Review: The Ethical Hacking Bureau

The Ethical Hacking Bureau is a conspiracy-tinged romp about three women trying to expose corruption in government.

Is there a name for the genre where women band together to bend the law, defying - and exploiting - stereotypes as they go? I certainly feel like I've met Patricia Hodge's character before: the liberated, older middle-class lady who's making up for lost time as she challenges her boundaries.

The play deftly sneaks in some effective but non-preachy arguments about racism and attitudes to autism. Writer David Leddy has put a great deal of thought into establishing these characters and there's a definite 'series' feel to them. I want to know what injustice they tackle next.

Quibbles? I'm not sure about the 'recording as we go' trope used in the play. It's a little like the use of 'found footage' in movies: you sometimes find yourself wondering why a character has her recorder switched on and who's responsible for the edit. Yet capturing the bad guys condemning themselves is crucial to the plot, so this approach gets a pass. (Much harder to believe is the idea that any politician has the time or interest to devote to anything other than Br*x*t - but that's hardly the fault of the writer.)

Also...: This play contains invisible children. You know - a character's children are mentioned but not named or enumerated and there never seems to be any question about who's looking after them. They're described as 'small', so perhaps they just don't show up on radio.

With a 'what-the-hell's-going-on?' count of only 1, The Ethical Hacking Bureau is a lively and adventuresome piece which is fun to listen to and memorable. It was directed in Scotland by Kirsty Williams and previously heard in February 2017.