BBC Radio 7, 7 August 2010
Set aboard an ocean liner and in New York City, Blithe Spy involved
Coward (Malcolm Sinclair) in another preposterous plot involving an attractive young man Jonathan (Adam Sims), two double
agents who turned out to be working for the Germans, and a rendezvous with President Franklin D. Roosevelt (Bob Sherman). Coward
was engaged as a spy; but the only problem was that no one could understand his theatrically-inspired secret codes exccpt
for his devoted secretary Lorne Lorraine (Eleanor Bron). This abstrusness very nearly capatulted 'The Master' to
an early grave, as he was once again held at gunpoint by the German double agents. However Lorne managed to crack Coward's
code in the nick of time so as to facilitate his rescue.
In this play Coward came across as someone who, although proud of his national identity,
viewed New York City as his second home. Hence he empathized with the Anericans. However, once at the point of a gun,
he displays the kind of British sang froid that made it seem as it he was not really scared of what might follow,
even though he actually was very scared. Once he had been released, and had the chance to meet the President, he
encouraged Roosevelt to persuade the American people to become involved in the War, even though he realized the difficulty
of trying to convince those in the mid-west (for whom the term Nazi had no real significance).
Blithe Spy was an entertaining adventure, distinguished by a remarkable
vocal impersonation of Coward from Sinclair. The director was Gordon House.
