The Hitchhiker

“The Hitchhiker” is a radio thriller, written to be performed by voice actors and accompanied by atmospheric music and sound effects. It is an unusual take on a ghost story. In traditional ghost narratives, a living protagonist is haunted by the (often malevolent) spirit of a deceased individual. In some stories, the ghost truly exists; In others, it is a figment of the tormented protagonist’s imagination. Fletcher plays with these ideas, introducing a questionably credible protagonist who is haunted by a ghostly figure and then revealing late in the play that he has been dead since the third page. “The Hitchhiker” draws its horror from several elemental human fears: death, isolation, and madness. Fletcher ultimately suggests that death, while terrifying, must be accepted as the natural and inescapable ending to life.

Fletcher creates a tense and suspenseful atmosphere using foreshadowing, repetition, and dialogue delivered by an increasingly fearful protagonist. Sound effects and musical additions enhance the horror of the story: The play opens with a burst of “weird and shuddery” music as Adams introduces himself (94), asserting frantically that he is sane.