IN THE COURSE of their radio and television stints a
few months ago both John Irwin and John Metcalf referred enthusiastically to The investigator, a radio play about McCarthyism originally broadcast in Canada, and later circulated privately on tape recordings in America. I have still not heard the recordings; but I am glad to see that the text is now available, published by Sidgwick and Jackson, with illustrations by Ronald Searle, price 8s. 6d. In a preface the author, Reuben Ship, argues that one of the best antidotes to the paralysing poison of fear is laughter: and I would be interested to know—were there any means of finding out—to what extent McCarthy's decline into his present impotence was hastened by the wide popularity of this scathing narrative in sound. But I am told that the text itself does not convey the full McCarthy. flavour provided by the recording. Is that going to be made available, too?
Previous page
