12th International Audio Drama Festival
30Mar-3Apr 2026

This is the UNOFFICIAL WEBSITE for the International Radio Drama Festival. The latest news is posted at the TOP of the page; older information is lower down.

Official stuff (entry forms, admin, etc) is on the OFFICIAL festival website: radiodramafestival.org.uk .

How does the festival work? 2026 2025 2024 2023 2023 2022 2021
Detailed notes for 2026 for reference (about 20 pages): 2026 full programme
Notes for previous festivals: 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017
Past Winners

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AWARD WINNERS, 2026
These were announced by Jonathan, to the accompaniment of fish & chips.

The winners are:

BEST YOUNG PRODUCER (Deacon Award)
A History of Queer Relationship Violence, by Tia Morgan, Germany (in German).

The play was created as part of the 'Synchromesh' project in Timisoara, Romania, 2024-5.


SHORT FORM (up to 7 minutes)
1. Winner: A Step-by-Step Guide to Carving Wooden Spoons, by Cristina Marras, Sardinia.
2. Timisoara Now, by Peter Vamos, Ireland
3. Adot Hdot, by Christian Cucinello, USA


LONG FORM: (8-60 minutes)
1. Winner: Mother of God - Banish Putin, by Jiri Adamek Austerlitz, Czech Republic
2. Thirty Acres, by Colm Tobin and Aidan O'Donovan, Ireland
3. Joint third place:
Clambercat, by Tomasz Zacharewicz, Poland
Nuages, by Anne Lepere, Belgium


Congratulations to all concerned.
The presentations were recorded, and the soundtrack of the ceremony is here.

4 Apr 26

NOTES ON THE WINNING PLAYS

A HISTORY OF QUEER RELATIONSHIP VIOLENCE
An old attraction flares up, charged with attraction, tenderness and intimacy. It begins as love, but then turns into a nightmare of abuse. The dramas was based on interviews with people who had experienced similar events. 54m; in German.

A STEP-TO-STEP GUIDE TO CARVING WOODEN SPOONS
By Cristina Marras, Sardinia. The play is called a guide, but there's a lot more to it than how you make the spoons, as our narrator explains. One of the funniest scripts I've heard. 6m; in English.

TINISOARA NOW
By Peter Vamos. An interesting sound piece; a short journey through the mind and memory of a traveller returning to Timnisoara after three years' absence, with echoes of the events of 1989. Part of the Synchromesh Project. 5m;

ADOT HDOT
By Christian Cucinello, USA. A short sound piece; a soundscape built for the poetry of Arthur Harrison. 4m. In English.

NUAGES
By Anne Lepere, Belgium. A play where clouds have voices; a meditation on impermanence. An investigation of the relationships between clouds, and between clouds and the earth and humans. 53m; in French.

MOTHER OF GOD - BANISH PUTIN
By Jiri Adamek Austerlitz, Czech Republic. A powerful piece about the the Russian punk band Pussy Riot, and their activism against Putin, highlighting the rigged election of 2011. They went to trial, were imprisoned , and then did time in a penal colony. 49m; in Czech.

THIRTY ACRES
By Colm Tobin and Aidan O'Donovan, Ireland; produced for RTE. Part 1 of a comedy 'mockumentary' set in a failed housing project in Ireland. The series follows the lives of the three remaining inhabitants, as they go to remarkable lengths to resist eviction. 30m. In English.

CLAMBER CAT
By Tomasz Zacharewicz. In a peaceful farmyard, a cat attempts to stage a revolution by learning to fly. 45m; in Polish.

NOTES FOR ALL OF THE PLAYS
Introduction to the online recordings...

If you've only ever listened to BBC radio plays, you'll be familiar with the style. You expect a plot with a beginning, middle and an end; any soundscape is dictated by the words, and you know where you are. It's storytelling within clearly-defined limits; much like a mainstream film.

