We first meet Ruth on a beach in New Zealand, awestruck at the beauty of the beached whale in front of her and desperate to try and save the creature she has travelled so far to see. The stranger who observes her knows her efforts are futile, not only for the whale, but for the two of them as well. Ruth may be in denial about what is coming, but Nik knows the world is about to change forever. Their chances of survival look slim.

In a bold and skilful weaving of Ruth’s desperate present and her past life in London, the story follows two strangers as they confront the worst that can happen.

2/10 The Catastrophe. As global disaster strikes, Ruth’s survival rests on the sanctuary offered by a beached whale, in the company of complete stranger.

Writer:
Kate Sawyer worked as an actor and producer before writing The Stranding. Published in 2021, it was Kate’s debut novel and was shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award and won the East Anglian Book Awards Fiction Award.

Reader:
Kerry Fox is an award-winning actor who came to prominence playing the writer Janet Frame in Jane Campion’s film An Angel at my Table, since when she’s had an international career in films and television.

Abridged by Sara Davies
Produced by Celia de Wolff
Sound Design by Lucinda Mason Brown
Production Co-ordinator: Sarah Wright

A Pier Production for BBC Radio 4 Show less