Radio Play Theatre: Interview with Dr Cheryl Threadgold OAM & Joy Meekings - 2020
95TH ANNIVERSARY
INTERVIEW SPECIAL
Writing Radio Plays
INTERVIEW SPECIAL
Writing Radio Plays
with
&
Cheryl:
A radio play takes place in the minds of audiences, without any vision, therefore the story has to be told effectively by sound alone.
Some of us may remember growing up with radio entertainment before television arrived in Australia in 1956.
Cheryl in 88.3 Southern FM studios. Photography: Terri Adams OAM
I recall having vivid images in my mind of the radio plays’ characters and settings and being emotionally absorbed in the stories. It could never be known of course whether my interpretation was in accordance with the playwright’s vision for the narrative, but believability and engagement with the radio play surely indicates a successfully written and produced production.
I recall having vivid images in my mind of the radio plays’ characters and settings and being emotionally absorbed in the stories. It could never be known of course whether my interpretation was in accordance with the playwright’s vision for the narrative, but believability and engagement with the radio play surely indicates a successfully written and produced production.
In contrast to a stage play where the settings and characters are visually presented to audiences, the radio play listener can only use imagination to mentally construct the location and characters, based on what they hear, rather than what they see.
Joy:
I grew up in England listening to the radio, and all the various programmes and shows were a delight. I loved the comedies: The Goon Show, Round the Horne, Take It From Here, and also adored radio plays and serials like The Archers (still going strong!
and Dick Tracey.
In 2013, as a member of Bayside U3A, I jumped at the chance of joining a course titled ‘How to Write Radio plays’. It was being run by Terri Adams and Cheryl Threadgold and was of six weeks’ duration. There were about six of us in the group and Terri and Cheryl were great exponents of the genre.
Cheryl:
Former professional radio presenter
presenting the completed plays in her weekly Kaleidoscope radio program.
Retired ABC technician Raymond Simms assisted with editing the recordings and adding music and sound effects and very kindly continues sharing these skills today. I first became involved in Terri’s radio plays as an actor before diversifying into writing plays.
Retired ABC technician Raymond Simms assisted with editing the recordings and adding music and sound effects and very kindly continues sharing these skills today. I first became involved in Terri’s radio plays as an actor before diversifying into writing plays.
In 2011 I serialised into seven episodes
the award-winning 90-minute live performance production
I wrote and directed for
historic BlackRock House.
This series has been broadcast several times on 88.3 Southern FM.
After obtaining a Master of Arts (Writing) degree it was a privilege to join with Terri to co-tutor the ‘How to Write Radio Plays’ course when BaysideU3A
commenced in 2013.
We were indeed fortunate that a splendid small group of writers joined our course and four of these core members still attend the Writers Group sessions today:
Jan Storey, Colleen Dewis,
Norah Dempster and Joy Meekings.
Together with new radio play writers such as Juliet Charles and Sandra Stirling,
these talented playwrights have produced some first class radio plays.
Joy:
We were given notes to keep for setting out a play, etc., plus they both explained the art of writing a good play.
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| City of Kingston's Cr Geoff Gledhill & Cr Tamsin Bearsley listen enthralled as Joy presents her poetry & radio play script excerpts. |
This includes some conflict and then resolution, natural conversations, always moving the story forward. Obviously there is much more than this,
but these are the basics.
We were then asked to go home
and write our first radio play.
All in six weeks!
Over the course of those six weeks
we became more confident in what we wrote and when each play was workshopped,
Terri and Cheryl gave us tips
on how to make them better.
I found the process not only interesting, but enjoyable and good fun.
As we got better at writing our plays,
many were recorded by
technical director Raymond Simms,
directed by Cheryl
and featuring local actors
and giving students from
Beaumaris Theatre a chance
to hone their skills.
Southern FM radio station would present one of the plays each month and the playwright would be interviewed on air about the play. This is still the case.
 |
| Cheryl with Terri Adams OAM proudly watch Joy present her work at Mentone Public Library in 2017 |
Terri Adams did this on her Kaleidoscope show and after she retired,
Pauline O’Brien took over and has kept up this tradition in her
Community Capers program.
It gives the playwright a real goal to work towards. I have been lucky with my playwriting in that once I get an idea, I let it sit for a while and although it may sound strange, the entire play emerges normally as I am waking up or going to sleep.
Not ideal timing, but I can just put pen to paper (I only hand-write my plays, then type up later) and within forty minutes or so, the whole play is done! The characters, plot, are all there!
Cheryl:
A good radio play needs to be structured with scenes or sequences, similar to a stage play. Think of the structure in three parts –
the beginning,
the middle
and the resolution.
Keeping in mind the importance of retaining the listener’s attention,
a radio play’s scenes should be much shorter.
a radio play’s scenes should be much shorter.
There are three choices for creating a visual picture
for the listening audience:
– using direct dialogue between actors,
for the listening audience:
– using direct dialogue between actors,
– using an omniscient narrator
(who ‘knows everything’)
at regular intervals to convey
the story from a narrative perspective,
– or using music/sound effects, or even silence.
 |
| Presenting the radio play 'Dated Lives' by Colleen Dewis for the 2019 Victoria Seniors' Festival at Federation Square, Melbourne. From left: Juliet Charles, Sandra Stirling, Joy Meekings and Cheryl Threadgold. |
It is important to grab the audience’s attention from the moment the play begins, so it is often a good idea to start as far into the story as possible, because that is usually where conflict occurs. Beginning with conflict is one way of instantly
engaging audience attention.
