New Spy Thriller airs on Newstalk

The latest homegrown radio drama to be broadcast as part of the Drama On Newstalk series is The Dead Key, a contemporary spy thriller by Alan Meaney and Jason Gill. 

This weekend, Drama on Newstalk are proud to broadcast the premiere of a new original Irish radio drama, The Dead Key.

In The Dead Key, Producer Alan Meaney and director Jason Gill fashion a contemporary spy thriller and tale of family loyalty...

Brendan Grattan was a young writer with the world at his feet, until a sex scandal caused him to spend the rest of his life in disgrace and silence.

Back in Ireland for Brendan’s memorial, his niece Stephanie begins to doubt the official explanation of his disgrace. Was Brendan innocent after all? And if so, did his dishonour hide another, infinitely more terrible secret?

Her probing introduces her to different associates from Brendan’s life; Marina, his mysterious former Russian lover and British spy David Prentice who demands to know if her uncle has passed on any ‘secrets’ after his death.

The Dead Key unfolds over two episodes through Brendan’s posthumous narrative, spoken into a recording left for his niece, and Stephanie’s efforts to explore the mystery.

BROADCAST TIMES: 

‘The Dead Key’ (Episode 1) will be broadcast on Newstalk 106-108fm on Sunday June 7th 2020 at 7am, with repeat broadcast on Saturday June 13th at 9pm. Podcast goes live after first broadcast.

'The Dead Key' Episode 2 premieres on Newstalk 106-108fm on Sunday June 14th 2020 at 7am, with repeat broadcast on Saturday June 20th at 9pm. Podcast goes live after first broadcast. 

PODCAST SERIES: The Dead Key is broadcast as part of the Documentary and Drama On Newstalk Series, which showcases the best of original, homegrown and groundbreaking Irish Radio features. Podcast full Drama On Newstalk series here:

 https://www.newstalk.com/podcasts/page/1/filter?filter_selected=show-filter&show=documentary-drama-newstalk&series=all

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CREDITS: ‘The Dead Key’ was written and directed by Jason Gill.  It was produced, recorded and edited by Alan Meaney. The cast are Martin Kelleher, Sarah Gordon, Anne Hoey, Pawel Starkowski, Irena Cvetkovic, Ollie Hegarty and Harry Smith. The programme was funded by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland with the Television License Fee

ABOUT THE PRODUCERS:

Alan Meaney is an independent radio producer, based in Galway, specialising in dramas, documentaries and short features.  His work has been aired on RTE, Newstalk, Resonance FM and on various community and regional stations. His radio dramas have been nominated for 7 European Radio Drama Awards. Heads Up - a series on positive mental health was the winner of a CRAOL Award in 2016. A Pilot’s Honour, won bronze at the IMRO Radio Awards 2018 in the drama category. You can listen to his work at www.alanmeaney.ie

Jason Gill has been involved in community theatre since the early 1990’s, and has acted in almost 30 plays. He has written and directed his own full length plays, ‘The House of Peter’ performed to much acclaim in 1994 and ‘The Brothers Malone’, which was performed by Athlone Little Theatre group at festivals throughout Ireland during 2006 and 2007. He has also directed Billy Roche’s ‘Poor Beast in the Rain’ and Willy Russell’s comedy ‘One For The Road’.

He worked as a journalist and columnist for twenty years, and has written a number of novels and short stories. He currently hosts ‘For Art’s Sake’, the weekly arts review programme and ‘Athlone Today’ a current affairs programme on Athlone Community Radio. He wrote and directed the Sound and Vision funded eight part radio detective series, The Killing of Sheila Price and the Sound & Vision funded radio dramas Love Was, When Harry Met Satan The Prime of Johnny Broody and Fairies Only Wear Wings.  A Pilot’s Honour, written and directed by Jason, won bronze at the IMRO Radio Awards 2018 in the drama category.

Sound And Vision Funding Scheme: Sound and Vision is a funding scheme for television and radio that provides funding in support of high quality programmes on Irish culture, heritage and experience, and programmes to improve adult literacy. The scheme is managed by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland.