hawk-like glare

Politics When BBC Radio 4's Today programme took the, as presenter John Humphries says, "unusual step" of promising an MP anonymity if he would write about the atmosphere in Westminster and then hide their identity by having their words spoken by an actor, I wonder if they (the MP or Today) were expecting this performance.

Extraordinary, isn't it. Usually when such things are read out, the actor drops into their audiobook voice, not quite monotone, but certainly with a degree of neutrality. Here, whoever the actor is (he sounds a bit like the late Alistair Cooke) gives it a level of emotional intensity that borders on the ludicrous, as though he's appearing at the National, Olivier Award on standby.

If this wasn't on a news programme I would have been impressed; he is very effective. As he says "I'm not corrupt. I didn't come into this for the money", the expression is so convincing you can almost see him, an old political warhorse, sitting in his office at Westminster, revolver resting on a typed suicide note, glass of ancient whiskey in his left hand confessing his sins to Harry Pearce from Spooks, who's hawk-like glare is almost willing his right hand towards the gun.

But this was on a news programme and eventually I corpsed at the sheer ludicrousness of what I was hearing, and was still laughing when the actor reached what he (and the MP) hoped was the apotheosis ("That's what makes it such a nightmare, and a nightmare that may never end.") and Humphries breathed in audibly before introducing his guests.

Update... Just watched the extended version of Have I Got News For You (because what's the point of the Friday version?) and noticed that Paul Merton, I think, make a comment about someone with a bottle of whiskey in one hand and gun in the other in relation to the expenses scandal. "Great" minds, etc.