More Dirk Gently!

Following on from the dramatisation of Douglas Adams's first Dirk Gently book last year, the second book - The Long, Dark Tea-time of the Soul - is now being dramatised on BBC Radio 4. Harry Enfield (British comedian), Billy Boyd (Pippin from LotR) and Peter Davison (the 5th Doctor) are back as Dirk Gently, Richard McDuff and Simon Draycott who become involved with some Norse gods. I enjoyed the first episode (though I'm afraid it's not online anymore) and am expecting the rest of it to be as good as the first series (which is also available to buy now in shops).

Award News

While I've been away there's been a lot of activity in the awards sphere. The 2007 Mark Time/Ogle awards for Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror Audio Productions were announced in July. The winners are:

MARK TIME (Science Fiction) - Space Casey Written and Produced by Christiana Ellis

OGLE AWARDS (Fantasy/Horror) - The Stuff of Myth 
Produced and Written by Roger Gregg of 
Crazy Dog Audio Theatre

Full results can be seen on the site - there's a few here I haven't heard yet and am very much looking forward to hearing. Congrats to all the winners, particularly Christianna Ellis for being up there with more experienced professionals.

The Sonic Society held their first 'Uni Awards' this summer for listeners to vote on their favourite shows of the season. Wormwood won all categories across the board, apart from best stand alone show which was won by Sonic Cinema's Firefly: Wedding Day. Although Wormwood is an amazing show, it is a shame that other productions didn't get a look in.

The winners of the Parsec Awards for Speculative Fiction Podcasting have also just been announced. The audio drama categories were won by Space Casey and Billibub Baddings and the Case of the Singing Sword for short and long form respectively. I have to say that I thought Billibub Baddings was a full cast audio book rather than a drama, though the lines seem to be becoming increasingly blurred. The best short story went to Scott Sigler's Red Man and Mur Lafferty won best story in both novella and long form for Heaven - Season 4: Wasteland and Playing for Keeps.

Well done to all the winners and participants - it looks like I've got lots of great listening ahead of me!

The Return of the Blog!

Wow, it's been a long time! Apologies to anyone (assuming there still is anyone) reading this blog, but various things (change of job, a move back to the UK and some health problems) rather took over my life, and then the longer I left it the more difficult it became to restart. Thanks to all those who contacted me - guilt, it seems, is a good motivator!

With the time away I've had a chance to think - when I decide to start this blog it was before I discovered the other excellent blogs around, and a while before Audio Drama Talk was created. I started it as a way to contact other fans and let people know about the great audio dramas I'd found (and also to get myself writing). Since then I've discovered that there are many more that I'd imagined and that they are rapidly growing in number, which is brilliant but a little overwhelming! Also because of the serialised format, I think people want to know what's good now rather than reviews of finished productions.

So I'm taking this opportunity for a little 'blog revamp' - I'll be concentrating on audio dramas I discover and am listening to (and probably some podcast audio book since I've been listening to those as well recently) as well as general news items.

So thanks for staying with me, and happy listening!

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Performance!

If you're in London in March you should definitely considering buying tickets for The Sixth Annual Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture. Not only does it include a lecture in aid of "Save the Rhinos", but it also includes a live performance of parts of the radio plays. Details are below (thanks to www.audiotheater.com for the info)

I'm just upset that I'm not going to be in the UK!

THE SIXTH DOUGLAS ADAMS MEMORIAL LECTURE BY
STEVEN PINKER
"The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature"

will be followed by

A 30th ANNIVERSARY LIVE PERFORMANCE of radio script material from

THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY
by DOUGLAS ADAMS

performed by members of the ORIGINAL CAST
Wednesday 12 March 2008 at 7.30pm
Royal Geographical Society, South Kensington, London

Artists hoping to take part include:
Simon Jones as Arthur Dent
Geoffrey McGivern as Ford Prefect
Mark Wing Davey as Zaphod Beeblebrox
Susan Sheridan as Trillian
Roger Gregg as Eddie
Stephen Moore as Marvin The Paranoid Android
With a Very Special Guest as the Voice Of The Book


The funniest and most thought-provoking science fiction comedy ever was premiered on BBC Radio 4 on March 8th 1978. This live 30th anniversary performance of script material from the series reunites original cast members who worked on all the "phases" of Hitchhikers, from Primary to Quintessential.

This is a celebration of all that was unique and astonishing about Douglas Adams' talent, in aid of his favourite cause, SAVE THE RHINO INTERNATIONAL and distils the essence of his greatest creation into a live event, performed on stage with music and sound effects as if a classic audience radio recording.

Produced by Dirk Maggs & James Thrift



For tickets and further details contact Fiona at Save the Rhino 0207 357 7474
fiona@savetherhino.org www.savetherhino.org

Talk Audio Drama!

