The Boy At The Back

By Juan Mayoga
BBC Radio 3 Drama on 3
First broadcast – 30 March 2014 22:00h
Next broadcast – 22 March 2015 22:00h

Winner of the BBC Audio Drama Awards 2015 for Best Use of Sound

A psychological drama from one of Spain’s most renowned contemporary writers.

When 17-year-old Claudio insinuates himself into a classmate’s house and begins to write about it as homework, his literary voyeurism soon spirals out of control. Faced with this gifted and unusual pupil, class teacher German is reminded of his own abandoned literary pretensions. Despite his wife’s misgivings, he encourages Claudio’s artistic ambitions. However, the boy’s incursion into the domestic intimacy of his subjects will have unpredictable consequences for both households.

An exploration of the voyeuristic nature of fiction, the exercise of power and the ambiguity at the heart of human relations.

Juan Mayorga’s work has been translated into over twenty-five languages and performed all around the world. He has won numerous prizes including the Spanish National Theatre Award and the Valle-Inclan Prize, and is a five-time winner of a “Max” (Spanish equivalent of an Olivier Award).

Running time
89 minutes

Cast
German ….. Neil Pearson
Juana ….. Haydn Gwynne
Claudio ….. Will Howard
Ester ….. Juliet Aubrey
Rafa Father ….. David Birrell
Rafa Son ….. Max Bowden

Production
Translated by David Johnston
Production Coordinator – Siobhan Maguire
Sound Design by Steve Bond
Executive Producer – Sara Davies
Produced and Directed by Nicolas Jackson

An Afonica Sound Production for BBC Radio 3

Listen to an extract