Radio Drama brings together the practical skills needed for radio drams, such as directing, writing and sound design, with media history and communication theory.
    Challenging the belief that sound drama is a 'blind medium', Radio Drama shows how experimentation in radio narrative has blurred the dividing line between fiction and reality in modern media. Using extracts from scripts and analysing radio broadcasts from America, Britain, Canada and Australia, the book explores the practicalities of producing drama for radio. Tim Crook illustrates how far radio drama has developed since the first 'audiophonic production' and evaluates the future of radio drama in the age of live phone-ins and immedate access to programmes on the Internet.

    List of plates, Acknowledgements, Part I: PRACTICE MEETS THEORY, 1. A New Media History Perspective through Audio Drama, 2. Radio Drama as Modernity, 3. The Electrophone or Théâtrophone: broadcasting audio drama before the radio, 4. The Six Ages of Audio Drama and the Internet Epoch, 5. From Sound Houses to the Phonograph Sound Play, 6. A Technological Time-line, 7. A Culturalist Approach to Internet Audio Drama, Part II: SOUND THEORY AND PRACTICE, 8. Radio Drama is Not a Blind Medium, 9. Sound Design Vocabulary, 10. The Cinematic and Musical Inspiration, Part III: THE NEW RADIO DRAMA FORM: SKITS AND LIVE IMPROVISATIONS, 11. Blurring Fiction with Reality, 12. Radio Drama Panics: a cross-cultural phenomenon, 13. Moving from Burlesque to Propaganda and News, 14. The War of the Worlds Effect: Spoonface Steinberg?, 15. Spoonface Steinberg: constructing the Holocaust as a means of identification, Part IV: THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF WRITING AUDIO DRAMA, 16. The Writing Agenda for Audio Drama, 17. Creating the Character and Effective Use of Characterisation, 18. Writing Dialogue, Part V: CONSTRUCTING THE RADIO DRAMA/DOCUMENTARY FEATURE, 19. The Phantom Distinction, 20. Making the Documentary Feature, Part VI: THE PRACTICE AND THEORY OF DIRECTING AND PERFORMANCE, 21. Directorial Responsibility, 22. Managing the Production, 23. Experimental Direction and Performance, Notes, Audio drama bibliography, Index

    Biography

    Tim Crook has written, directed and produced a number of international award wining radio plays, series and documentaries. He is the Head of Radio at Goldmsiths College, University of London, and the author of International Radio Journalism.

    'There are very few textbooks for media teachers interested in radio, so any new addition to the ranks is very welcome. When they are as good as this one it's time to celebrate.' - Roy Stafford, in the picture, Summer 2000

    'Everybody interested in radio should read and enjoy this book and for any teacher taking radio seriously as part of an 'academic' or vocational media course it is an essential purchase.' - Roy Stafford, in the picture, Summer 2000