Radio plays from Europe and the rest of the world are often different. They have a much wider definition of 'radiio drama'. The festival illustrates this, with an amazing variety of work coming from different countries. Art pieces consisting of spectacular soundscapes and little dialogue; plays written like a musical fugue with developments and recapitulations in related 'keys'; plays where modern sensibilities are swept aside because that is all they are - extreme sensitivity to issues which should be examined, not regarded as taboo. There are plays expressing anger against the regimes under which they are written; drama-documentaries made with archive footage, audio 'tableaux'of great ingenuity and originality; children's dramas which conjure up cartoons in the mind; plays written in the style of DC comics; moral fables, audio versions of ancient myths and legends; and audio collage, where there's no plot, but a series of superimposed sound images, one after the other ...

What follows is a list of the audio dramas and audio art featured in the 2026 audio drama festival, in the order they appeared. Translations are available in the archive for those not in English. You need to find and get the translations in front of you before you navigate the listening links.

Here are my summaries and impressions of this year's sixty plays. And yes - we listened to them in only five days. It was both exhausting and exhilarating.

If you wish to hear any of them, go to https://radiodramafestival.org.uk, then scroll down and click on the Audio Files link.

MONDAY

DOGMAN, episode 3 From Australia, 34m. The plot: a current-affairs investigator is on the tail of a murderer who was released from jail after killing a man but who claims he was a wolf-man at the time. There were also some digs at certain radio-play cliches, as in the play 'This Gun in my Right Hand is Loaded' by Timothy West, and over-use of a certain adjective. ...This is a well-constructed pastiche which reminded me of some of the 'DC comics' stories. In English.

ANNA'S REVERIE
From Georgia; by Zurab Kandelaki. 47m. In Georgian. This is an art piece; a labyrinth of memories and sensations, with an outstanding blend of words and soundscape. What it is to be human, and a forgotten memory.

THE AUTUMN'S DREAM
From Ferreydoun Mehrabi, Iran, 35m. A writer returns to the place where he grew up to reconnect with his chiuldhood sweetheart, but she's already married with a daughter. He decides to write a semi-autobiographical novel. The piece is about the impact on a person's life of first love. In Persian.

NOT LOST ANY MORE
By Alla Turavskaya, Montenegro, 22m. A play set in a pub; a man sits at the bar and his phone won't stop ringing; everyone wants a piece of him. He answers each time, but is clearly exhausted. The narrator reports all this to us as he watches; then one day the man opens up to him, and we hear what's going on. In English.

ULTEA
From Spain, by Chuse Fernandez; 11m.An accompanied monologue; a moving story about a solitary albino man who one day accidentally catches a mermaid in the local reservoir. In Spanish.

THE FOREST OF THE BRIDES
From Romania, by Adrian-Mihai Hasna-Presna; in Romanian. 42m. A group of young Youtubers travel to a place where there's paranormal activity. As they set up camp they learn about a local legend - in fact we hear two local legends within the present-day story - which is the apparent source of the paranormal activity.

NUAGES
From Belgium; by Anne Lepere. In French, 53m. This is an art piece with an impressive soundscape; a drama where clouds have voices, unfolding between earth and sky, and we can hear them. A meditation on impermanence; an investigation of the relationships between clouds, and between clouds and the earth and humans.

WHAT IS IMPORTANT?
By Fierbinteanu and Stamatin, from Belgium; in English. 35m. An art piece, which takes a playful look at what is important. The people in the piece say what's important to them but they are placed in an unusual soundscape. The intention of the play is to move from the concrete and particular to the universal and timeless. a thought-provoking listen.

UNDER THE RAIN
From Iran; in Persian. A rather sad short piece (5m) about a man injured by the war who needs medication but his family can't get it. SHADOW ON THE GREEN
From Iran, in English. 5m. An attractively-produced short on water pollution, with a good musical soundtrack.

THE TOWER OF THE SWALLOW
From Ireland, in English. 5m. Two men, deep underground, contemplate a cave painting - but is it genuine?

TUESDAY

A TOWER RISES IN BABEL
By David Alan Grier; from USA. In English with some Japanese. 10m. We all know that AI sorts through almost infinite amounts of unrelated information to answer our queries. This play has AI bots trying to educate a human being by feeding him pieces of unrelated information at an ever-increasing rate. You can imagine the result - look at the title.

CLAMBERCAT
By Tomasz Zacharewicz, in Polish; a children's story which adults will also enjoy. A peaceful farmyard where the cat attempts to stage a revolution by learning to fly. A perfect script with a perfect soundtrack and acting; what a treat to hear it. We hope for more of these stories.

