All killer, no filler
Dashing Onions Audio review
Rating – 
The way that this blog works is as follows: I go through phases of bingeing many different podcasts (and starting to write reviews). Then I invariably get stuck, and so this is followed by weeks of finding new ones, hopefully that are easier to review. This is one of those new ones. I’m not sure how I heard of it, but the name was interesting.
Cryptic names are left even more enigmatic when you delete all trailers and previews before listening. So with absolutely no idea what to expect, I pressed play on episode 1.
So what’s it about?
Dashing Onions Audio is an anthology podcast, featuring stories from the decidedly stranger side of fiction. While the stories may stray into horror territory, as a whole, they are just weird uncanny tales.
The subject matter is diverse, but there is always a cunning twist to pull the rug out from underneath you. Don’t think of this as another Literarium, these are full cast productions that feel more like the old Play For Today TV series, or certain episodes of Tales Of The Unexpected. As such, they have that vintage, cosy feel that you all know I love so much.
Is it any good?
The bitesize episodes are excellently written by Fiona Thraille, a prolific voice actor in her own right. I actually thought I recognised her voice, and indeed I did. She played Jane in the legendary A Scottish Podcast. My mind works like that. A voice will drag up memories from shows lodged deep in my memory banks.
The length of the episodes means that the plots are kept tight, and there is no room for anything extraneous. There’s no unnecessary exposition, no filler. Just brilliant storytelling. It also means the entire series is eminently bingeable. In fact, I got through the whole lot in no time, even the epic length final story. This final tale is posted both as a series and an omnibus, not that it makes any difference, but I guess it’s nice to have the choice.
There are plenty of familiar voices here from many well loved podcasts. It seems like a dream lineup for an audio drama cast, with names like David Ault, Karim Kronfli, Sarah Golding and Matthew McLean, you know you’re in for a treat (even if McLean seems in danger of being typecast as “Angry Scottish Villager #1”)
Final thoughts
This is a great show that I’m so glad to have found. If the more cliché horror shows are wearing a bit thin, then this is the perfect antidote. I have managed to get through all the episodes in almost no time, and I really can’t wait to hear what comes next. Fiona Thraille has created something truly special here, and you would be foolish to pass this podcast by.
You can get Dashing Onions Audio here:
https://www.greatpods.co/podcasts/dashing-onions-audio-639585
For more great reviews, I recommend GreatPods