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How to Structure a radio play |
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- A radio play has scenes like a stage play, but these can be swift and fragmentary, as well as long and solid. It is useful to think of a scene as a sequence. One sequence, or scene, might consist of one line of dialogue, or it might just consist of a crucial sound effect (know as FX).
- Vary the pace and length of scenes, as well as their background acoustics and 'location'. A radio play which has six ten-minute scenes, each set in a dining room, is likely to be less effective than a play which varies its scenes and settings.
- Drawing in the listener immediately is crucial. Construct the beginning of your play with care.
"What you're aiming to do at the beginning of a play is hit the ground running. You don't want to spend time introducing, laying the ground work and saying this and that. You just want to get in there and grab the listener so that the drama is moving from the very second the play begins. Set up a number of sub-texts as well as the text. Put in place several running ideas or themes that will emerge later in the play."
Mike Walker
"One of the golden rules of playwriting is that you must always start the story as late as possible because that's where the conflict is. Begin with a crisis."
Marcy Kahan
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