Massive

By: Charlie Josephine

Narrated by: Sophie Melville, Nima Taleghani, Erin Doherty

Length: 1 hr and 25 mins

Publisher's Summary

Written by British playwright and actor Charlie Josephine, Massive is a queer love story that is pulsing with urgency and unapologetically poetic.

Emily’s life changes after a terrible car accident when a magnetic stranger, Jax, steps in to take her hand. Their serendipitous union empowers Emily to finally feel comfortable in her own skin, but when the couple’s relationship veers off course, Emily is drawn into a web of obsession and lies.

This audio play features immersive audio techniques; to maximize the listening experience, headphones are recommended (but not required!). Please note this audiobook contains strong language and adult themes. Discretion is advised.

Playwright Charlie Josephine was awarded a commission through the Audible Emerging Playwrights Fund, an initiative dedicated to developing innovative original plays driven by language and voice. As an Audible commissioned playwright, they received funding and creative support to develop Massive.

Playwright Charlie Josephine was awarded a commission through the Audible Emerging Playwrights Fund, an initiative dedicated to developing innovative original plays driven by language and voice. As an Audible commissioned playwright, they received funding and creative support to develop Massive.

©2020 Charlie Josephine (P)2020 AO Media LLC

There should have been a warning

Too foul and Too fast, with the accents and them talking on top of each other, it makes it difficult to figure out what they are talking about.
The swearing is the most disturbing and distracting as it is boringly repetitious.

An Intense and Self-Destructive Love Story

In Massive, Charlie Josephine delivers an intensely burning, dramatic, and raw love story that launches seconds after you click the play button and doesn't let up. The description said to experience with headphones (I do this anyway) and I'd certainly encourage any listeners to do so. There's a lot to take in and you don't want to miss a thing.

During the time I'd set aside to listen, I lay back with my eyes closed and earbuds in to take all of this in, and I could picture it. Sometimes as being played out on the stage of a theatre, other times as if I was right there in the room with them. Did you ever see a play where there are just the characters on a dark stage, and only they are lit as it's their part? That's how I imagined this... but that's a little digression.

The relationship between Emily and Jax kicks into high gear virtually from the moment Jax helps Emily cling to life after a traffic accident. Their love for each other is incandescent, burning not just twice as bright but more so. But of course, burning brighter ultimately means the candle will burn out quicker.

The self-destructive behaviours, the attempting to press on through and carry on as normal, the co-dependence and almost total reliance on each other for their emotional wellbeing. What came was a visceral trip through a mind as it slowly shattered into a million pieces.

Sophie Melville, the voice of Emily, was amazing. Seriously outstanding. I wanted to hear so much more, her voice was captivating and transporting. Sophie is one of those rare people who could narrate the phonebook and I'd listen to every word of it.

Erin Doherty who played the cockney Jax ran a very close second in my opinion, the intensity to which Erin delivered Jax's love and torment blended flawlessly with Melville's. Nima Taleghani as Tom delivered a solid if somewhat more muted, performance. Perhaps I was too busy rooting for Emily and Jax to make it by the time Tom appeared to like him as much, so I may be biased!

It shows the raw, messy, imperfect side of intense love, and I enjoyed every second of this.

best performance I've ever heard!!

Look, I'll say it: the content of this book isn't for everyone. Some people aren't ready to accept that LOVE moves across EVERY boundary: skin color, gender, nationality, religion... love conquers all! This is a story about that love. But it's MORE than just that: there's the messy circumstances, internal struggle, awful indecision and insecurity. There's compromise and lies and apologies and self-blame... it's love and life!
AND THE PERFORMANCE!! If this comes to a stage near me, I'm buying tickets for everyone I know. Give this a REAL LISTEN, not just "cutting the grass" type of listen; you'll thank me later. BRAVO TO THESE PERFORMERS! STANDING OVATION!!

Outstanding audio book production!!

