Episode 4

With no live studio audience, John Finnemore took the opportunity to try something completely new.

Every episode in this series of Souvenir Programme is made up of scenes from one person's life, played in reverse order.

There's no narrative to the episode; it's still a sketch show, not a sitcom... but the sketches in each episode all happened to one person, played by one member of the cast, over the course of their lifetime.

This episode is all about Vanessa, and starts with a television quiz show in 1990, and ends with a fairytale walk in 1921.

Written and performed by ... John Finnemore

Vanessa ... Carrie Quinlan
Ensemble ... Lawry Lewin
Ensemble ... Margaret Cabourn-Smith
Ensemble ... Simon Kane

Original music composed by .... Susannah Pearse
Original music arranged by ... Susannah Pearse and Tim Sutton

Producer: Ed Morrish

A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4, first broadcast in May 2021.