Its terrifying vision of the future was born in an age of booming heavy industry. Peter Straughan's radio version finds hero, F.T. Fredersen, caught up in a nightmarish world all too recognisably drawn from the one we find ourselves in today.
Freder, the protagonist of Metropolis is an underworked "captain" in a high level position in the futuristic consumer society of the mega city named Metropolis. Feeling suicidal, but unable to understand why, Freder switches identities with a low level "product insertion" - a kind of telemarketing - but failing at that Freder soon finds himself working for Maria, an imperfect beauty with all the answers. Maria plunges Freder into the depths of her underground conspiracy to disrupt the workings of society.
Edward Hogg stars as Freder and Tracy Wiles as Maria. With Kim Wall, Damian Lynch, Peter Marinker, Elizabeth Bell, Anthony Glennon, Liz Sutherland, Jacqueline Cloake and Thomas Wheatley.
Written by Thea von Harbou
Dramatised for radio by Peter Straughan
Directed by Toby Swift