OK, it’s not in the same category as someone getting a couple of million clicks on a Tik Tok movie of them trying on a new pair of trainers, but Hyperbole Towers, the Flat Chat venture into “PodCom” quietly clicked over 1000 listens at the weekend.
Hyperbole Towers is the pilot episode of what would once have been called a radio sitcom, set in an apartment block where a long-suffering chairperson struggles to manage a dysfunctional strata committee.
Written by yours truly (drawing on many years of scripting for TV) and voice-directed by Warren Coleman, who was co-director on the Happy Feet movies, performed by a number of top voice-over actors and, with a special cameo from Todd McKenney, it’s actually quite a slick production.
The set-up is that the chair, Charlie, is aided and abetted – and often undermined – by a calculating and conniving caretaker cum building manager called Alfie.
He occupies a permanently locked office from where he seems to be able to monitor everything that’s happing in the building, via an impressive array of CCTV cameras.
The other characters include:
- Amber a “massage therapist” who says it as she sees it … and she sees a lot
- Steve, the committee treasurer who regards everything in terms of money.
- Brooke the hopeless committee secretary who ducks criticism by telling callers that their line is breaking up.
- Retired class warrior Joe, who is still fighting the revolution in his mind
- Do-gooder Wendy who thinks her charitable works entitle her to interfere in everyone else’s business
- Damien a manic day trader for whom the committee is his only social contact.
In this episode the set-up is that Brooke has accidentally created a by-law that says the committee MUST meet on Zoom, rather than can do so.
The café in the commercial area of the block is closing and a massage parlour has applied to take it over.
And there are complaints about a constant tapping noise from one flat which leads to speculation that it’s occupied by drug dealers. Oh, and there’s an attempted coup when Charlie can’t get her Zoom to work.
What happens next? Have a listen just by clicking on the “play” button below and it will come pouring out of your computer speakers or into your earbuds if you are reading this on your phone.
And, if you enjoy it, pass it on to a friend in strata who may recognise some of the characters here. Just click on the social media links at the foot of this story.
LISTEN HERE
[powerpress]
This podcom was made with the generous support of City of Sydney Council.
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