Writing Audio Drama by Tim Crook published by Routledge 31st March 2023
Book Description
Writing Audio Drama offers a comprehensive and intelligent guide to writing sound drama for broadcasting and online. This book uses 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 create 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. Chapters are supported by online resources which expand visually on subjects discussed and point to exemplary sound dramas referenced in the chapters.
This textbook will be an important resource for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students taking courses such as Podcasting, Radio, Audio Drama, Scriptwriting, and Media Writing.
The content of all the companion web-pages for this project is in the process of development, and completion is expected 31st December 2024 following the publication of the printed book 31st March 2023. Many thanks for your patience and consideration.
The Radio Plays of Lawrence du Garde Peach
Lawrence du Garde Peach (1890 – 1974) is a significant early radio drama author who published a collection of his popular scripts commissioned by the BBC in 1931- when he was described as ‘England’s foremost radio dramatist.’
He who wrote under the name L. du Garde Peach, and had a prolific output across all media. His collected plays were published in 1955.
He produced the largest series of Ladybird Books between 1957 and 1974. The History series of illustrated non-fiction books which remained in print until 1986 will be remembered by the many generations of children who read them at home and school.
du Garde Peach had a doctorate in 17th European drama from Sheffield University and started an academic career before turning to full-time writing in the 1920s.
He was a great enthusiast for amateur drama, wrote many one act plays for the genre, and was a key founder of and volunteer for the The Players of Great Hucklow – an amateur theatre group in the Peak District of Derbyshire near his home.
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