East Cowes writer Ayad Andrews lands BBC Radio 4 drama Follow the Money

A new radio play, entitled ‘Follow the Money’ by East Cowes scriptwriter, Ayad Andrews, is to be broadcast on BBC 4, on Wednesday at 2.15pm, as part of its afternoon drama slot.

In 1976, America was still reeling from the Watergate scandal. President Richard Nixon had resigned, and public faith in its politicians had been shaken to its core. Into this febrile climate arrived ‘All the President’s Men’, a film that would become one of the most celebrated American movies of the 20th century.

On the 50th anniversary of the film’s release, this is not the story as told on screen, it is the story behind it.

Ayad explained: “Roberts Redford had secured the film rights and persuaded his great friend, Oscar-winning screenwriter, William Goldman, to adapt the book while the scandal was still unfolding.

“Goldman had written insider books on Hollywood, and told of the story of his relationship with Redford over this period, and I thought it would be a great topic.

“I also researched Redford’s point of view of the film, as well as the journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein who broke the story. Each one of them had a different perspective. I wanted to find out the truth in the making of the film.

“The outcome was that the relationship between two great friends, Redford and Goldman, was destroyed.”

Persuading the BBC to take it on was not the easiest of tasks, and Ayad added: “It has been nearly two years to come to this stage. Initially, you send in a short sample script and, if successful, then a longer one. They wanted it to be broadcast in September, on the anniversary of Redford’s death, but I persuaded them to do it now on the 50th anniversary of the film.”

Andrew is in demand and also runs a fortnightly writing group at the Apollo Theatre, Newport. The programme is the current Radio Times ‘Drama pick of the week’, and the play features top actors, James Purefoy (Fisherman’s Friends), Rupert Evans (Bridgerton), Tom Brittney (Grantchester), and the popular Kevin Bishop.