Radio Plays & Radio Drama

Complete Year Lists: Radio 4 plays:
These lists were started by Bob Thirsk in 2003 and were continued by Alistair Wyper, Barry Hodge and Professor Sheila Wigmore. They are now being continued by Stephen Shaw (R4 & R3), Alistair Wyper (R3), Ian Johns (R3) and me.

1970.... 1978.... 1979.... 1980.... 1981.... 1982.... 1983.... 1984.... 1985.... 1986.... 1987.... 1988.... 1989.... 1990.... 1991.... 1992.... 1993.... 1994.... 1995.... 1996.... 1997.... 1998.... 1999.... 2000.... 2001.... 2002.... 2003.... 2004.... 2005.... 2006.... 2007.... 2008.... 2009.... 2010.... 2011.... 2012.... 2013.... 2014.... 2015.... 2016.... 2017.... 2018.... 2019.... 2020.... 2021.... 2022.... 2023.... 2024....

Notes on a few of the recordings known to exist in VRPCC collections. Since 2020 these reviews have been written mainly by our friend Harry Turnbull.
2024.... 2023.... 2022.... 2021.... 2020.... 2019.... 2018.... 2017.... 2016.... 2015.... 2014.... 2013.... 2012.... 2011.... 2010.... 2009.... 2008.... 2007.... 2006.... 2005.... 2004.... 2003.... 2002.... 2001.... 2000.... 1999.... 1998.... 1997.... 1996.... 1995.... 1994.... 1993.... 1992.... 1991.... 1990.... 1989.... 1988.... 1987.... 1986.... 1985.... 1984.... 1983.... 1982.... 1981.... 1980.... 1979.... 1978.... 1977.... 1976.... 1975.... 1974.... 1973.... 1972.... 1971.... 1970.... 1969.... 1968.... 1967.... 1966.... 1965.... 1964.... 1963.... 1962.... 1961.... 1960.... 1959.... 1958.... 1957.... 1956.... 1955.... 1954.... 1952.... 1951.... 1950.... 1946.... 1945.... 1942.... 1940.... other....

Radio 3 Plays
The 'vintage' lists from the 40s and 50s are being compiled by Alistair Wyper; later ones are being tackled by Stephen Shaw and Ian Johns. Thank you.
Jim's R3 List 1946-2008 (about 500 plays)..... 2009-2012..... The Wire, 2000-2014
BBC R3 Drama....
1946.... 1947.... 1948.... 1949.... 1950.... 1951.... 1952.... 1953.... 1954.... 1955.... 1956.... 1957.... 1958.... 1959.... 1960.... 1961.... 1962.... 1974.... 1975.... 1976.... 1977.... 1978.... 1979.... 1980.... 1981.... 1982.... 1983.... 1984.... 1985.... 1986.... 1987.... 1988.... 1989.... 1990.... 1991.... 1992.... 1993.... 1994.... 1995.... 1996.... 1997.... 1998.... 1999.... 2000.... 2001.... 2002.... 2003.... 2004.... 2005.... 2006.... 2007.... 2008.... 2009.... 2010.... 2011.... 2012.... 2013.... 2014.... 2015.... 2016.... 2017.... 2018.... 2019.... 2020.... 2021.... 2022.... 2023.... 2024....

Light Programme / Radio 2
The Light Programme broadcast more popular drama; it eventually changed into Radio 2 and its drama moved across to Radio 4. Stephen Shaw has supplied the first listings:
1950.... 1951.... 1952.... 1953.... 1954.... 1955.... 1956.... 1957.... 1958....

RTE Drama
RTE Radio 1, Ireland, broadcasts radio drama each Sunday at 8pm.

World Service Drama (1980-2011)
The World Service Drama listings are being compiled by Barry Hodge.
intro .... 1980-1989 .... 1990-1999 .... 2000-2011 ....

World Service Radio Archive

'Diversity' listing of World Service Drama Archive
This listing covers the drama part of the World Service Radio Archive; around 700 plays from 1972-2005, which was online, briefly, during early 2013. These are mainly different from the 500 listed by Barry Hodge. By my estimation there were roughly 2000 plays broadcast by WS over the 40 years from 1970-2011.

Finding information on 'Diversity'
This website is not a database, but you can go back to Google and find any play listed here by typing suttonelms followed by the title of the play, or the author.

For example, to list plays by John Smith, type "suttonelms" "John Smith" into the search box. Note that because of recent changes to 'Google', both bits (suttonelms and the author's name) must be inside separate sets of quotation marks.

