An Incident at the Border

Nigel Planer stars as a border-guard in Kieran Lynn's comedy about boundaries that are both territorial and personal.

Arthur and Olivia take the sun in their local park on a beautiful summer's day. Olivia is reading a newspaper article on their country's new-found independence. It seems that no-one knows quite what the terms are for the secession. Arthur couldn't care less. He's apolitical and just enjoying watching the ducks.

Suddenly a soldier arrives, dragging a tape across the ground, marking out the new border. He barges between the two young lovers. Now one is on one side of the new border, and one on the other!

Arthur's attempt to cross is met with a stun-gun jolt from the guard, who has as little understanding of the new rules as the couple. He just knows he has been trained to be suspicious of everyone who isn't from 'this country' which now includes Arthur!

How can our lovers be reunited?

Reiver ...... Nigel Planer
Olivia ...... Leah Brotherhead
Arthur ...... Joseph Kloska

Director: Peter Kavanagh

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2011.