Radio Drama Essay Task 3

In this essay, I will evaluate and compare two different types of radio dramas traditional and
postmodern. A traditional radio drama has a usual structure, which consists of a storyline, multiple
characters and the problems they face and spend the time solving. A postmodern radio drama,
however, raises questions rather than answer them, and it is up to the audience to answer them.

The traditional radio drama I will be evaluating is The Archers. It revolves around a family and the
problems they face and have to solve, who live in the fictional town of Ambridge. In this episode, the
characters are preparing a surprise birthday tea, and belong side this, there are some other minor
problems that need to be solved. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b087qh35
The post-modern radio drama I chose to evaluate is a Blind Mans Confession, which is a horror-
story, and a flashback about a mans own experience, who crashes into a police car and finds the
policeman dead. With the criminal still alive, he holds the man at gunpoint. Another car rolls up and
a man steps out, you hear a gunshot, which makes the audience believe he shot him. He ends up in
hospital, with the audience unaware of his injuries.

In The Blind Mans Confession, its clear that it is set outside, because you hear the sound of rain
hitting the ground, and the thunder noticeably. The Radio Drama starts with an introduction of
narration by the man who is telling the story, as he uses words such as me; for example, he never
told me his name and let me tell you how this happened to me before he starts the story itself.
Words are like the building blocks of a radio drama and the simplest way to communicate with the
listener and get the information across. In the first scene, you know he is driving a car because he
says, it all started when the car creamed down the road one late October night. The use of sound
effects of the car engine also makes this clear. At the start of the scene, you hear the rain, thunder
first, to set the scene outside, then the car engine from far away coming closer, and as you hear it
getting close, loud rock music starts which sounds like its coming from the car radio.
Music and ambience in visual media can help in setting the mood, tone and setting a scene. With
radio dramas, this becomes more essential because of the lack of visuals for the audience. Back to
the Blind Mans Confession, at the start of the drama, there is loud, rock music, making it more
exciting and action packed, as its playing on top of the narration, and it suggests that something bad
is going to happen. The loud rock music also associates with the speed he is going in.
Speech is the way words are spoken, which can be the tone and volume of a voice, making it easy for
the audience to tell the difference from when someone is angry or sad. An example of speech in the
Blind Mans Confession, at 7:00 minuets in, the protagonist/ man who is telling the story/ narrator
is giving the convict a reason to live and you can hear in his voice how scared he is.
The Voice of a character is how they say something, for example, they can use the same words, but
it can be interpreted differently depending on the tone they use. Voices can also be the accent
someone has, in order for the audience to tell two characters apart, and tell apart what type of
social class theyre in. The use of the narratives voice helps with the setting and it also makes us feel
more connected to him on a more personal level, as he is describing the story as he remembers,
creating an image in our mind, letting us, the audience, imagine it. We can tell from the narrators
speech that he is being reckless and careless, and you can hear he isnt in control. This is also clear
from when he says, My pulse quickened as I skidded round each corner, each time gripping a little
less, losing a little more control from this you can tell that something is bound to happen,
together with the loud music.
After he sets the scene, there is a pause before he says, The only thing I didnt account for was the
other car, and then the sound of the engine starts again, no music this time, which almost makes
the audience ready for what is going to happen. As the narrator is telling his own story, he mirrors
his own events in the story in each scene, making the audience feel sympathy towards him.
Sound & Silence is the base of any radio drama. Silence is often used to mark the ending of a scene
or as a break in all the dialogue. With no sound, there is only silence, which is useful for dramatic
effects, if used well. Silence is essential in this Radio Drama as it helps add to the suspense and
helps communicate meaning. This links back to the first scene again, at 1:27, when the music
suddenly stops before the crash, as this makes the audience think something bad will happen.

