The Truth APM, 9 August 2012
A chilling tale of an independent candidate Mike Coleman (Ed Herbstman)
running for Congress, who attracts the wrong kind of attention - that of a serial killer determined to destroy anyone not
representing either the Republican or Democrat parties. He is grateful for the protection of two FBI agents Wenner (Rick
Andrews), and Sandler (Nick Kanellis), but discovers to his cost that they are not quite as reliable as he first assumed.
Third Party offers a chilling view of American politics, especially in the
run-up to the election. While Democrat and Republican candidates are tolerated, there seems to be an innate suspicion
of anyone who begs to depart from established political norms; to express points of view not embraced by the mainstream.
They are deemed potentially subversive, and for some people at least, need to be 'removed' from the political arena by fair
means or foul. Coleman's politics do not seem particularly extreme, but his refusal to embrace the mainstream causes
problems.
Jonathan Mitchell's production employed specific sounds to establish suspense;
at one point all we could hear was the sound of Coleman's dog panting, as he searched round his house for the killer. The
production also made intelligent use of sonic layering to denote changes of scene; one scene moved seamlessly into another,
investing the drama with plenty of pace. Well worth a listen.