In other words, “find the moment”, or “hook”.
The ideal duration for a radio play
is 10 – 15 minutes and remember to allow time at the beginning for opening music, and for closing music and credits at the end.
Here are some terms
relevant to radio play writing:
Plot:
the main events in a creative work which can twist and turn to enhance the story. This is different to the story, which is the chronological sequence of events.
A good story might have a major plot with one or more sub-plots logically linked.
 |
| Radio plays involve all ages. George (seven) at work voicing a character |
Characters:
It is preferable to restrict the number of characters in a radio play to six,
to avoid confusion for listeners.
Remember to include varied personalities, idiosyncrasies and voices to make for more interesting listening.
The character should be identified by dialogue expressed by themselves or fellow characters. The listener will not know a character exists unless the character identifies him or herself, or is referred to by name
 |
| Rehearsing 'Christmas with the Quirkes and Burkes'. Director Cheryl Threadgold and actor James Wills |
by another character.
Radio is an excellent medium for conveying “interior thought”.
In other words a listening audience can be transported into a character’s mind to share their thoughts and secrets.
Dialogue:
Dialogue should only be used in a radio play if succinctly written and relevant to the particular character, and pertinent to moving the story along. So, drop any word that is not important to plot and character development.
Remember that all actions and atmosphere in a radio play need to be conveyed from either dialogue or sound effects.
Ensure that characters don’t always reply directly to each other’s lines, but bounce off each other’s dialogue to move the play along in new directions.
Write a first draft of the radio play dialogue and then revise it several times, tightening up text and using one word to replace several if possible.
Sound:
Sound is what will engage a radio play audience’s attention, whether in dialogue, effects or music.
When including music in the script, remember to keep in mind the period or style of the play if suggesting music to be used.
Sound effects are a very useful tool, but use sparingly to avoid intrusion on the narrative. Remember:
SILENCE
can be a useful sound effect
if used effectively.
 |
| Councillors Geoff Gledhill (Central Ward) & Tamsin Bearsley (North Ward) of the City of Kingston go over their scripts one last time before performing the radio play "Derek's Dilemma" by Joy Meekings |
Script Layout:
Characters’ names should always be noted in full in the script in capital letters in the left margin and kept clear of the dialogue.
Instructions to the Sound Technician regarding music and sound effects should be printed clearly. Never continue a character’s passage of dialogue over two pages.
 |
| Excerpt of "Simon Says" (c) Joy Meekings |
Instructions to the Sound Technician regarding music and sound effects should be printed clearly. Never continue a character’s passage of dialogue over two pages.
Best to start at the top of the
next page for ease of the actor.
Only print on one side of the paper and use double spacing. Fancy fonts are often difficult to read, so keep presentation of radio play as clear and simple as possible.
Joy:
The editing of a radio play can take quite a while, but we workshop them with group members reading roles, and often get good feedback and suggestions that can make the play much more user friendly!
Cheryl:
As well as broadcasting the radio plays on 88.3 Southern FM,
we have also presented the radio plays
as live performances at U3A events,
and also at
two special events at Beaumaris Theatre
– a concept devised by Joy
whereby six radio plays
were presented by actors
as readings onstage.
The cabaret-style seated audiences seemed to enjoy these events very much and it was a good fundraiser for Beaumaris Theatre.
Joy:
The group put on a night of Radio Play Theatre at Beaumaris Theatre for two years running, which was a sell-out.
Cheryl:
It is wonderful to be continuing the earlier fine work of Terri Adams OAM
in introducing radio plays to the Kingston and Bayside areas via 88.3 Southern FM.
 |
| Judy Sullivan (pictured left) with Terri Adams OAM (pictured right) |
An independent writer based in Kingston who also contributed radio plays to Terri Adams’ Kaleidoscope program in the past, is
 |
| Armistice Centenary Radio Special. Radio play production team & writers pictured left to right: Raymond Simms (Technical Director), Cheryl Threadgold (Director), Tony Aplin (President, Bayside U3A), Juliet Charles (Writer - 4th from left), Tim Wilson MP (Liberal Member for Goldstein), Joy Meekings (Writer), Geri Colson (Writer - 8th from left), Sandra Stirling (Writer - 12th from left), Jan Story (Writer - 13th from left). With talented local radio play actors |
Joy:
Having never written a play, poem or story, I am so glad I went to the course. Am writing both plays and poems and loving every minute of it!
Cheryl:
Today, writers such as Joy Meekings and her colleagues who continue to develop fine skills and entertain audiences, will ensure the longevity of radio plays in our local communities.
Today, writers such as Joy Meekings and her colleagues who continue to develop fine skills and entertain audiences, will ensure the longevity of radio plays in our local communities.
 |
| Play writing seminar recipient Julia Reichstein is presented a certificate by Cheryl Threadgold and Terri Adams OAM for her efforts in a radio play seminar held as part of the 2012 Bayside Literary Arts Festival |
ONE LAST QUESTION:
What resonates for you
or excites you the most
when a radio play you wrote or directed
goes to air for the first time?
Joy:
What resonates for you
or excites you the most
when a radio play you wrote or directed
goes to air for the first time?
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