Working in Radio Drama:
RICHARD WORTLEY.. GRAHAM GAULD.. DAVID SPENSER.. DON HAWORTH.

Archiving
Recent Finds.... Fun items.... Top Ten .... ****We are looking for...****

RADIO DRAMA ARTICLES : INDEX
Lots of articles; the ones below are just a sample. Click on INDEX above for the full list.

Radio Drama Reviews, Summer 2024 - Harry Turnbull
Is Mamet's Battle of the Sexes on the Right Wavelength? - Harry Turnbull
New BBC Digital Stations Proposed: Feb 2024 - Nigel Cropper
Radio Drama Reviews: Nov 2023 - Harry Turnbull
Tim Crook: 100 Years of Radio Drama: Sep 2023 -Harry Turnbull
Carl Prekopp and Ibsen; Radio Drama Reviews: Jul 2023 -Harry Turnbull
How to have a Perfect Marriage: Jun 2023 -Nicholas McInerny
Two interviews and a Cossack Lament: Apr 2023 -Harry Turnbull
Are we really going Online Only? - Clive Lever
A View of the BBC, by Charlotte Higgins - Alistair Wyper
Radio Drama Reviews: Jan 2023 - Harry Turnbull
Radio Drama Reviews: Nov 2022 - Harry Turnbull
Radio Drama on BBC Scotland: Nov 2022 - Stephen Shaw
Radio Drama Reviews: Aug 2022 - Harry Turnbull
Radio Drama Reviews: Jun 2022 - Harry Turnbull
Radio Drama Reviews: May 2022 - Harry Turnbull
Radio Drama - Radio Waves in a North-Easterly Direction - Harry Turnbull
Radio Drama - Hits & Misses at the Start of 2022 - Harry Turnbull
Radio Drama in 2021-Harry Turnbull
Radio Drama Review, Nov 2021-Harry Turnbull
Radio Drama Review, Oct 2021-Harry Turnbull
Radio Drama Review, Sep 2021-Harry Turnbull
Radio Drama Review, Aug 2021-Harry Turnbull
Radio Drama Review, July 2021-Harry Turnbull
Plays by Rene Basilico, Julian Simpson, Michael Chaplin and 'The Archers' crew -Harry Turnbull
Questions & Answers on Radio Drama -Gordon House
Ventriloquist's Dummy, Sweeney Todd, Christopher Boy, French Like Faiza -Harry Turnbull
Tess, The Brummie Iliad & Murmuration - Harry Turnbull
This Covid Life - Nicholas McInerny
Heart Of Darkness, R & H & Hammerstein, Breaking Blake - Harry Turnbull
Christmas Crackers 2020 - Harry Turnbull
Radio Drama Reviews, 10 Dec 2020 - Harry Turnbull
Interview with Matthew Broughton, creator of "Tracks" - Harry Turnbull
Marilyn Imrie - Catherine Czerkawska
Booker Prize Radio Adaptations, part 2 - Alistair Wyper
A Tribute to Hamish Wilson - Catherine Czerkawska
Drama on Community Radio, UK - Stephen Shaw
Drama on University Radio, York - Stephen Shaw
Booker Prize: Radio Adaptations of the novels - Alistair Wyper
Escape Kit - a first radio play - William Thirsk-Gaskill
Radio Drama on the BBC Asian Network - Stephen Shaw
Report from the 2019 UK Goldsmith's Audio Drama Festival - Ian Johns
Reflections on the 2019 UK International Radio Drama Festival - Nigel Deacon
Some Crime Novels Adapted for Radio - Alistair Wyper
The Third Programme, Network 3 and The Third Network - Alistair Wyper
Reflections on Radio Drama - Kevin Flynn
Peter Tinniswood's 'A Very Rare Bird Indeed' - Judi Dench
Mike Lloyd talks to Gordon House
Artist descending A Staircase - Gordon House, 2016
Radio Drama: Then and Now - Stephen Wyatt, 2014
Beyond Borders - Mike Walker
Somebody's Sister, Somebody's Daughter - Mike Harris
Early Warning - Richard Monks
Shouting Quietly - Mike Bartlett
Bringing a Radio Drama script to life - Bert Coules
Working as a Radio Writer - Michelene Wandor
Billy's Last Stand- Alistair Wyper, 2015
Radio Drama on Piccadilly Radio- Nigel Deacon, 2015
Pauline Yates' Radio Drama- Alistair Wyper, 2015
Radio Drama in France- Alistair Wyper, 2015
My Favourite Christmas Listening- Alistair Wyper, 2014
Of Mice and Men: The Broadcasts- Alistair Wyper, 2014
My Ten Radio Plays Top Ten - Clive Lever
News broadcast from 50 years ago: Home Service, 23 Nov 1963
Stephen Williams & the development of Radio Luxembourg - Roger Bickerton
Index to Moira Petty's Radio Drama reviews, on 'The Stage' website
Notes to Maeterlinck's Radio Play "The Betrothal", 1928 - J.C.Squire & A.G.MacDonnell
Children's Hour: Beware the Hunter - Howard Jones, 1960
Olwynne Macrae, radio drama writer, interviewed in 1979
The Magic of Radio Drama - Youtube
A.J.Alan's Short Stories
Archiving: How long does a CD last? Nigel Deacon
The Song of Roland: Alan Garner's Elidor- Roger Howe
Martin Jenkins talks to Mike Lloyd of VRPCC
Radio Drama - Mike Harris
Independent Radio Drama in the 1980s -Roger Harvey
You only listen to comedy? Try these Plays - Nigel Deacon
The Brilliant Darkness of Radio Drama- Steve Walker
Richard Wortley's production of "The History Boys"
Radio Drama at the BBC in the Fifties: Jocelyne Tobin
London Rules - Catherine Czerkawska
Jeremy Stevenson Archive.
The Cast: Actors.
Digital Cleanup of sound recordings
More RADIO ARTICLES

