David Rathband by Justin Sutcliffe (Publicity shot for podcast, gathered from iTunes).

Rathband, a radioplay by Goldsmiths PhD student Christopher Hogg has been ranked the number one Arts Podcast on iTunes this week.

Hogg wrote the play whilst doing his MA in writing for performance at Goldsmiths and has amongst others, the MA Radio alumnus John Wakefield, along as a sound designer on the project.

Based on a true story, David Rathband was shot and blinded by the gunman Raoul Moat in 2010.

The play focuses on Rathband’s life in the aftermath of the shooting.

Rathband relied heavily on social media to communicate with the public after becoming blind, and the play effectively uses that information to play with social media as a narrative tool.

Through a character playing the voice over system Siri we hear what Rathband posts, reads and receives online throughout the play.

Typing from the floor. Rathband is a featured play on Itunes. Thank you listeners.#rathbandplay pic.twitter.com/87HryRM4ei

— christopher Hogg (@goldenanorak) April 4, 2017

The podcast consists of three episodes, and brings up the allegations of Rathband having a relationship to the 7/7 London bombings survivor Lisa French and Rathband’s estrangement from his family during his last months.

Rathband committed suicide in February 2012, in his hometown Northumberland.

The radio play can be found on ITunes and http://www.rathbandplay.com