Border radio series to get primetime broadcast

COMA, an award-winning radio soap opera, created and produced by Belturbet's Kevin McCann, is to be broadcast on Newstalk 106 on Saturday, November 21, at 9pm.

The 2015 series of 10 short radio plays were performed by Catriona O’Reilly, Zoe Hickey, Hugh Leddy, Fergal McAloon, James McInerney, Michael Olwell, Orla Cahill, Joanne Brennan, Regina Donoghue and Sean Nulty.

Series one was co-written by Peter Murphy, with sound recording by Paddy Greenan and Shane O’Connor, mastering by Maddu Kambamettu, and editing by Seamus Callagy.

COMA is a journey through 10 inner dramas, from five women and five men from the Border region, each revealing their characters and inner conflicts.The story revolves around daily visitors to a coma victim, with those involved quietly telling him their innermost thoughts and all the goings-on of an Irish town.

A once-popular priest seeks forgiveness; a young girl next door confesses to becoming a school bully; a doctor defends her high status; a butcher reveals his treatment of his family; a best friend reveals his plan to once again get out of trouble; a psychiatric patient with a new lease of life speaks some home truths; a football manager absolves himself from years of guilt; a loyal girlfriend reveals that she has been tempted by infidelity; a father apologises to his son for neglecting him; a mother of a coma victim whispers her secret in his ear.

A review by the Sunday Independent when first broadcast described COMA as 'Radio Artistry at its very best'.

COMA also won a national award for radio drama and reached the finals for the in European Grand Prix Nova radio awards.

“This award-winning, critically acclaimed drama is sure to capture the imagination. Who would have thought so many secrets could be confined to one small town in Ireland, and how willing people are to share their innermost thoughts when they have someone who won’t answer them back!” said Claire O’Dowd, Documentaries & Drama, Newstalk of COMA.

“In the future we would love to have more drama of this calibre. Perhaps even a second series, I for one would love to know what happens next.”