Aural Signposting is where the setting of the scene is established through audio cues, such as
accents, background noises, etc., in place of visual signposts. This is used at the very beginning of the
Radio Drama after the narration. The audience is very aware of the setting an atmosphere. This is
because at the very beginning of the drama, the first thing you hear is rain and thunder and then a
car driving on a road. This lets the audience know it is set outside. Loud rock music soon comes in,
which brings the intention that the driver is being a bit reckless.
Cliff-Hanger Endings are used in both audio and visual dramas. They are used in a way to keep the
audience interested and by not giving them everything (straight away), and allow the audience to
have their own experience. Theyre usually used in a series, to make the audience want to come
back. In the Blind Mans Confession, the ending is a cliff-hanger. It ends with the protagonist in the
hospital, talking about finding the other character, and almost asking the audience to find him, as he
says I dont know if you will ever find him but if you do The audience can understand that the
protagonist has lost his eyesight from when he says Darkness overcame me. but my eyes. God,
my eyes. Beauty is gone forever.
The drama ends with the narrator saying, I too, shouldve known better then to fuck with God,
referring back to earlier in the radio drama when the convict says Im not one to fuck with God.
This makes the audience think the protagonist is almost concerned and compassionate towards the
convict, as he has picked up something the convict said.
The structure of this radio drama is non-chronological. This is due to the Blind Mans Confession
being completely based on a Flashback from the narrators own experience. Flashbacks can be used
in both visual and audio dramas. In visual dramas they may have some sort of tint or effect over, to
signify when there is a flashback, whereas in an audio drama, such as the Blind Mans confession,
the flashbacks are obvious when the narrator is not talking to the audience, and uses direct speech.
Flashbacks are used as a shift in a narrative to an earlier event that interrupts the normal
chronological development of a story.
The Use of Fades is usually used to signify an end of a scene or a change of scenery. It can also be
used to note the passage of time or dramatic effect. It is a tool for keeping the audience as
captivated as possible. This is clear to the audience at the start, when the narrator is setting the
scene when he is driving the car with loud rock music playing almost on top of his voice over. A fade
(or pause) is then used very sudden, as the narrator says, The only thing I didnt account for was the
other car.
Characterisation in a radio drama means to show your characters throughout the Radio Drama using
speech and sound effects. In a Blind Mans Confession, the characters are well introduced and they
are clearly made out who is who, for the audience to tell them apart. The narrator has a clear voice
of a young man, possibly in his late 20s, whereas the convict has a more hoarse voice to make it
clear he is a bit older, possibly in his 40s.
Narration and Direct Speech is essential in radio dramas. A narrator talks directly to the listener and
acts as a guide for the drama, whereas direct speech is the conversation between characters in a
drama.
Titles and Credits can be used to bookend the story. An audio list of key figures in the production. At
the end of a Blind Mans Confession, the narrator sums up the key figures in the production, and
refers to himself as the writer, director, editor, and then mentions where it was originally published,
which was in Blue Murder Magazine, etc.
The Target Audience is most likely older teenagers or young adults, because of the use of language
and the overall context, as some parts are quite descriptive, such as when you the gun cocks, and
the narrator says A cold circle pressed against my skull. People who are interested in thrillers
would also be an audience to this drama as it relates to the genre.
Dramatic Reconstruction is where an actor will re-create a scene melodramatically. In a Blind Mans
Confession, the audience almost re-lives the narrators experience as he tells the story so
descriptively. Especially the scene where the main character meets the convict, and you can hear
how scared he is in his voice and when he is sobbing. This is what creates a very tense mood
throughout the whole drama, with the use of sound effects and descriptive dialogue. The narrator
describes things very clearly for the audience as well, and creates a picture in the listeners head.

The difference of Duration between the two dramas is about the same. The Archers and the Blind
Mans Confession are both around 13:00 minutes long.
The Narrative Structure is a structural framework which tells you the order in which the narrator is
presented to the listener or viewer. The narrative text structures the plot and location.
Development of Plot is split into two categories. One being for a short 5 minute radio drama, where
the drama jumps straight into the plot and is action packed throughout. The other category would
be for a 30 minute radio drama where the plot develops slowly and gradually builds up to the climax,
by using this technique the audience will be captivated. In the Archers, the plot jumped straight in
to the episode, whereas in a Blind Mans Confession, it started off with the narrator telling a story
and then the suspense built up throughout the drama.

The traditional radio drama I listened to was an episode of The Archers. This is set in a fictional
village named Ambridge, and is about a family who has prepared a birthday surprise for their mum,
Pat. The drama starts with the daughter who is preparing the surprise tea and someone walks
through the door. It is clear that this scene is set inside because you hear the sound of the door
opening and closing, and there is no background noise when the door closes. This shows the
ambience very clearly, and allows the audience to create an image in their head and sets the scene.
Words used in this radio drama, makes it very clear to the audience what is happening. For example
at 6:17, the woman says come on, you need your nappy changing, you can tell she is talking about
a baby. You can also hear in her voice that she is reaching down for the baby.
Music in the Archers is only ever used at the beginning of the drama as a theme song before the
drama itself starts. This is a very upbeat theme soundtrack and creates a very positive atmosphere
and makes us feel happy, making the audience assume that that is the theme and tone throughout.
This is almost played as an intro to the drama as well as an outro at the end. Unlike the post-modern
radio drama, the Blind Mans Confession, music was used throughout to create tension and
suspense in the drama, and create a mysterious atmosphere.
From listening to the Speech of the characters, you can hear when they are happy or irritated, etc.
An example of this in The Archers is at 6:42 between Kirsty and Tom, and you can tell there is a
slight awkwardness between the two characters. This is clear from the silences between the two,
and the sighs. It is also made clear when Kirsty interrupts Tom and says Tom its your mums
birthday thats all I want to think about.
In The Archers, you can easily tell apart the different social classes that are portrayed in the drama
from each of the characters Voices. At the beginning, Helen is preparing a birthday tea for her mum,
and Tom comes in to help, you can hear that they are most likely southern and their voices are very
proper English and they pronounce their words clearly, and they dont use any sort of slang, whereas
at 6:26, when Kirsty and Tom are talking, you can hear that Kirsty has more of a northern accent
rather than southern, and that her English isnt as proper.
Sound and Silence in The Archers helps create ambience. There are sound effects used, such as at
the beginning, when someone comes in to a room, and you hear this when someone opens a door.
At 10:31 you can hear a car door slam, and then Helen is shouting to Kirsty from afar. This makes it
clear that they are outside and the footsteps make it clear that Helen is walking towards Kirsty. In
The Archers, silence and fades are only really used when there is an end of a scene before the new
scene. This is clear to the audience at 10:28 when the silence fades in, and then at 10:32 when the
car door slams, the next scene starts. This also brings me on to Aural Signposting, when Helen shouts
Kirstys name from afar and then you can hear footsteps which makes the audience assume that it is
Helen that is walking towards Kirsty, making it clear they are outside.

