Unfortunately, her new body is haunted.

Thoughtful, short audio drama.