Now there's a brand new place on the web now to discuss your favourite audio dramas - Audio Drama Talk. The good folks at the Sonic Society suggested the idea and Marcus Beattie has put it into practice, and very good it looks too.

The forum allows you to discuss your favourite shows, chat to fellow audiophiles and get advice about doing your own production - see you over there!

Christmas tidings

There are a few seasonal specials out there on the web. Firstly Radio Drama Revival has Waiting for Father Christmas, a drama about a woman reassessing her life from the wonderful Wireless Theatre Company and also a special Christmas episode of the Red Panda (in rhyming couplets!) from Decoder Ring Theatre. Buffy between the lines has also got several seasonal episodes with stories and a "Christmas EP"!
Update: Also the Sonic Society have a special "Jack and Shannon Christmas Card" with an extra special bonus for us Firefly fans!

If you're interested in old time radio shows there's also a list of episodes with Christmas themes to download for free at Old Radio Fun, with shows ranging from classic, to religious to super-hero and fantasy.

Of course the BBC has many special seasonal programs including

A ghost for Christmas
BBC7, 20th-21st Dec
Childrens ghost stories.

Adrian Mole at Christmas
BBC7, 24th-26th Dec
Adrian Mole's Christmas diary.

Jennings at School - Happy Christmas Jennings
BBC7, 24th Dec
The late Jennings author Anthony Buckeridge appears as Mr Wilkins in a seasonal dramatisation of life at Linbury Court School.

Hercule Poirot’s Christmas
and
The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding
BBC7 25th Dec
Seasonal Poirot mysteries by Agatha Christie

The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain
BBC7 27th Dec
Charles Dickens' last Christmas story is a vivid account of a man tormented by his past.

MR James at Christmas
BBC Radio 4 24th-25th Dec
Derek Jacobi introduces five new chilling dramatisations of MR James' ghost stories. MR James (1862-1936) was arguably the finest writer of ghost stories that England ever produced, influencing the likes of HP Lovecraft, Ramsey Campbell and Stephen King. Warning: apparently these are very scary!

Looks like there's lots of audio fun out there to share with/escape from the family!

Happy holidays!

Happy birthday BBC7!

The BBC digital radio station dedicated to drama and comedy, BBC7, is turning 5 on Dec 15th. I'm sure you'll all join me in wishing them a happy birthday, and thank them for all the wonderful stories they provide for us!

The special birthday edition on Saturday is playing requests from the listeners and includes

Theo: This delightful drama about the various owners of a rare cinnamon plush bear has always been a firm favourite with BBC 7 listeners. Written by Moya O'Shea it stars Martin Jarvis, Ross Livingstone, David Collings, Jane Whittenshaw and Stephen Critchlow. Directed by Tracey Neale, it was first broadcast in 1995.
12midday and 1am.

Diary of a Madman: This is another much requested monologue. The insight into the mind of a man sliding into madness is powerfully portrayed by Kenneth Williams. Originally broadcast in 1991, it was dramatised by James Burke from Nikolai Gogol's novel.
5.20pm, 11.20pm and 6.20am

as well as many popular comedies. The following week also includes some Christmas ghost stories to get us into the holiday spirit. All BBC7 programs are available as 'Listen Again' from their website for a week after broadcast.

News...

Well, I'm back from my vacation now so hopefully will be able to get back into posting regularly - apologies for the long absence.

In addition to this blog, I've also been asked to write some reviews for SFFaudio. For anyone who isn't familiar with this site, it is dedicated to science fiction and fantasy audiobooks and audio drama (hear their promo here) It's an amazing source of info with regular descriptions of new releases (commercial, internet radio and free podcast), general news and reviews, and I'm very proud to have been asked to write for them!

Space Casey?

Space Casey is a new audio drama starting (I believe!) Nov 26th. (It's a bit advance notice, but I'm away on holiday for a couple of weeks with probably little internet(!), so there'll be little posting. Hopefully it'll be a good oopportunity to catch up on some listening though!) I don't know much about this project other than it's sci-fi and the website says

"Some heroines will steal your heart... This one will steal your wallet."

and that I immensely enjoyed the teasers (go and listen!). I'm hoping that the drama will be as good as the teasers!

Update: It seems I got the date wrong - it actually starts on Nov 28th.

A Thanksgiving audio feast!

In honour of Thanksgiving BBC7 is running a special Stars and Stripes season of American dramas for the next three weeks. This includes dramatisations and reading of many famous American works including Last of the Mohicans, Little Women, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Breakfast at Tiffany's, The Handmaids Tale, Children of the Corn (Stephen King) and various works by Edith Wharton, Raymond Chandler and Kurt Vonnegut.

Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys

This Saturday 17th Nov at 8pm (presumably GMT) the BBC World Service is broadcasting a brand new audio dramatisation of Neil Gaiman's book Anansi Boys. It should be available to listen to on the website for a week after broadcast (click on radio player). It has some famous British comedy actors (Lenny Henry, Matt Lucas) and is promising to be very good.

More info can be found at the Wikipedia entry and Neil Gaiman's great blog.

NATF 2008 script contest

The National Audio Theatre Festival's 2008 script contest deadline is fast approaching. If you're writing a script it needs to be posted by the 15th November. More info can be found here.

Late Halloween Horror!

Yes, I know it's late, but in my defence I've been very busy with job interviews (aagh - that's a horror all of its own!) Hopefully my life will setlle down soon and I'll be able to get back to writing more posts and listening to more audio drama (yay!).

Anyway there's lots of special Halloween offerings - the audio addict blog has a pretty comprehensive list. There's also a Buffy BTL Halloween special.

The BBC also has some classic horror in the form of Dracula and The Fall of the House of Usher (by Edgar Allan Poe)

Radio soap starts podcast

The BBC Radio 4 soap The Archers has just started being distributed as a podcast. This is the first BBC radio drama to be podcast, and hopefully won't be the last.

The Archers has been running since 1950 and features the lives of a small farming community in Britain. Unlike US soaps it is a bit more realistic and less sensationalist - it intersperses stories about normal village life (which can be a little banal!) with more exciting stories. For any newcomers to Ambridge, the website contains more information and background than you'd ever want to know!

Update: Another BBC radio soap Silver Street from the BBC Asian Network is also now being podcast. It's a "gritty daily radio soap set in a vibrant urban community".

Buffy returns!

Attention all Buffy fans - the first episode of the Buffy audio drama "Buffy between the lines" was podcast today. This story takes place after season 5 of the TV series and starts with Buffy's friends dealing with her death.

I've just listened to the first episode and, while there are few teething issues (there are some sound problems, and the timings are a bit off in places), it looks like it could be a good series. There's some good acting - particularly Spike, Anya and Xander - though I did find it very difficult to differentiate the female characters. Buffy fans should have a listen.

NATF 2008 script contest

The National Audio Theatre has just posted their 2008 script contest. The deadline is Nov 15th - see the site for details. The National Audio Theatre also has various resources for writing and directing audio dramas including an annual workshop and online textbook "The Well-Tempered Audio Dramatist".

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency

Any Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy fans out there? Well, BBC Radio 4 will be producing a brand new radio drama of another of Douglas Adams' books - Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. It's got a great cast and is being produced by the same team who did the recent Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy dramas. The first episode starts at 6.30 BST (5.30 GMT) on Wednesday 3rd October 2007, but all episodes will be available to listen to on the website, for a week after airing. After that I'm sure it'll make it's way onto CD.

I'm sure it'll be amazing - enjoy!

Experimental audio from the UK

Britain has, for a number of years, been leading the way in professional audio drama, mainly through the support of the BBC which commissions many hours of radio drama and readings each week. However with podcasting opening up the field, things are developing in the UK (see this article in the Guardian newspaper). and the BBC are starting to think about more experimental forms of audio drama. Radio 4 is making a feature film to be shown in UK cinemas in 2008 before being broadcast in digital radio. The film involves audio and visuals, however it is the audio that is the dominant method of story telling.

One great blog I've come across is the audiodrama blog (nearly the same name as this blog!). It's run by a guy with BBC connections and dedicated to 'creative' audio (particularly short, experimental work). There's even a possibility of winning a BBC commission!

Parsec Award Winners

Well, the winners have been announced from the 2007 Parsec Awards. In the audio drama categories the winners were Prometheus Radio Theatre - the Arbiter Chronicles (long form) and The Radio Adventures of Dr Floyd (short form). All the winners and entries can be seen at the Parsec Awards website.

Congratulations to all the great entries and especially to the winners!

Parsec Awards

The Parsec Awards are awards for speculative fiction (sci-fi, fantasy, horror) podcasts which are due to be awarded at the beginning of September during the Dragon*Con convention. There are two categories for audio drama (long and short), three categories for fiction and various other categories. The finalists in the audio drama sections are:

Best Audio Drama (Long Form)
Second Shift
The Failed Cities Monologues
Prometheus Radio Theatre - The Arbiter Chronicles
Dismay

Best Audio Drama (Short Form)
The Radio Adventures Of Dr. Floyd
Pendant Productions - Indiana Jones and the Well of Life
Amazing Pulp Adventures Starring Mister Adventure
Firefly: Old Wounds
Pendant Productions - Batman: The Ace of Detectives

I was hoping to review all of these before the results, however I don't really have enough time now! I do hope to review all them at some point though.