RADIO DRAMA

WHAT IS RADIO DRAMA? Radio drama is an audio way of telling a story. The point of radio drama is that there is no visual and relies mainly on music, sound effects and script. Radio drama achieved widespread popularity within a decade of its initial development in the 1920s. By the 1940s, it was a leading international popular entertainment. Most countries never got back their full popularity after the 1950`s hit of television and it faded altogether but most countries still use it to this day. As of 2006, radio drama has had a minimal presence on terrestrial radio in the United States. Much of American radio drama is restricted to rebroadcasts or podcasts of programs from previous decades. However, other nations still have thriving traditions of radio drama. In the United Kingdom, for example, the BBC produces and broadcasts hundreds of new radio plays each year on Radio 3, Radio 4, and BBC Radio 7. Drama is aired daily on Radio 4 in the form of afternoon plays, a Friday evening play, short dramas included in the daily Woman's Hour program, Saturday plays and Sunday classic serials. On Radio 3 there is Sunday evening drama and, in the slot reserved for experimental drama, The Wire. The drama output on Radio 7, which consists predominantly of archived programs, is chiefly composed of comedy, thrillers and science fiction. Podcasting has also offered the means of creating new radio dramas, in addition to the distribution of vintage programs.podcastsBBCRadio 3Radio 4BBC Radio 7Woman's Hour The terms "audio drama" or "audio theatre" are sometimes used synonymously with "radio drama" with one notable distinction: audio drama or audio theatre is not intended specifically for broadcast on radio. Audio drama, whether newly produced or OTR classics, can be found on CDs, cassette tapes, podcasts, webcasts and conventional broadcast radio. "Radio drama documentaries" are also called "feature".

RADIO DRAMA TODAY As the 21st Century begins, audio theatre appears to be growing and changing. Computer technology has made the audio engineering and production aspects easier and less expensive. One result of this is the growth of fan-based audio dramas. An audio version of fanfic, these are original productions based on existing characters from literature, television, or movies. These are often, but not always, created without permission from creators or copyright holders of the works on which they are based. Such productions are often made available via podcasting. Another result of new technology is the ability for experienced producers to do more with the medium than ever before. Advancements in microphones, mic techniques, and recorded media, allow subtlety in performance which could not be attempted during the "golden age of radio", and advancements in computer- based audio production software allow for easier editing and post-production than previously available, allowing for a wider variety of sound design options. Audio theatre also is gaining recognition in schools and universities around the world as an effective educational method. Several companies offer "lesson plan" versions of audio theatre for use in teaching history, social science, or ethics. Some universities with broadcasting programs have also begun to look to audio theatre as a method of training radio acting skills.

INDEPENDENT RADIO DRAMA PRODUCTIONS started in 1987 and soon became one of the world's leading independent producers of radio drama. IRDP was a non profit making company and was run by directors Tim Crook, Richard Shannon and Marja Giejgo. IRDP's ambition was to promote the value of radio drama and to expand opportunities for writers new to radio. IRDP ran festivals and competitions which resulted in the production and broadcast of many plays by new writers who would not otherwise have had the chance to hear their work aired on the radio. In 1996, IRDP received a nomination at the Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards for 'Developing and Fostering New Writing' in recognition of this work. The Woolwich Young Radio Playwrights' Competition was awarded the Daily Telegraph / ABSA award for Best Youth Sponsorship in For details of other awards, visit our Awards page.

MANY FLEE HOMES TO ESCAPE `GAS RAID FROM MARS'--PHONE CALLS SWAMP POLICE AT BROADCAST OF WELLS FANTASY A wave of mass hysteria seized thousands of radio listeners between 8:15 and 9:30 o'clock last night when a broadcast of a dramatization of H. G. Wells's fantasy, "The War of the Worlds," led thousands to believe that an interplanetary conflict had started with invading Martians spreading wide death and destruction in New Jersey and New York. The broadcast, which disrupted households, interrupted religious services, created traffic jams and clogged communications systems, was made by Orson Welles, who as the radio character, "The Shadow," used to give "the creeps" to countless child listeners. This time at least a score of adults required medical treatment for shock and hysteria.

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