(The) Flashback

Okay, so you’ve sat through three entries that have rambled on and on about art and science fiction and a man named Michael, but what, I hear you ask, is this thing called Flashback all about?

Simple. It is an audio series that will be available to download in the spring (for a nominal fee) with episodes being released on-line each week for ten glorious weeks. Afterwards there will be a complete CD box set available to buy if you so choose. That’s the technical side of it. Now, story-wise?

Well the series is about the exploits… yes I guess you can call them that… exploits of a group of people, some friendly some less than friendly who go out to an art show opening one night and end up opening the doorway to a parallel world. It happens, you know. Some say the event was triggered by some very careless alien historians, others say it was the plot of a devious genius mind. I’ll leave that up to listeners to decide. In the meantime, here are some snippets from the scripts:

Episode One sees Belinda talking to her brother Tom about the upcoming art show… some would say she has something to hide:

BELINDA: (cagey)   No, I don’t know anything about Brad’s show – well other than the opening is tonight and the work has been a big secret. Why, has he said anything? (beat) Well there you go then. Look, I’ve got to go. Bellissima’s just had a seizure and she’s fallen on the cat. (beat) Yes, I got a cat. (beat) The other day. (beat) Multi-coloured sort of. (beat) It was a stray, alright? Right-y-o… Bye!

SOUND:   THE TELEPHONE BUTTON BEEPS.

BELLISSIMA:   Why did you tell your brother that I fell over onto your non-existent pet?

BELINDA:   Well you know how difficult it is to get rid of him at the best of times. I had to think of something that sounded almost plausible.

And from Episode Three when things seem to be heating up:

BELLISSIMA:   Yes, well Auntie Dearest, now that we’ve both agreed to your wicked plan, can we please get back to the bit about Brad?

BELINDA: (indignant) Brad who?

BELLISSIMA:   The Brad whose advanced physics experiment we’re planning to exploit in order to get a fat paycheque from Miranda Messingschmidt.

BELINDA:   Oh do we really have to talk about him?

BARROQA:   Well, according to the papers it is technically his portal to another dimension.

BELINDA:   Fine! Well as you both know he and his new lover dropped by this morning.

BELLISSIMA:   What new lover? You didn’t mention any of this.

BELINDA:   I’ll give you one cross-dimensional guess.

BARROQA:   Are you serious?

BELINDA:   Well I suppose it shouldn’t have come as a surprise. I mean I knew he wasn’t a hundred percent straight when I married him.

BELLISSIMA:   It was turning a blind eye to the fact that he wasn’t even one percent straight that still baffles me.

BELINDA:   Okay, so I made a mistake. That sort of thing happens when you accidentally get high on paint fumes.

That’s just a taste of the dialogue to come. The rotten thing is that print doesn’t really do it justice. You have to hear the actors voices, the tones they choose and the level of indignation! And all that because I won’t let them have lunch until they record at least half their scenes first… just kidding!

I hope this gives you a bit more than just a nibble… but less than a full bite because I want the content to be as surprising as it can be for listeners. After all, what’s the fun in spoilers? Oh, and that is Smookie the Robotoid pictured above, in case you wanted to know. But more on him later…

Oh and check out the ABOUT US page to find out who is currently in the cast. That list will be updated as more people are confirmed.