Writing Audio Drama

Description

Writing Audio Drama is a comprehensive and intelligent guide to writing sound drama for broadcasting and online production. The book uses new and original research on the history of writing radio plays in the UK and USA to explore how this has informed and developed the art form for more than 100 years. Audio drama in the context of podcasting is now experiencing a global and exponential expansion. Through analysis of examples of past and present writing, the author explains how to originate and craft drama which can explore deeply psychological and intimate themes and achieve emotional, truthful, entertaining, and thought-provoking impact. Practical analysis of the key factors required to write successful audio drama is covered in chapters focusing on audio play beginnings and openings, sound story dialogue, sustaining the sound story, plotting for sound drama and the best ways of ending audio plays. Each chapter is supported by extensive companion online resources expanding and supporting the writers and subjects discussed and explored, and extensive information on how to access online many exemplar and model sound dramas referenced in the chapters. This textbook will be an important resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students taking modules and courses on radio drama, theatre and media drama, audio theatre, audio drama, scriptwriting, media writing. 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