Trustee From The Toolroom

1 x 90 mins

A radio adaptation of Nevill Shute's final novel.

A couple relocating to Canada leave their 10 year old daughter in the care of the wife's brother, while they sail their boat from the UK, via Tahiti (one asks why via Tahiti?) to the west coast of Canada. Due to the restrictions in place at the time, the couple must convert all their assets into diamonds, which they smuggle out of Britain on their boat. The boat is wrecked and both parents drowned, leaving the girl's guardian the task of trying to find the wrecked boat and recover the diamonds for his 10 year old ward.

The acting is of its time - the drowned couple have such stiff upper lips, they could have used these as life rafts - and there are long pauses between scenes, the 1964 BBC believing listeners had to be given time to absorb what had just been said.

All that aside, the story is gentle and makes for a pleasant 90 mins.