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Tilly's Tale by Glenn Patterson

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BBC Radio 4, 1 December 2013
 
One of the myths about C. S. Lewis' Narnia books is that they were predominantly intended for children.  This type of pigeonholing might be considered deliberate - a means by which adult readers and audiences can avoid the responsibility of considering whether the stories have any significance for their own lives.
 
Radio 4's Through the Wardrobe season proves precisely the opposite.  Inspired by Lewis' work, this series of three short stories show how the idea of transformation - whether personal, emotional, sexual, mental, or whatever - lies at the heart of everyone's existence.  The only important point is to listen to one's heart and act accordingly.  Too many times people think about what they "should" be doing, and thereby fail to maximize their potential.  Glenn Patterson's Tilly's Tale explored this issue, inspired by a single incident - when a couple grab a moment of passion in their bedroom cupboard.  Whether this moment was "illicit" or not was immaterial; Patterson (like Lewis) was more interested in exploring how it changed - or failed to change - people's lives.
 
The producer was Heather Larmour.