WHITE VERSUS BLACK
From Lithuania; based on a novel by Danute Kalinauskaite; 44m. In Lithuanian. A story about inheritance, a mother-daughter relationship, and the effect that memory loss (dementia) can have on both of those issues. Dalia's mother has progressive amnesia; Dalia is a helpless spectator.

STATE OF EUPHORIA
By Piotr Skotnicki, from Poland; in Polish, 40m. Science fiction; a devastated earth; the lunar colony contains humanity's last survivors. There's an evacuation vessel built to carry them back to earth in suspended animation. But when they wake up, they're still on the moon, and the ship has been taken over by intelligent bots.

HALF TIME
From Romania; by Beatrice Roman; 5m. In Romanian. A difficult decision faced by a member of the soccer team in 1981 when he's in West Germany - does he choose to play the game or does he try to defect to the West?

YOU ASKED A QUESTION
By Don Hill; from Canada; 6m. In English and Morse Code. The new world order; layers of hidden persuasion in the ether; messages buried in digital code. There will be no more secrets. A thought-provoking piece.

TIME GROWS BY
From France; 37m. By Floriane Pochon. In French and English. This immersive audio piece is set in and around an extraordinary garden c,ose to the river Loire. Time stands still, and we can hear part ofthe garden's present and its history as we travel through a landscape of sound.

A HISTORY OF QUEER RELATIONSHIP VIOLENCE
From Germany; by Tia Morgan, and directed by her. 54m. An old connection flares up for a podcast influencer, Jara, charged with attraction, tenderness and intimacy. But love then turns into a nightmare - abuse. The drama was based on interviews with people who had experienced similar events. [Imagine what happens when a man reports his female partner to the police when he's subjected to abuse. No-one listens. It's the same problem here. - Ed. ]

TO THE STARS
From Poland; 45m. By Marta Rebdza. In Polish. A true wartime romance; two people are brought together by their love of flying. They marry in 1939, but become separated by war. The husband eventually makes his way to England via France; he will spend the rest of his life looking for her. This is a beautifully-written and moving piece.

THE WIND-UP DOLL
From Iran, 5m. In Persian. By Zohreh Nadimi. The erosion of individuality of a 30-year-old woman in Iran, under the weight of cultural expectations. Roya, for her whole life, has been shielded from the world by her family; the whole of her existence has been determined by them.

A STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO WOODEN SPOON CARVING
By Cristina Marras; from Sardinia. 6m. In English. A humorous monologue; a perfect script and performance.

WEDNESDAY

LYRE BIRD
From Romania; by Ana Corneanu and Catalina Florescu. 15m. A monologue; a woman navigating illness, lost love and dementia, and the fragile boundaries between memory and identity. In English.

POLOVTSIAN DANCE
From Georgia; by Mamuka Magularia. In English; 17m. This is a fascinating short biographical piece about the life of Borodin, who had two passions in his life: Organic Chemistry, where he carried out groundbreaking research (nucleophilic substitution, for those who are interested) and composing music. His white coat conceals a restless spirit. In this play, the voices are generated artificially as an experiment in new technologies; some sound artefacts are noticeable if you listen carefully.

MOTHER OF GOD, BANISH PUTIN
From Czech republic;in Czech; 49m. A powerful, highly stylised piece about the Russian punk band Pussy Riot and their activism against Vladimir Putin, highlighting the rigged Russian election in 2011 by singing anti-Putin songs in Moscow Cathedral. They went to trial, were imprisoned and then did time in a penal colony. It's interesting that the BBC broadcast a play about this in 2019, written by Marya, one of the band members, but this is a more powerful play than the BBC's broadcast; it has a pounding musical soundtrack which expresses the girls' anger against the regime in a way that's more effective than words alone. [This play won the 'longer form' award for 2026 - Ed]

THE FORBIDDEN VOICE
From Iran, 12m, in Persian. By the Exxon Institute; the crime of being musical in a place where music is forbidden.

