BBC Radio 4, 17 June 2013
Teacher Mark (Blake Ritson) is
experiencing difficulty with his class of learners when he is called away to the telephone. To his horror, he hears
that his wife Donna (Raquel Cassidy) has had a life-threatening accident and is now in a coma. When he returns from
hospital, however, he finds Donna in the kitchen doing the chores. It is only after a while that Mark discovers that
the Donna at home is not his wife, but a replica provided by the insurance company.
Billions tells a chilling story
of a world in which "originals" and "replicas" are almost indistinguishable. The replicas talk, walk and behave like
their originals because they have been programmed to do so. However they can never show the depth of emotion that human
being can; at least, this is what Mark believes as he tries to come to terms with his new life.
However Billions has an intriguing
twist in the tale involving Mark's teenage daughter Charlie (Lizzy Watts), her boyfriend Luke (Will Howard) and Luke's father
Mr. Willis (Robert Blythe), that forces us to question whether human beings are capable of loving unconditionally; and hence
can be separated from their replicas. Author Harris does not provide any answers.
Jonquil Panting's production boasted a strong
central performance from Ritson as Mark, experiencing a variety of emotions ranging from horror to resentment,
Watts' Charlie offered a contrasting characterization, as she acquired a new strength and self-reliance, having discovered
that the mother she saw every day around the house was nothing more than a replica.
