Writing Audio Drama

Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
About the Author
Preface
	Companion Website Resources
Chapter 1: Radio Drama Is Born and Is in Its Cradle
	The Medium of Almost Unlimited Possibilities
	The Problem with Stereotypes
	Audio Drama Is Spoken Word – for the Ear and Not the Eye
	David Pownall – ‘Sound Theatre Is a Performance Art of Special Purity’
	Shakespeare as Radio Drama
	David Pownall’s Laser Test – An Epiphanous Use of the Microphone
	BBC Advice and Guidance: Past and Present
	Special Characteristics and Early ‘Secrets of the Radio Drama’: Reith and Shaw
	Seeing with the Mind’s Eye, Studio Production, Perceptions of the Future, Art and Excelsior: Archer, Drinkwater, Jeffrey, Smythe, and Thorndike
	Companion Website Resources
Chapter 2: The Psychology of Writing and Listening
	Darkness Epiphany Plays of 1923 and 1924
	The Not So ‘Comedy’ of Danger
		The Dweller in the Darkness
	Companion Website Resources
Chapter 3: Instrumental Utilitarianism in Radio Playwriting: The Evolving Thoughts of Val Gielgud
	The Wireless Play – I. For the Aspiring Dramatist
	Val Gielgud. The Wireless Play – II. Choice of Subject
	The Wireless Play – III. Length and Method
	The Wireless Play – IV. ‘How Many Studios?’
	The Wireless Play – V. People of the Play
	The Wireless Play – VI. A Practical Example
	Concluding Thoughts for the Writer on the Medium with ‘Unlimited Possibilities’
	Companion Website Resources
Chapter 4: Achieving the Long Form Audio Drama
	Audio Drama’s Key Elements
	Analysing the BBC’s Life Lines Using Gordon Lea’s 1926 Template Radio Drama and How to Write it – ‘The World in a Buttercup and Jewels Against a Background of Black Velvet?’
	Reginald Berkeley’s Bridging Achievements in Dramatising Consciousness with Modernist Technique
	L du Garde Peach – The Mary Celeste: A Mystery of the Sea – Long Form Radio/Audio Drama
	Tyrone Guthrie – Rhythm and Long Form
	Companion Website Resources
Chapter 5: Beginning the Sound Story: Techniques and Devices
	Who? What? Where? When? Why, and How?
	Vissi d’arte by Paul Sirett. IRDP for LBC 1990. English Version Compared with the NRK Norwegian Version
	Cigarettes and Chocolate by Anthony Minghella. BBC 1988
	Sorry, Wrong Number by Lucille Fletcher. CBS 1943.
	The War of the Worlds by Howard Koch for Mercury Theatre on the Air CBS 1938
	Richard Durham’s Origination of Characterisation in Radio Play Openings
	Opening the Long Form – Caryl Phillips The Wasted Years (1984) and Nigel D. Moffatt’s Lifetime
	Verse Plays by Norman Corwin and Benjamin Zephaniah – Some Model Beginnings
	Conclusions
	Companion Website Resources
Chapter 6: Characterising the Sound Story: Techniques and Devices
	Characters Unique to the Audio Drama Medium
	Creating the Character and Effective Use of Characterisation
	Conclusions
	Characterisation in Morton Wishengrad’s The Battle of the Warsaw Ghetto ( 1943)
	Companion Website Resources
Chapter 7: Dialogue and the Sound Story: Techniques and Devices
	Writing Dialogue – Key Principles
	Companion Website Resources
Chapter 8: Sustaining the Sound Story: Techniques and Devices
	Ironic Transposition of Character in Audio Drama Play Development
	Ironic Transposition – from Conrad to Bleasdale
	Dramatic Ironic Transposition Through Interiority
	Ironic Transposition Through Tagged Words, Phrases and Sounds Between Scenes
	Companion Website Resources
Chapter 9: Plotting the Sound Story: Techniques and Devices
	The Mechanics
	Audio Drama Plot Peculiarities
	Analysing Plot Structure in The Wasted Years (1984) by Caryl Phillips
	Checklists for the Audio Drama Writer
	Companion Website Resources
Chapter 10: Ending the Sound Story: Techniques and Devices
	Complicating and Enhancing Conflict Struggles
	Locations of Ironic Effect
	Audio and Radio Dramatic Endings
	The Haunting Ends of Lucille Fletcher’s The Hitch Hiker and Sorry, Wrong Number
	The Filmic Sophistication of the Ending of Caryl Phillips’ First Radio Play The Wasted Years
	Endings in Richard Durham’s Destination Freedom Plays
	Trust in the Listener’s Imagination. Bertolt Brecht’s The Trial of Lucullus
	Conclusions
	Companion Website Resources
Chapter 11: Film, Internet, and Stage Dimensions to Sound Storytelling: Techniques and Devices
	Cross-Media Projects
	Dad’s Army Ten Seconds from Now
		Sorry, Wrong Number – Radio, Film, Radio
		Citizen Kane – Radio Play on the Screen?
	Radio and Film – Oluwale by Jeremy Sandford
	Companion Website Resources
Bibliography
	Books and Journals
		Academic Theses
		Giles Cooper Award winners
		Newspaper, Magazine and Online Articles
		Radio and Audio Programmes referenced in the text
		Archives
		Films and Television Drama referenced in the text
		Internet Sites and recommended radio and online listening
		Paul Ashton’s Perfect 10. Blog at BBC Writers Room
		Script Room latest: radio drama
		John Yorke’s 10 Questions
		Writing Radio Drama
		Monday–Friday 10:45–11am Radio 4 (repeated at 19.45 weekdays)
		Monday–Friday 2:15–3.00pm Radio 4
		Saturday 2:30–3:30pm Radio 4
		Sunday (time varies) Radio 3
		Life Lines Podcast
		BBC Radio Four Extra Podcasts and Podcast Radio Hour
		Script Library – Radio Drama
		Making Radio Drama – the bad news and the good news
		Writing for Radio – Find Your ‘Itch’
		The Writer\'s Prize commission: Bang Up
		Creating Home Front – Radio 4’s epic new First World War drama
		Red Velvet – Rediscovering Ira Aldridge
		Writing The Archers: From idea to airwaves
		Five things I know about writing The Archers
		Gordon House talking about key things when writing radio plays. 1 Nov 1996
		Ten tips for writing a radio play. 2020 BBC World Service International Radio Playwriting Competition
		Companion website pages
			Additions and updates for individual chapters
		Special subject pages
Index