If The Cursed Earth was Judge Dredd as Mad Max, and The Apocalypse War his big, uh, apocalyptic war story, then The Pit is The Wire, or as close to it as Dredd stories get. The disgraced Sector House 301 is a simmering cauldron of vice, corruption and seediness… and that’s just the Judges. Enlisted to whip the misfit Judges of ‘the Pit’ into shape, Dredd comes down on the gang hard, as their new Sector House chief.
Joseph Fiennes is Judge Dredd in this audio adaptation of the Mega-epic (one of the longest in the character’s history), narrated by Paterson Joseph, and featuring a full supporting cast. Listeners lose out on Carlos Ezquerra’s magnificent illustration, but audio is an ideal medium for John Wagner’s blunt brute-force writing. The Pit clocks in at 140 minutes, but speeds along at a tremendous rate, barely stopping to breathe. That’s life in the Pit.
It takes a while to get settled. The biggest sticking point is Fiennes’ Judge Dredd – a softer-spoken, more temperate version of the lawman than we’ve encountered before. Audiences will adjust eventually (especially with Fiennes also starring in Penguin’s America adaptation) but there’s never a time that he doesn’t feel faintly miscast. He’s essentially fienne(s), but no Dredd.
But, as he is in America, Dredd is more supporting character than lead protagonist. The Pit is an ensemble story, populated with some of the most colourful characters ever to don a Judge’s uniform. Some are more rounded than others, but everyone gets their moment to shine… or otherwise. As they always have, Judges Priest and Struthers steal the show, but it also serves as a fine introduction to breakout characters like DeMarco and Guthrie.
While it boasts an impressive cast and special effects, fans of the Big Meg may find this visit to the Pit to be less immersive than they had hoped for. There’s a surprising lack of ambient noise to Mega City One’s most crime-ridden sector, leaving the cast sounding like they’re acting in a vacuum. Regardless, this audio adaptation is a strong showcase for one of the lawman’s most underrated storylines. Fans of both the character and audio drama should enjoy its intricate plotting, high production values and sharp writing. For better and worse, The Pit has never been so clean.