External Links
A listener in Turkey: Laurence Raw's Reviews
A BBC fan in New York - Larry Slade's reviews
Radioindies Site ('Indies' or independent producers)

DIGITAL AUDIO CLEANUP
We carry out digital audio cleanup: both speech recordings and music. Examples: recovering recordings from old, broken or stuck cassettes, removing background noise from old tape recordings so they can be broadcast ; improving the quality of soundtracks; sound recovery from surveillance tapes and mobile phones (e.g. for court cases and tribunals); cleaning up recordings for archiving, pitch correction, rebalancing bass/middle/treble, transferring treasured cassette recordings onto CD; we have even produced samples for a rock group and improved wedding video soundtracks...... email if you have recordings which need sorting out.

Here's an example of what can be done: a snip from an unidentified radio play, before and after cleanup.

......................................................................................................

From DB, USA: I just wanted to write you a quick note to thank you for the great job you did cleaning up a voicemail message from my Tampa Answering Service . The caller recorded the message while I was out of my office, but the phone line was bad and the person spoke very softly, so the crackling and static overpowered whatever they were trying to say. You did a fantastic job taking out the crackle and hiss, raising the volume of the person's voice and giving me something I could actually hear! It was the acceptance of a business proposal, so I'm thankful that you were able to work your magic on the recording , and also for your speedy turn around time. Thanks again!

......................................................................................................

BBC RADIO PLAYS
The best radio plays in the world are from the BBC. Around three hundred have been commissioned each year for as long as I can remember. Watch out for new plays by Nick Warburton, John Dryden, Michelene Wandor, Katie Hims, Mike Bartlett, Stephen Wyatt, John Fletcher, Sebastian Baczkiewicz; always good, sometimes memorable....

The actor Ken Cumberlidge had a big pile of scripts which he'd kept (for Performing Rights reasons) and I've persuaded him to share some of the information with us. He's typed out play titles, studios used, and the SMs involved... thanks, Ken. This is online at :

http://www.steamingaudio.myzen.co.uk/rdc

The 'Old SMs' website has reappeared and can be found at http://www.oldsms.co.uk .

'Diversity' Radio Drama Reviews 1997-2023
2023. 2022. 2021. 2020. 2019. 2018. 2017. 2016. 2015. 2014. 2013. 2012. 2011. 2010.
2009. 2008. 2007. 2006. 2005. 2004. 2003. 2002. 2001. 2000. 1999. 1998. 1997.

If you are not listed but would like to be, please send an email.

Crimson Cats Audio Books

Missing Radio Drama
Over the years, thousands of radio plays were discarded by the BBC. Before the year 2000, most radio plays (well over 90%) were not kept; if they still exist it will be in private collections only. Here are lists of missing plays ... please email if you can supply recordings. Those marked "FOUND" have been located and safety copies made.

lost afternoon theatre 1961-1984 (4000 entries -big file)
lists of more missing items: Saturday Night theatre, Thirty Minute Theatre, etc...

Test Match Special
"View from the Boundary" .... Test Match Special.

  Back to top