BY MARK CERULLI
Growing
up, I remember listening to the CBS Radio Mystery Theater, hosted by the gifted
actor, E.G. Marshall. But as the
plethora of new media choices came online over the years, I had thought that
kind of pure audio entertainment had gone the way of the RCA Selectavision Video
Disc… The delightful Passport to Oblivion
2-disc set from Spiteful Puppet proved me wrong and is a welcome return to
adventure for the ears and mind.
The
production, based on James Leasor’s 1964 best-seller (filmed as Where the Spies
Are in 1966) stars ex-007 George Lazenby as Dr. Jason Love, a reluctant spy
lured back into service to make a seemingly routine rendezvous for MI6 – a
rendezvous that turns out to be anything BUT routine. Love is no high-flying secret agent, but a
comfortably retired doctor in rural England.
The
story unfolds with a highly skilled cast including Glynis Barber, Terence Stamp
and Nickolas Grace, all performing against a rich audio bed of sound effects,
other voice actors and music cues. There’s even a Bondian-sounding theme song
by the talented British singer Verity White.
Lazenby’s voice is
unmistakable – his Australian accent has aged, with a rich timbre. Having
recently turned 80, he does the show with the confidence of an artist who has
nothing left to prove, taking us through all the twists and turns of Leasor’s elaborate
plot, his famous voice conveying outrage, confusion, humor and his natural
Aussie charm.
By
all reports, Lazenby enjoyed the experience and unlike his one screen
appearance as Bond, he’s keen to do more. Spiteful Puppet has the option to release nine more of Dr. Love’s
adventures in dramatic audio format. For
director/producer Barnaby Eaton-Jones, working with Lazenby was a peak experience
– “It was always a coup to get George on board and the challenge of him
playing a reluctant spy, rather than a super confident double-O-agent, was
something that clearly appealed (to him). When you meet him, you quickly realize
he was essentially playing himself as Bond. He has a swagger and a twinkle and
a devil-may-care attitude that hasn't changed even though he's now hit 80 years
old.â€
During
production, Eaton-Jones observed George displaying the same hot-blooded
instincts he showed while making On Her Majesty’s 50 years ago – “… he was perkiest in the recording studio when Glynis
Barber and Carla Mendonça were present (our two leading females) but, between
takes, he would regale us with the antics of his past.â€
In a world crowded with video games and streaming videos of every
description, Spiteful Puppet’s Passport to Oblivion audio drama is a
welcome return to the entertainment of old – well-crafted, detailed and
absorbing.
Passport
To Oblivion
will be released as a 2-disc audio set in a custom illustrated sleeve on
November 29, 2019 and you can order it by clicking here.