The Radio Drama Handbook: Audio Drama in Context and Practice

Section 1: A Contextual Guide to Radio Drama; Chapter 1: History of Radio Drama; Case Study: Mercury Theatre on the Air's "War of the Worlds" (1938); Chapter 2: Theories of Radio Drama; Case Study 2: The Revengeand A Pot Calling the Kettle Black; Chapter 3: Radio Drama in the Contemporary World; Case Study: We're Alive: A Story of Survival (2009 onwards); Section 2: A Practical Guide to Radio Drama; Chapter 1: Writing; Chapter 2: Production; Chapter 3: Performing; Case Study: The Terrifying Tale of Sweeney Todd!; Appendix: Writing Effective Radio Ad Copy: Six Steps to Successful Radio Commercials by Rik Ferrell; Bibliography; Websites; Radio, Audio and Screen; Filmography.

Mary Traynor is Head of Teaching and Learning at the Cardiff School of Creative and Cultural Industries at the University of Glamorgan, Wales UK. She teaches a range of radio topics including production, presentation, and drama. Her research interests are essentially practice-based including research into community radio production and radio drama production. She manages the University's input into the local radio station, GTFM. This involves overseeing programming, managing radio training courses and facilitating participation in the radio station by the wider community. She is a member of the Radio Academy, Student Radio Association, and the Community Media Association. Richard J. Hand is Professor of Theatre and Media Drama at the Cardiff School of Creative and Cultural Industries at the University of Glamorgan, Wales UK. His publications include Terror on the Air: Horror Radio in America, 1931-52 (McFarland, 2006) and The Theatre of Joseph Conrad: Reconstructed Fictions (Palgrave, 2005). He is the co-editor of the Journal of Adaptation in Film and Performance. He has published articles on radio drama with a special interest in adaptation and popular genre and has presented his research on the topic at a number of international conferences. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

This is a brilliant resource that intelligently mixes superbly written theory with cutting edge media practice. Professor Hand applies all the immense strengths of his scholarship and knowledge of US and UK radio drama to blend history and theory and explain how this informs best practice. Together with Mary Traynor they enthuse, inspire and guide radio drama writing, performance, direction and postproduction. This invaluable handbook is indispensable in the age of interactive audio drama production in cyberspace as well as traditional BBC style studio recordings. A masterpiece of teaching and research and rallying point for expressing audio drama as an art-form in the 21st century.

Tim Crook, Head of Radio at Goldsmiths, University of London and author of Radio Drama: Theory and Practice and Writing Audio Drama