William Melville: Eve of war

This detective drama was written and produced to educate the Irish audience about one of their greatest historical heroes, the spymaster William Melville, a.k.a. ‘M’, whose exploits have been largely overlooked by historians. The script, audio style, performances and soundscape were carefully designed to recreate the classic detective radio dramas of the 1940s, offering a unique nostalgic experience for the listener, rarely heard on radio today. Synopsis: It’s 1914. Europe is on the brink of a war that will define the 20th century, and the fledgling British Secret Service, under the command of Kerryman William Melville, must stop a German spy ring operating covertly throughout London before they carry out their deadly operation. Based on real events this drama recreates the plot that pitted the legendary detective, who hailed from Sneem, Co. Kerry, against the Kaiser's ruthless spymaster, Gustav Steinhauer. Once colleagues but now adversaries, each man will stop at nothing to complete his mission. The German plot is to destroy the gold reserves in the Bank of England, thereby shattering Britain's economy and severely hampering or nullifying Britain's war effort. The events are thought to have inspired Ian Fleming to write his best-selling James Bond novel Goldfinger. This programme is part of a special ongoing series of dramas on spymaster William Melville. This production was selected to compete for the Prix Europa 2016 in the Radio Fiction category and won Silver for Best Radio Drama at the New York Festivals International Radio Program Awards 2016.

This detective drama was written and produced to educate the Irish audience about one of their greatest historical
heroes, the spymaster William Melville, a.k.a. ‘M’, whose exploits have been largely overlooked by historians. The
script, audio style, performances and soundscape were carefully designed to recreate the classic detective radio
dramas of the 1940s, offering a unique nostalgic experience for the listener, rarely heard on radio today.
Synopsis: It’s 1914. Europe is on the brink of a war that will define the 20th century, and the fledgling British Secret
Service, under the command of Kerryman William Melville, must stop a German spy ring operating covertly
throughout London before they carry out their deadly operation. Based on real events this drama recreates the plot
that pitted the legendary detective, who hailed from Sneem, Co. Kerry, against the Kaiser's ruthless spymaster,
Gustav Steinhauer. Once colleagues but now adversaries, each man will stop at nothing to complete his mission.
The German plot is to destroy the gold reserves in the Bank of England, thereby shattering Britain's economy and severely hampering or nullifying Britain's war effort. The events are thought to have inspired Ian Fleming to write his best-selling James Bond novel Goldfinger. This programme is part of a special ongoing series of dramas on
spymaster William Melville. This production was selected to compete for the Prix Europa 2016 in the Radio Fiction category and won Silver for Best Radio Drama at the New York Festivals International Radio Program Awards 2016.