"Wildfire at Midnight" - BBC Radio Saturday Night Theatre - by Mary Stewart - Mystery

Classic Old Time Radio, Vintage radio shows, the Golden Age of radio, murder, mystery, drama, comedy, sci-fi, westerns. "Wildfire at Midnight" by Mary Stewart, adapted for *BBC Saturday Night Theatre*, is a moody and suspenseful mystery set on the rugged Isle of Skye during the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Fashion model Gianetta Brooke, seeking solitude from London’s bustle and her failed marriage, retreats to a remote hotel in Camasunary. Her plans unravel when she discovers her ex-husband, Nicholas Drury, is also a guest. Tensions rise as a ritualistic murder of a local girl shocks the community, followed by more deaths that mimic ancient pagan sacrifices. As Gianetta becomes entangled in the investigation, she must navigate a cast of eccentric guests: mountaineers, actors, jealous spouses, and folklorists—all with secrets and motives. The killer’s obsession with nature worship and mythic purity leads to a chilling climax on the mountainside, where Gianetta must confront both danger and her lingering feelings for Nicholas. The radio adaptation aired in May 1974, starring Ursula Smith and Stephen MacDonald, and captures Stewart’s blend of romantic tension, atmospheric dread, and psychological intrigue.