Tom Writes and Acts in Kids' Audio Drama A2Z

Artwork by Rachael Smith

A2Z: AN ALL-AGES SCI-FI DRAMA PODCAST

Starring Tom Crowley and Gemma Arrowsmith
Written by Hannah Berry, Lance Dann and Tom Crowley

A spin-off of the enormously successful children’s drama podcast The Rez, A2Z follows the adventures of kooky inventor Zucks and his closest friend, an artificial intelligence of his own invention called Aileen. Zucks created the little AI just to agree with him about everything, but unfortunately he built her too well. Aileen has a mind of her own, and she’s not sure if Zucks’s general strategy of happiness through staying in and never speaking to anyone is really advisable. Aileen gently encourages Zucks to think about going outdoors, enjoying nature, making new friends and getting to know them, so that he can become a happier person and someday fulfil his dream of toppling the tyrannical Algorithm that runs their whole world and makes everything bland!

Zucks begins to come around to Aileen’s way of thinking, but what he doesn’t realise is that Aileen has other friends out there - you! Yes, you can communicate with Aileen by listening to the show, and by downloading the Aileen app, where you can chat to Aileen directly about the events of the week’s episode. But between you and Aileen, can you help Zucks to come out of his shell, fight off the Algorithm’s mediocre distractions and make his world a better place? You’d better hope so, or you’ll all be staring at beige walls and eating flavourless Cheesesplosions forever! The first two episodes are OUT NOW and the rest of the ten episodes in Series 1 are releasing weekly, so catch up and join the fun!

Artwork by Rachael Smith.

Before A2Z, I was over the moon to be asked to appear in Season 2 of The Rez. The first season, which follows two accidental friends through an egomaniacal dystopia where kindness is extinct, had already been such a hit with kids and parents alike that I knew I was stepping into a well-engineered vehicle. It was a wonderful experience, and playing mad scientist Zucks was an opportunity to channel Christopher Lloyd. Right up my street! Imagine my delight, then, when series producer Lance Dann got in touch to tell me that he and his frequent collaborators Martin Spinelli and Hannah Berry were creating a spin-off focused on Zucks, and that he’d like me to write some of it!

Working with Lance, Martin and Hannah is always a joy, and getting to contribute some deeply silly jokes about futuristic toothbrushes and such to this rich, funny, colourful world was a real privilege. I love Zucks and Aileen and their burgeoning friendship, and you’ll be able to hear my contributions to that journey in Episodes 7, 8 and 9 of this first series. What’s more, the Aileen app is a real wonder! As mentioned above, this app, available on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store, is an interactive chatbot that, through some extremely hard programming work, can discuss the events of the podcast with kids and will always have some wholesome tips for self-care and mental wellbeing to offer. It’s a real marvel, and it’s been heartwarming to hear that real kids across the world have been speaking to Aileen and getting so much from her. You don’t get Gemma Arrowsmith’s delicate, funny, touching performance, though, you have to listen to the podcast to get that!

A2Z is a lushly-designed, kid-friendly, really funny adventure for children of all ages who want to get away from their screens and use their imaginations for a bit. It’s been put together with expert advice from educators and specialists in children’s mental wellbeing and it’s got a lot of good things to say about escaping the darker sides of social media and engaging with the real world. I love this show, I’m so happy to be part of it both as an actor and a writer, and I hope to goodness we get to make more. You can make that happen by downloading the show, listening to it all the way through and getting the Aileen app! But even better, if you have parents who are looking for a new fun, wholesome and deeply silly way to keep their kids entertained, tell them about A2Z. They’ll thank you for it!