The Liars' League, which launched in 2007, is a live short story event now spanning the globe. 'Liars' because in a sense fiction and acting are both lies - and a 'league' because a company of actors and writers work to bring an evening of themed stories to an audience, once a month in London, New York and Hong Kong.

This is the first of three stories recorded at the Liars' League events. In London the theme is 'Boom and Bust', in New York it's 'Entrances and Exits', and in Hong Kong - where we begin - it's 'Cruelty and Mercy'.

Each story brings a distinct flavour of its country of origin - of the culture, people and concerns. Each is populated by ubiquitous skyscrapers and familiar corporations and brands, but at the same time beats to an older rhythm of the people and their traditions - from a Catholic boyhood in New York, through life in London's drabber suburbs, to old traditions surviving amidst the bustle of modern Hong Kong.

In The Last Curse by Peng Shepherd, we are introduced to the 'villain hitters' - old women who sit in the shadow of a motorway underpass in the very heart of Hong Kong. Far below the gleaming towers and hidden from view, evil spirits linger, and the villain hitters mete out their curses.

Written by Peng Shepherd
Read by Harry Oram

Produced by David Roper
A Heavy Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4. Show less