THIS FIRE
By Luuk Imhaan, from the Netherlands. 59m. Robert Oppenheimer, father of the atomic bomb, lies dying. He talks about his life to his nurse. This is a highly stylised account of influences and key moments in his career. (a play with a similar story - Nemesis - was broadcast by the BBC in 2005 on radio 4.- Ed. ) The play has an impressive soundscape.

TIMISOARA NOW
By Peter Vamos; from Ireland. 5m. Inn Englisn and Romanian. An interesting sound piece; a short journey through the mind and memory of a traveller returning to Timnisoara after three years' absence, with echoes of the events of 1989. Part of the Synchromesh Project.

HUNGER
By Eliot Thompson; from Ireland, 4m. Seagulls going hungry; Sam's companion is attacked by the farmer's best friend - worms. A well-timed piece, building up to a great climax - and Sam does nothing..

THE FIRST WORD
From Italy; 7m. By Stefano Giannotti. An amazing sound piece - radio art. A printer, phone and fax machine attempt to teach a pig to say the word 'bureaucracy'.

THURSDAY

THREE DROPS OF BLOOD
From Iran; in Persian, 30m. In Persian and English. This is a truly disturbing and shocking piece; a dramatised feature examining so-called 'honour killings'. It's nothing to do with honour; it's actually using religion and ignorance as an excuse for murder. Read the script - or, better, listen to it as you read the translation; share it with all of your friends. This drama deserves to go viral so that everyone aware of what this disgusting, medieval practice actually is. Only then will it be possible to stamp it out.

THE HANNA FILE
From Romania; by Senta Hofer. In Romanian. 56m. A fascinating drama about a West German reporter living and working in Romania and her experience of being spied on by the security services (Securitate). The papers became available after the fall of Ceacescu. The drama is by turns comical and eerie, and shines a light on the evils of the pre-1989 communist regime.

BATON TO THE STARS
From Serbia; 34m. In Serbian. the first episode of a grittyseries set in Yugoslavia in the late 1980s. In prison, one of the inmates learns that one of the prostitutes he employed has given birth to a son, Vidan. After some tough childhood experiences, the son is brfriended by a kindly accordion player. A good setup to the series.

ROUND MIDNIGHT
From Gabriele Heller; 20m. In German and English. An intimate play about migration and identity; about open and closed borders outside and inside our minds. An unusual biography; the two protaganists are the two parts of the mind of a person who has moved from South Germany to England; one speaks German and the other speaks English. Which place is truly home? Using two languages in this way is a very effective dramatic device; the actor (Gabriele) recorded the piece straight through; moving from one chair to the other as she did so.

POSTE PARKING
From France; 23m. In French. An encounter between two people in a car, an intimate sheltered space hidden from view. At this point, we don't know what's going on, but they gradually connect.

THE DOORWAY
From UK; by Shaun Mendum.; 29m; science fiction. A ghost story in an unusual setting - the surface of Mars. A companion is trapped on the Martian surface, with no hope of rescue. Then a mystery voice intervenes.

THE LETTER
By Tamar Tchintchirauli; from Albania, in English. 48m. An elderly shepherd is locked up by the authorities on a spurious charge. When he gets out he needs somewhere to live. He asks a young teacher to write to the Party on his behalf.

ARE WE ONLY DREAMING?
From America; 6m, in English. By Lily Sloane and Zara Zimbardo. Three timeless observers view earth - over the millennia, and, briefly, in the present, contrasting a decade of time with the infinite. We join the narrator in feeling out of place and time.

THE DETENTION LOTTERY TEAM
From America; in English. 58m. A harrowing play set in a US immigration detention centre. This is a drama-documentary based on actual court cases. We are inside the courtroom; we hear the court proceedings and some of the inhuman decisions being made. Meanwhile, everything is hidden from the wider public view by bland immigration statistics.

DEAD AIR
From UK; 6m. By Chris Gregory. This is a short horror story. Two people chatting on CB radio; one of them has misread their friendship for something deeper. It has consequences.

ADOT HDOT
From America; 4m. A soundscape piece, built for the poetry of Arthur Harrison.

Y AND Z
From UK; 5m. By Christopher Plumridge. A desperate phone conversation between two people when an intruder breaks into their apartment block. A short, tense horror story.

