Cabin Pressure by John Finnemore
Starring: Stephanie Cole, Roger Allam, Benedict Cumberbatch, and John Finnemore
For those of you who haven’t already heard about this sparkling BBC Radio 4 sitcom, consider yourselves forewarned. For you are about to enter a world filled with the kind of rib-tickling, spit-taking humour that is going to positively ensure that you will look like a certifiable maniac to any unfortunate fellow passenger.
Cabin Pressure follows the absurd travails of the charter airline (or rather ‘air-dot’), MJN Air. MJN Air comprises of a solitary rickety 16-seater Lockheed McDonnel 312 that flies around the world running various errands and odd-jobs trying to keep the budget airline afloat (or rather aloft).
It stars such enviable talents as the ubiquitously brilliant Benedict Cumberbatch who voices a desperately insecure Captain, Martin Crieff; the comedic dame Stephanie Cole who voices the delightfully despotic boss, Carolyn Knapp-Shappey; and the effortlessly charming Roger Allam who voices the cool and charismatic First Officer, Douglass Richardson. John Finnemore, the brains behind the ‘brilliant’ script and characters, also does an excellent job voicing the offensively chipper son of Carolyn, Arthur Shappey.
All in all, it is an extremely fun journey from Abu Dhabi to Zurich, and you won’t be bored for a second of it. Indeed, I envy the uninitiated. Fair travels!
