CHEATING DEATH

Narrator Bryan Stansbury puts his considerable talent into this hilarious satire set during Europe's Black Death. Listeners join a ragtag group of pilgrims journeying to Avignon, the papal city, for various, often irreligious, reasons. Stansbury's accents are superb. Characters include two Brits, Robert, who is taking a break from his family, and Cuthbert, who begins earnestly and is corrupted by others; an Italian named Nicolo, a con man from childhood who is hoping to deliver a message to Pope Clement VI (Clem); and tough-talking, clever German Hildagen, who aims to assassinate the pope to avenge her brother. The standout is Father Ricolea--Stansbury changes the timbre of his voice to give him a squeaky voice. Drunken antics are well rendered, and Norman, a flea, and Albert, a rat, sound fully credible. The satisfying conclusion adds to the mirth. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2020]