This audio book shows how much more can be done in the format. There's no way the story could convey the deep emotions the characters have if you were reading it. Erin Doherty, Sophie Melville, & Nima Taleghani were absolutely amazing!! I'm hard pressed to ever remember such outstanding audio performances. I'm sure much credit is due to Charlie Josephine for the way they interact & overlap each other's voices but the actors were just incredible. I've already been online trying to find more of all their work and eagerly await anything they do next. Well done to all of them!!!

THIS IS THE WAY EVERY AUDIO BOOK SHOULD BE READ!!

The 1st 5-7 minutes is stunningly captivating!

This is narrated & produced w/the kind of intensity as "listening" to a movie would be, rather than someone reading a book.

Congrats on the direction, production, narration, & keeping me listening to the very end because I couldn't put it down.

1,000,000% recommend this audio book!

Loved!!!!!!

Where do I begin?? The voice acting was awesome. The background sounds really gave atmosphere. I could see it all playing out. Sometimes it seemed like actors on a small stage, other times it was like being at a poetry slam/open mic night. I absolutely loved it.

More like a slam poetry story.

I was expecting more of a normal audiobook and was definitely surprised when it came out more like slam poetry. Very dramatic but also very good, left me with goosebumps at some parts.

Excellent!

I loved this piece – such great movement and palpable energy in the script – and will be giving it an encore repeat listen.

SO WORTH LISTENING TO!!!

This was SO GOOD. An AMAZING performance and experience. I was glad to have read some of the reviews before I listened because I feel like it made it easy to “settle into my seat” so to speak. This book had REAL and RAW emotion, feeling and expression. It was beautiful and I loved it.

♥️

FUCKIN LOVED IT!!!!!!
Just what I needed
I get
Completely
Thank you thank you yeah

Astounding writing and performances

I cannot recommend this audio play highly enough. It is refreshing to listen to a queer story that is so nuanced: beautiful, angry, messy, erotic. Charlie Josephine’s writing is visceral and, at times, brutal, and all three actors give outstanding performances. I particularly enjoyed Sophie Melville as Em, who I’ve listened to previously in Iphigenia in Splott. The rhythm that she brings in her delivery showcases the poetic magic of Charlie’s writing. Will be listening again!

Intense and poetic!

Some really beautiful moments in this, it felt very real and honest. I loved the complex characters, playful and clever use of language and the way Charlie Josephine explores gender, sexuality and the obsession with perfection.

Raw, unique, intimate, powerful

This was a gripping and beautiful and complex story that took me by surprise and kept me hooked to the last second. I loved the exploration of gender, sexuality and desire. Stunning, deep performances from all actors.

Just incredible

Have you ever seen a film without words? That communicates only through the medium of light, and bodies, and motion. This is just like that, but in audio. The most vivid images, communicated only with layers of breath, voice, and intense sound design. I didn’t realise how much I missed radio plays.

This is a queer story about communication and mental health. About how we contort ourselves around what we think others expect, and how that breaks us. To get the most from this, you need headphones or a good sound system. You need to meet the heart of this story below its possibly clichéd surface. It won’t tie up all its loose ends or answer all its questions. Like the best theatre, it tears opens its own chest to help you see inside your own.

It does contain intense content around anxiety and self-harm. Be safe 💚

Interesting

I liked the originality; it’s unlike anything I’ve heard in the mainstream world since leaving school 15years ago. It’s was quirky. It was a bit like something my 6th form drama group would put together. The story itself wasn’t the best bit for me but I thought the words and rhythm of the writing were very well done.

Excellent in all levels

This play is perfect! Narrators played their parts really well. The characters are complex. The story is intense. I like how it doesn't let you hear the actual self-harming process. I highly recommend it. Definitely worth a listen.

It was stressful to listen.

I didn't like it at all. I feel careful and unsettled. It was very unpleasant experience this audiobook. I a as desperate for it to finish but 23 min to the end I marked as finished.I couldn't handle it any longer. The performance was good though but the story well written but too much feelings altogether.

Audible play. Superb

It is much better as an audible play. Excellent acting. Very much recommended. Hard topic but so well written and delivered.

Contemporary themes. Cleverly written.

Performed really well, especially enjoyed it's fast pace and the actors voices especially Jack's.

superb

captured me straight from the beginning deffo going to be looking for more like this