Ectoplasm: A BBC Radio Sitcom

The swashbuckling exploits of Edwardian occultist and adventurer Lord Zimbabwe, written by and starring Nick Romero and Dan Freedman

Laugh out loud at this 2000s sitcom featuring the outrageous time travelling Edwardian Lord Zimbabwe (Nick Romero), and his friend the German inventor Doctor Lilac (Dan Freedman). This pacy comedy has the travelling duo racing across space and time solving mysteries and thwarting evil enemies with the help (or lack thereof) of Zimbabwe’s butler, Theremin, who refuses to carry out any of his instructions, and Schrödinger, a semi-corporeal cat that exists in a superposition of quantum states of life and death.

First stop on the adventure is Ancient Egypt, where Lord Zimbabwe must swash a buckle or two! The tackiest Pharaoh civilisation ever created experiences an untimely death and unwittingly unleashes an evil curse on humanity - will the intrepid adventurers be able to save the day as well as the damsel? There is barely time for a hot buttered crumpet and a cup of tea when a mysterious Countess begs Lord Zimbabwe to win back her soul from the Lord of the Underworld. The stakes are high – if the soul is not retrieved, the Countess is destined to become a Barry Manilow fan for eternity... Soon after, the beautiful Miss Clanton summons the occultist over the seas of time to the Wild West and the town of Tombstone, where her evil uncle, the Waffle Barron is set on dastardly acts. Despite his trusty butler Theremin, refusing to carry out any of his commands, Lord Zimbabwe presses on and faces his greatest challenge yet when an American heiress is subject to a cruel alien abduction and taken into space - will Zimbabwe and Dr Lilac successfully be able to reach the moon and save her? And more importantly, will they be back in time to feed Schrödinger?

This delightful comedy, written by award-winning duo Nick Romero and Dan Freedman, famous for their fast jokes and clever puns, will have you laughing from here to there and back again.

Cast and credits

Written by Dan Freedman and Nick Romero

Produced by Helen Williams

Lord Zimbabwe - Nick Romero

Dr Lilac - Dan Freedman

Theremin/Ringo - Peter Donaldson

Professor Cockcroft/Contessa Del Monte/Miss Clanton - Sophie Aldred

Priest/Vicar - Colin Guthrie

Ike Clanton/Cletus - Owen Oakeshott

Other parts played by the cast.

First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 11 Jul - 1 Aug 2000

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