Unlike the Blind Mans Confession, there are no flashbacks used. The Archers follows a traditional
structure, with multiple characters, a strong storyline and problems that the characters face, for
example, Kirsty and Toms relationship.
This is a type of cliff-hanger ending as it ends with a question that still hasnt quite been answered,
and we are unaware of what the characters will do to solve the problem. However, this isnt the
same sort of cliff-hanger ending as the Blind Mans Confession, which is more of a non-typical cliff-
hanger. This shows the difference between the traditional drama and the post-modern drama.
In the Archers, it is clear who the characters are, even when there are multiple characters in a
scene. This I made clear from their distinctive voices, such as Helens, Toms and Kirstys.. Tom is an
adult in his 30s, well-educated which is also clear from his southern accent, and the way he speaks.
Helen is similar. She is made out to be a young adult in her 30s, and who is well-educated which is
clear from her proper English. Kirsty is a young adult possibly in her 30s as well, with a slight
northern accent, which is made clear from how she pronounces certain words, for example the
conversation between Kirsty and Helen at 10:32, you can hear the tone of voice the two characters
have and what sets them apart.
In this drama, there is no narration used, and only direct speech. This is different from the Blind
Mans Confession, which uses narration throughout the drama to tell the story, which is based on
flashbacks. As the Archers isnt based on flashbacks, or anyone telling a story, there is no use of
narration, as it is a traditional drama.
There is no use of titles or credits in this drama. It was aired on BBC, and so at the beginning the
woman on radio is introducing the show and letting the audience know that The Archers is next up.
From this episode, I can tell that the target audience would most likely be women of an older
generation, possibly in their mid-40s. This is because the majority of the characters in the drama is
within that age range and talk in a manner which only people in that older generation would talk.
The overall tone of this drama itself, is somewhat informal and happy and mainly a re-enactment of
day to day life.

To summarise the two dramas, I think in the Archers, the codes such as words & voices and speech
have been used best in the Archers. This is because it is a traditional drama where you can hear the
social class of the people, for example the people who are working on the farms have a very rural
speech and tone to their voice and you can hear they are of a lower class, whereas the high class
people who own the farms have a much posher voice and well-spoken words. However, in the Blind
Mans confession it is harder to hear what social class the characters belong to as it is based in
America you cant really tell which social status or hierarchy the characters belong to you cant
tell if the main character would be a wealthy lawyer, or if he works at Walmart.

Blind Mans confession uses the conventions, such as aural signposting, silence, direct speech and
narration and cliff-hanger ending really well. The silences used in the Blind Mans confession are all
used at the right places, such as at 1:27, when the music suddenly stops before the crash and the
narrator explains how he didnt think about the other car (coming towards him/ he was unaware).
Direct speech and narration is also used very well in the Blind Mans confession as the main
character is the narrator and is telling his own story and uses direct speech when he plays the
character as the events are happening. This radio drama has a cling-hanger for the ending as he ends
up in the hospital bed where you hear him recalling the events and what happened, but you dont
know what happens to him at the end. However, in the Archers there isnt much use of silence. The
only time it is used, is to indicate the end of a scene, and there arent any cliff-hangers used as it has
a linear structure with a clear ending.

The structure in the Archers used a very simple layout, and is quite clear to follow and you could
almost say its quite dull. It is more linear, with a clear structure of events happening at that time
and it has a beginning, middle and an end. The Blind Mans confession is non-linear as it starts off
with a narration and then uses flashbacks to construct the story and he is telling his story about
something that happened in the past, with the use of flashbacks. This can be very engaging as it lets
the audience in on the characters past, but it can also be quite confusing to follow. Because of this, I
thought that the Archers used the structure better than the Blind Mans confession as it also might
be easier to follow.

The Blind Mans confession used the styles appropriately, with the use of creation of moods
throughout the drama with the build up of the story and narration, and dramatic reconstruction with
the use of sound and music and how it helps build up with the rock music as he drives the car and
the adrenaline has kicked in, etc. It also engaged the audience a lot by using the narration as it
almost directs it at the audience and talks directly to them. However, in the Archers, it is a very
simple drama about the day-to-day lives and doesnt use a lot of dramatic reconstruction. They
create moods through the tone of their voices and how they talk about an event. This is why I think
the Blind Mans Confession used styles more appropriately than the Archers.