So, as some of you might know I run a podcast theatre company. Every 2 weeks we release a new play, monologue, or poem and have been doing so for over a year now.
I am well-known for being absolutely crap with technology so it was a pleasant surprise to me how easy it was to get all set up and start releasing plays…I guess it goes to prove you can teach an old dog new tricks sometimes as long as you supply her with chocolate and spell everything out in Very Simple Terms.
I went into this project just wanting some of my short plays and sketches to have a life outside of the drawer they were kept in but now it has become something of an obsession with me. Maybe because I was brought up listening to radio comedies like Round The Horne and The Goon Show…and maybe because I’ve found I enjoy creating audio plays and embrace the inherent complications that type of writing brings with it.
For instance, I have to think carefully about what everyone is saying and how I phrase the dialogue. My listeners can’t see what the actors are doing so I either need to know it can be conveyed with a sound effect or is made clear from the dialogue.
Let’s face it, don’t nobody want to hear characters going on as if they were a Bond villain explaining his plan in minute detail to James.
A bit of exposition never hurt anyone but too much is like the literary equivalent of a shovel to the face.
I also have to remember that some of the listening audience will be doing other things while they listen. I can’t be too subtle or move from one point to the other too quickly or they might be left confused and that might lead them to turn off or not come back for the next episode.
And – please don’t take offense at this my fellow humans – I have to remember that some people are a bit…daft/slow on the uptake/damn stoopid at times.
We all know this is true – we’ve all encountered it and we’ve all been it.
I worked for many years as a receptionist and almost eye-rolled myself into a past life some days, but on the flip side, I have also walked away from many an encounter being convinced that the other person now thinks I’m a total space cadet…and with good reason.
It’s amazing how much we pick up from body language and how much of a movie/film/play is about the physical and visual.
If I can see it’s set in a spooky mansion and the main character is wearing mainly black with a sneer on their face and they’re standing behind a door clutching a gun…then I have a clear picture of what this is and what I can expect to happen next.
In audio theatre, you have to set the same scene with sound effects, dialogue, and tone of voice.
We made the conscious choice not to have a narrator because I felt that would get in the way but in doing so I have had to adjust my writing to make what is going on as clear as possible to everyone – even my fellow space cadets.
If you can’t work out what’s going on or you have to struggle to keep up then you’re probably not going to enjoy the experience and above all we want people to listen, enjoy and look forward to the next play.
It’s a challenge but one that I enjoy…so far. It has got a lot easier since we moved from weekly to every other week and with some of the pressure off we are back to enjoying bringing life to all these different pieces of work by some very talented writers and voice actors.
So, whether you’re a space cadet or a genius why not come and have a listen…there’s something for everyone and I promise you some laughs, a few tears, and interesting sound effects…enjoy Mr Bond, enjoy!
The Reluctant Writer 