North East production company unveils Radio 4 comedy
The antics of an amateur paranormal investigator (Chris Relish) intent on proving he had a romantic dalliance with a ghost is the subject of Gateshead indie MOTIF’s comedy series, which kicked off on BBC Radio 4 last week (Sept 4).
Set in the fictional North East town of Kibble, Follow The Rabbit is written and produced by James Boughen from Stockton, with each of its episodes offering a new instalment of Chris’ DIY podcast as he investigates a variety of cases.
These include a hoarder who believes a poltergeist is tidying her house; a farmer who claims he’s had a very close encounter with an alien; and a woman who says she’s got a tiny demon living in a biscuit tin.
With a cast including comedian Tom Lawrinson, Jo Enright (Life’s Too Short), Chelsea Halfpenny (Emmerdale), Beth Mullen (After Life) and James Baxter (Alma’s Not Normal), Follow the Rabbit airs on Wednesdays at 11pm and will also be available to download/stream on BBC Sounds.
James, who has written for Vic and Bob’s comedy TV panel show, Shooting Stars as well as Mock The Week and Russell Howard’s Good News, said: “Being given the opportunity to bring this idea to life with such a talented regional cast has been so much fun.
“We can’t wait for people to hear the journey of Chris Relish - the paranormal investigator who is desperate to prove he lost his virginity to a ghost.”
MOTIF’s managing director, James Craggs said: “We gave ourselves a mandate as a company to support great North East voices like James Boughen when we started and to keep the production up here for Follow The Rabbit to work with experienced operators like The East Wing. Support from North East Screen made that possible.
“It’s also brilliant for us to work with really talented people from the North East and to get to hear native voices like Chelsea Halfpenny, James Baxter, Beth Mullen and Joby Mageean on a national broadcaster.”
Lisa Laws, development director North East Screen added: “We’re thrilled to have been able to support Motif to develop and produce their first original scripted comedy for BBC Radio 4.
“Ambitious companies, like Motif, are the lifeblood of our region and it is great to see them working across a range of platforms to reach national audiences.”
To listen to Episode One of Follow the Rabbit anc keep up to date with new episodes, visit the dedicated page on the BBC website.