On the Rocks: The Complete Series 1 and 2

Summary

'A radio play by Christopher William Hill is something to look forward to with pleasure' - Radio Times

It's the late 1930s, and even on the remote island of St Martin's in the Isles of Scilly war seems inevitable. But the islanders have their own battles to contend with, stuck on a rock flung 27 miles out into the Atlantic with only their natural grit and gallows humour to see them through.

When a stranger in a suit arrives on the island, the locals decide he must be the undertaker come to deal with the body of the late postmaster. Then they discover he is not an undertaker after all - so they naturally conclude that he's a spy. But the truth is worse than that - his name is Frank Gunwallow and he's been sent over from Penzance to modernise the Post Office, around which their world revolves.

The islanders are determined to resist this unwelcome change, and deeply suspicious of the young man from the mainland. Frank realises he's got a fight on his hands - and it'll take more than a shiny new telegraph machine to win them over...

Created by award-winning novelist and scriptwriter Christopher William Hill, this gentle comedy stars Joseph Kloska as Frank, with Christine Absalom, Peter Marinker and Alex Tregear.


Produced and directed by Mary Peate
Sound by Jenni Burnett, Anne Bunting, Graham Harper and Caleb Knightley
Production Co-ordinator: Jessica Brown
First broadcast BBC Radio 4: 29 November-20 December 2013 (Series 1), 11 May-1 June 2015 (Series 2)

Cast
Frank Gunwallow - Joseph Kloska
Mary - Bec Applebee
Grace - Christine Absalom
Tommy - Stuart Fox
Ben - Alex Palmer
Len - Ed Gaughan
Reverend Tregarthan - Peter Marinker
Morwenna-May - Alex Tregear
Pender - Christopher William Hill
Anthony - David Seddon
Signor Di Bicci - Sam Dale