The Hamster
- Radio comedy drama
- BBC Radio 4
- 2011
- 1 episode
Dark Afternoon Play about the perils of economic growth... a couple have a hamster who keeps getting bigger and bigger. Stars Louise Ford, Nick Chambers, Patrick Driver, Illona Linthwaite, John Yapp and more.
Key details
- Genre
- Comedy Drama
- Broadcast
- 2011
- Channel
- BBC Radio 4
- Episodes
- 1
- Stars
- Louise Ford, Nick Chambers, Patrick Driver, Illona Linthwaite, John Yapp, Dominic Hawksley, Bill Nash, Ania Tomaszewska-Nelson and more
- Writer
- Anders Lustgarten
- Director
- Boz Temple-Morris
- Producer
- Boz Temple-Morris
- Company
Things are going to get out of hand for David and Nicola soon after they realise their hamster's unique capacity for growth. It's getting bigger and bigger and bigger. Life has been tough but soon it's improving dramatically. Money is rolling in as people queue up to view the rapacious rodent. But how long can it last? Where will it end?
It must be like the economists say - growth is guaranteed to get us out of the grim situation that we find ourselves in. Or will it?
The Hamster is a dark comedy inspired by an observation made by the New Economics Foundation; a Hamster doubles in weight every week until maturity, after which its growth slows down. If it were to continue growing at that rate it would reach nine billion tonnes by its first birthday. This is why growth, in nature, is limited - and yet we are told that economic growth should continue for ever and ever.
Additional details
- Production
- Studio
Broadcast details
- First broadcast
- Thursday 1st December 2011 at 2:15pm on BBC Radio 4
- Episode length
- 45 minutes