MIDNIGHT CAB

James W. Nichol’s novelized adaptation of his popular CBC radio series suffers here, despite Scott Brick’s efforts to animate the slow pace and often maudlin text. And Brick has no easy task, considering that he must supply a huge amount of back story to what was once a witty, fast-moving piece of audio theater. When the text descends into characters’ often distraught psyches, this thriller about a warped Canadian dynasty becomes an unbearable soap opera, as Brick lays on the emotion in an effort to be true to the writing. Listeners are recommended to listen to the original “Midnight Cab” for a markedly improved experience. D.J.B. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 05]