Radio Dramas are possibly the best form of media there is. There, I said it. I know those are fighting words in todays world and certainly a lot of people outside the UK (or even in the UK) would barely even know what a radio drama, audio drama, radio play or some such actually is. Well, let me tell you.
A radio drama is pretty much like a television show or film, except without the visuals. That is to say it's a scripted story with actors, music and special effects. Often the writing has to be more creative in order to accommodate the format and explain to the listener what is going on. Despite these limitations I feel that this format is truly wonderful. The budget is almost limitless; you can go anywhere and do just about anything. You still have actors giving performances and bringing the characters to life. You still have a musical score. However the information isn't quite so spoon fed. Instead of sitting in front of a screen and being force fed all the information visually, you become engaged in the story. By listening to the dialogue, FX and so forth and filling in the blanks with your own mind you become submersed into the world more completely.
One thing a radio drama is NOT is an audio book. An audio book is as far removed from a radio drama as a politicians speech is from a television drama. Audio books are usually just an actor reading words from a book. Sometimes there's a bit of music or effects, but mostly it's just the story being read. It annoys me when people lump radio dramas in the same category. Or can't tell the difference. Once is a full production with a huge amount of effort and design and the other is a bedtime story.
Here's some great examples of radio drama:
1. Fatherland
John Dryden's adaptation from the Robert Harris book of the same name is one of the best examples I can give. The story is set in a version of history where the Nazi's won the second world war. Dryden's recording style sounds as though somebody really is standing in the room and recording the events as they unfold. Very little music but lot's of ambience in this production. Drawn out and subtle performances from the actors help create a truly chilling environment. A great book and memorable radio experience.
2. The Hobbit
This 1960s Adaptation doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the modern radio drama but it still holds up today. The script was masterfully written to work for the format, although it does occasionally suffer from the cast members having to explain what they are doing. The drama really sucks you in and the end of each episode really leaves you wanting more. This is one of the plays which got me completely addicted to radio drama. It's just a shame that the 1980s version of "Lord of the Rings" turned out to be utterly average.
3. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
In many ways this was the play which changed the landscape for radio drama forever more. When Douglas Adams was commissioned to write his science fiction comedy series he started asking questions. Why couldn't radio drama sound as slick and polished as a Rock n Roll record? And so he set to work, not only on the script, but worked heavily with Paddy Kingsland and spent hours at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, developing an incredible series. Of course he would later adapt the series into a highly successful series of novels, but the radio plays came first. It's just a shame the second series wasn't quite as good and ended on a climax which more or less remained forever unresolved. (Although Dirk Maggs did try to explain this away when he adapted the last three books for radio a few years ago.)
4. The Goon Show
Every once in a while a group of people come together and create magic. This is certainly what happened when Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe. (Michael Bentine left well before its peak.) This is a series which included insane scripts that seem to go nowhere, memorable characters and hilarious sketches. Forget Monty Python, these guys were the real trailblazers. But their use of narration and sound effects often works into the comedy just as well as the actors themselves. Simply put, this show is a classic and one of the best things you'll ever hear.
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