Statements Revisited

Hi folks,

Wishing you the very best for the coming week from everyone at Rusty Towers!

Firstly, a huge thank you to everyone who joined us for our Statement Begins event in Manchester last week! The atmosphere was incredible as Jonny and Alex read through the statements, with gasps heard at certain moments and the audience chanting “Dig” along with Alex as he read through that particular statement. There was something truly magical about performing iconic Magnus statements in a theatre to a packed crowd and it was a fantastic way to celebrate Rusty Quill’s tenth anniversary.

(Image description: two photos of The Lowry Theatre. On the left is the theatre lit and empty, showing empty seats and stage. On the right is the theatre dark and filled with people, with Alex and Jonny seated and in discussion on the stage.)

The event was made the more special due to the fantastic artwork by Joana Fraga, which was used as a backdrop as the statements were read. Joana created really atmospheric pieces that augmented the performances of the statements. For those of you who weren’t at the event, here’s a few details from some of these artworks. You can find more of Joana's work on her website: www.joanacchi.com

(Image description: Two images featuring details from illustrations by Joana Fraga. On the left is an picture of a dark alley, with a shadowy figure floating slightly above the ground. On the right is a skewed image of a town from a distance. In the sky a giant eye watches over a tiny figure in the foreground).

We’ve been sharing loads of photos from audience members on our social media channels, but here’s some exclusive photos of Jonny and Alex behind the scenes at The Lowry as they prepared for the show.

(Image description: Two black and white photographs of people in a backstage dressing room. On the left Alex is smiling, wearing a white t-shirt and a lanyard for The Lowry. On the right, Jonny is seated in front of a mirror. He is smiling and wearing a flowery shirt.)

For those who couldn’t attend, the performance was recorded by a third party. We will confirm release plans for this recording once we receive the finished edit.

Next up, in this week’s episode of The Magnus Protocol, Alice gets a coffee. As always, the episode will be available to our early access supporters on Tuesday at 4pm BST, or on the public feed on Thursday at 4pm BST.

Finally, a few weeks ago we mentioned that RQ Network show, The Program Audio Series, had acheived an incredible milestone: one million downloads.

We spoke to creator, IMS, to find out more about the show and how he’s celebrating the achievement with listeners!

Tell us who you are and introduce The Program for anyone who might not have listened yet!

Hi, I'm IMS and I'm the showrunner behind The Program audio series, a sci-fi anthology fans often compare to Black Mirror. Unlike that show however, all Program stories are set in the same world - one in which Money, State, and God have been fused into a single entity. Also unlike Black Mirror (and despite what you might think based on that logline!), The Program is much more hopeful and optimistic. Some episodes are comedies (How to keep device drivers from crashing), some are poignant (Planned obsolescence), some spoof true crime (White Algorithm's burden), and some are cerebral meditations on life and universe (In the blink of AI). Since all stories are standalone, any of these are a good place to start!

How has the show evolved over time?

Having released 37 episodes, I played with many genres and formats - dramatic monologues, 3rd person narration, radio interviews, full cast audio dramas... Some stories take place in simulated realities, and those are a lot of fun because I get to explore a different concept each time. For example, there's one in which the simulation discovers a way to copy itself and have people choose their reality - leaving one man fighting to keep his family together. Or one about a simulation abandoned by its beloved System Administrator, and a poor stonemason who ventures on a lifelong quest to preserve Her memory. Or one in which the simulation is disintegrating, with a ragtag group of characters embarking on a journey to the literal end of the world.

How are you celebrating one million downloads?

We had a vote on the best episode illustration so far. They're all made by a super talented artist from Brazil who mixes different techniques for each artwork - meaning just like each story is unique, so is its art! Here's some of the best ranking ones:

(Image description: A grid of four pieces of artwork. The top left image is an image of two people stepping through a portal. The top right image is of a spacecraft above a planet, with an astronaut floating below the ship as if falling to earth. The bottom left image is of a person kneeling and embracing a large bomb, decorated with flowers and a peace sign. The bottom right image is of a suburban neighbourhood that abruptly turns into vast open space filled with enormous rubes of rock, that disappear into the far distance.)

I'd like to add that a lot of fun stuff like polls, quizzes, and monthly updates are accessible to both paid and free members on Patreon, so feel free to follow The Program here: https://www.patreon.com/programaudioseries

You can listen to The Program Audio Series wherever you find podcasts, on The Program website, or the Rusty Quill website.

Here is our full schedule for this week:

Tuesday 22nd July

The Magnus Protocol 44 – Back to Basic (Patreon & Kickstarter Backers) (4pm BST)

Thursday 24th July

The Magnus Protocol 44 – Back to Basic (Public) (4pm BST)

Have a good week all!

The Rusty Quill team