An excellent episode, putting into perspective urges for validation, and what kind of validation we receive.

There was a lot of information in this episode, and not the kind I was imagining for world building, which was brilliant. There were different angles on thinking about building your world and premise, including thoughts on theatre practitioner Lajos Egri. Lots of fun, as usual, and more of a spark into considering different approaches than a "this is how you do it".

This is a top quality audio drama which takes a group of extremely realistic and relatable characters, with natural chat and banter, differences and history, and puts them under strain in their adventure in the caverns. What starts out as an intimate drama in a friendship group, with lots of comedy, takes a more sinister and threatening turn underground, and it expands into something far beyond its beginnings...This is wonderfully written, performed and directed. The dialogue feels completely natural, and important bits of exposition are seamlessly seeded in the characters' chatter, and the story flows very clearly, a real masterclass in writing for audio. The production is atmospheric, and interesting in the movement of focus from one character (eg. in the shower, talking to others in the next room) to another, in quite a televisual way. Graham David Richards uses effects and movement, and music well, so you are always aware of exactly where the characters are and what is happening, explainable or not! In one play, it's a less usual format for podcasts, but this works extremely well for this story, as the tension can then build fully as it goes on. Listening in one session really suits this tale, so try to find a journey or a space of time to fit it all in in one go!