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BBC Radio 7, 3-4 March 2009
This brace of dramas directed by Gordon House and starring David Calder
and Sarah-Jane Holm, pictured a dystopian world in which religion and family life no longer had any meaning. Alpha
had Calder playing a Catholic priest Marquez working for a supercilious cardinal (John Moffatt) who travelled to Los Angeles,
only to discover that the entire region is governed by a computer Alpha (Holm) which not only determines human behaviour but
can assume any shape and express any emotion it wishes. The play evolved into a battle of wills between the pastor
and the computer, each determined to protect their respective ideological interests. Marquez maintained that a god existed,
and remained fundamental to human life, otherwise people would be nothing more than automata. Alpha countered by arguing that
the distinction between self-determination and guided thought no longer prevailed: human beings can be programmed to express
any emotion they choose. Eventually author Walker came down on Marquez's side by suggesting that human beings could switch
Alpha off (should they so wish), but left the door open for future technological development by implying that Alpha represents
perfection. If we seek an ideal world free of conflict, then perhaps we should listen to her.
Omega started off by creating an apparently ideal environment of a nuclear
family comprising John Stone (Calder), his wife Kate (Penelope Wilton) and their daughter Louise (Helen Longworth). Stone
pursues a happy professional life constructing a skyscraper next to the River Thames; the only fly in the ointment being that
his employer, Straker (Philip Voss) seems to be a sinister person whose motives remain cloudy, to say the least. Louise falls
victim to an incurable disease; although pronounced dead by the hospital authorities, she is miraculously resurrected. While
Stone greets the news with delight, he remains suspicious, believing (rightly, as it turned out) that she had been inhabited
by a mysterious presence who controlled her life. Eventually we discovered that the presence was Straker who, in conjunction
with his evil sidekick Kate had created a new generation of robots to carry out all menial tasks - including designing new
buildings. Stone himself was nothing more than a robot; however he had malfunctioned to such an extent that he allowed emotion
to cloud his judgment. He thought too much; questioned Straker's absolute rule; feels sympathy for Louise and Kate; and thus
needed to be destroyed. Straker duly obliged, much to Kate's disgust.
Like Alpha, Omega speculated on what separates human beings from
automata, and came to a conclusion reminiscent of Ridley Scott's Blade Runner; that replicants have been so well
constructed that they have assumed virtually every function once assigned to humans - even delivering dramatic dialogue. David
Calder's theatrical career has incorporated several high points - notably his recent Lear in London - but on radio his voice
has a comfortable, rather reassuring quality that encourages listeners to sympathize with him. The same applies to Penelope
Wilton, whom older listeners may remember as Richard Briers' long-suffering spouse in the 1980s sitcom Ever Decreasing
Circles. One cannot quite believe that she would take on the role of an evil genius's sidekick; just as one might doubt
whether Calder is nothing more than a robot. But this was precisely Walker's point; in the not-too-distant future it might
be difficult to understand exactly what being human might be. And that's a sobering thought for anyone interested in the power
of technology to improve existence.
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