REMEMBER ME

Sentenced to hanging in 1786, Mary Broad instead travels to a penal colony in Australia. Narrator Eilidh Beaton relates the true story of Mary's escape from the colony, her recapture, and her return to England. Beaton's soft, feminine voice captures all of Mary's conflicting emotions, while maintaining enough distance to describe the reality of life in colonial Sidney. Her female characters, all of whom come from the lower classes of English society, sound convincing and distinctive. Beaton gives her marines, officers, and convicts equal attention, although with a less pronounced accent than she uses for the women. The text and performance bring all of them to life, and provide a startling look at Australia's early days. R.P.L. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 04]