The Chandelier Maker: A Radio Drama

We have an amateur drama group who had been meeting for most of 2025 on ZOOM, creating a radio drama for my book, The Chandelier Maker. It has been a massive project and runs to eight episodes, with a total listening time of seven hours! We hope you enjoy them. To find out more about the book, click here

The Cast

Colin Baynes: Newt (and many other parts)

Kim Smith: Jax (and many other parts)

Mark Farlow: Mo (and many other parts)

Monica Maltz: Miss Garland (and many other parts)

Nigel Wylie: The narrator (and many other parts)

Robert Hopkins: Joe (and many other parts)

Rosie Smith: Abi (and many other parts)

Steve Maltz: The commentator (and many other parts)

Preamble

In 1929, after an Arab uprising in Palestine, the British rulers of the land instigated an inquiry into the causes, resulting in the Shaw Report, named after Sir Walter Shaw, who led the inquiry. The findings were controversial and did not do justice to all parties. In fact, it all seemed a bit of a fudge. One of the commission’s members, Henry Snell, a Labour politician, certainly felt so. He issued a ‘note of Reservations’, an addendum to the report, listing his disagreements. His summary was that “a few men of both races” should “meet together and explore the possibilities of common effort for agreed ends,” to work towards co-operation in establishing inter-racial justice and goodwill. “Out of their efforts would grow a reserve of understanding,” he proposed, “to unite Arabs and Jews in the task of building up a happy and prosperous land.”

 Now, almost a century later, they finally got around to it…

The Chandelier Maker: Episode One

An unique assembly. (58 minutes)

We start a hundred years ago and witness an idea for peace between Jew and Arab in the Middle East that takes a century to unfold. In the present day, five people gather together in a room; a Jew, a Muslim, a Christian, an atheist and a convenor. We witness some initial skirmishes as they explain their reasons for being there. Tensions are in the air.

The Chandelier Maker: Episode Two

The road to Hebron. (53 minutes)

We witness two 19th century explorers and their adventures in Palestine. It leads to a spirited discussion about the political climate in Palestine in the 1920s, focusing on the duplicitous role of the British. After an entertaining break (involving the music of Stevie Wonder), we see Mo (the Muslim) and Abi (the Jew) getting to know each other. These are awkward times.

The Chandelier Maker: Episode Three

Hebron and beyond. (55 minutes)

The awful Hebron massacre is played out before them. Abi is upset, particularly as Jax (the Marxist) seems to be in denial over the treatment of Jews in the 1920s and 1930s. The tension is broken by a Quiz show that they are all forced to take part in. It teaches them much about themselves, particularly Joe (the Christian). They then witness the build up and execution of the bombing of the King David hotel in 1946. They quibble over the aftermath, including the formation of the Nation of Israel in 1948.

The Chandelier Maker: Episode Four

The Refugees. (27 minutes)

Using the miracles of advanced technology they witness the reality for refugees throughout the world in 1948. Then we see the reality of what happened to Mo’s family at that time, something that was a great surprise to Jax. The thorny subject of the massacre at Deir Yassin follows, prompting a discussion on truth and narratives. Finally, the subject of antisemitism rears its ugly head.

The Chandelier Maker: Episode Five

The Longest Hatred. (28 minutes)

They then witness first the awful pogrom at Kishinev in 1903 then the events in Jerusalem during the First Crusade in 1099. Joe is distraught but Mo shows remarkable compassion and empathy. Then something left field occurs. They are whisked to a warm seaside resort, where they exercise their imaginations in a game devised by Mo, that results, for the first time in a degree of bonding between them, although Jax is increasingly finding herself isolated.

The Chandelier Maker: Episode Six

The Chandelier Maker (50 minutes)

This starts at the infamous Wansee conference in Nazi times, where the plans for the Holocaust were drawn up. It leads to much introspection, with increased bonding between Joe and Jax, and also Mo and Abi. Mo tells the story of the Chandelier Maker. Then Newt, the convenor, leads them into the early years of the Nation of Israel, including a drama involving a small village in the West Bank, and a history of Hebron right up to the present. Finally a film is shown of the aftermath of the October 7th massacre. Jax’s insensitivity to this prompts a surprising reaction from Abi.

The Chandelier Maker: Episode Seven

Revelations and responses. (84 minutes)

There is a massive rift between two of our characters and a surprising reason given. Jax tells a dramatic real-life story of a family in Gaza, provoking surprising reactions. But then … the biggest revelation of all, which takes the story to a totally different place, as more historical events are discussed and earlier misunderstandings addressed and emotions abound. Then, a surprising twist as a new unwelcome character appears and our four friends are forced to confront each other directly, resulting in amazing reconciliation … for most of them.

The Chandelier Maker: Episode Eight

The End … or is it? (65 minutes)

There is one final interaction, with an earlier scene revisited. This results in the final scenes, at the end of the long day, between the four characters. Then the day ends and the reason for the whole episode becomes clear. Finally, we skip to three years into the future …