FRIDAY

EAT THE RICH
From Spain; 29m. By Samuel Mattern. In English. An episode from a series of self-contained stories entitled Spanish Sundown, based on voices trapped in objects from Spain's past. In this episode we hear the legend of Head Street, as a dramatised monologue. The other episodes are online but not in this archive.

TALES FROM OUTER SUBURBIA
From Germany. 57m. These tales are adapted from the picture book by Shaun Tan; a collection of illustrated short stories on the theme of suburbia, but with a difference. They are quirky, eccentric, and frequently very funny. This is a dramatized reading, with the music conveying the atmosphere of the original illustrations. The music is specially composed by Martina Eisenreich and it is perfect for the stories.

The 30 ACRES
From Ireland; 30m. In English. By Colm Tobin and Aidan O'Donovan. This is part 1 of a 4-part 'mockumentary' broadcast by RTE; a black comedy set in a failed housing estate. It reminded me very much of Delve Special, by Tony Sarchet and starring Stephen Fry, back in the 80s. It's totally hilarious, with a storyline as surreal as the amount of money spent in Ireland's 'Celtic Tiger' era 25 years ago.

WHEN WE WERE ON FIRE
From America, by Lizzie Goldsmith. 20m. A story about faith, doubt, and first love, based on the book by Addie Zierman. It features 45 actors, has immersive sound design, and specially-composed music by Frank Sheffield.

VOICES OF DARKNESS
From Poland; by Michal Zdunik. In Polish and Latin. A play very suitable for Good Friday, which is when we originally heard it. A play inspired by the Polish painter Nowosielski. For him, faith is necessary, to confront suffering and the unknown. In the play, a painter descends into subterraneanpurgatory; the action takes place in total darkness. The man is forced to trust his guides; can he follow the way back into the light? This is an allegory based on the story of the Resurrection, and it contains music in ancient style composed by the writer; clearly a composer of considerable talent. The play is based on ancient texts: The Tenebrae (Darkness), a Catholic service with medieval Latin texts, and selected psalms in a 16th century translation by Jakub Wujek.

A SIDE VIEW
UK; in English. 2m. Another play from the Darrick Wood school, written by youngsters. In the play we hear the views of a minor character who's had enough of being sidelined when her friend,the main character, gets the spotlight.

THE PATROLMAN
UK; in English. 5m. An actor carrying knives attracts the attention of the police.

These will be left online for one month for listeners to hear them and vote for the audience award. When the vote is over they will then be transferred into the main Radio Drama Archive, which currently holds the 500 plays from all of the previous UK International Radio Drama Festivals. They will remain there for listening.

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PICTURES FROM THE FESTIVAL

A jury session:

A big thank you to Authors' Licensing & Collecting Society (ALCS) from everyone on the UK International Radio Drama Festival jury. We have had a wonderful week of listening and greatly appreciate your support again.

We are also grateful to theatre director and radio dramatist Jonathan Holloway, who attended all week, listened to every play (all sixty of them), and participated in the jury sessions; a great honour to have him with us. Thank you, Jonathan, for interrupting your busy schedule on our behalf and for being so generous with your time.

Our thanks to the Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS)

A FEW OTHER PICTURES (click on the thumbnails for better quality)

JONATHAN'S ADDRESS TO THE 2026 FESTIVAL
summarised by ND

This was the 12th festival, and the sixth in Canterbury, featuring a wide range of drama from all over the world, illustrating the different ways in which the various countries approach radio drama.

It was good to report that all of the plays from the previous festivals, all five hundred of them, were now placed in an online archive and were accessible to all, though this paled into insignificance when compared to the 20,000 - 30,000 items from the BBC collected by Nigel and others which are currently searching for a permanent home; a project which is now under way.

These are difficult days for radio drama; BBC commissioning was reduced drastically a year ago, and this has made life problematic for those who would like a career in producing audio drama. A small concession was made by the BBC in maintaining a certain amount of more experimental and longer drama once a month on Radio 4. [However, the fact remains that commissioning has reduced from 600 hours of new material per year to a little over 300 per year since 2017 - Ed].

We are fortunate to be able to hold the festival in the Cathedral Lodge, in sight of the magnificent Canterbury Cathedral just a few yards away. We are extremely grateful to ALCS for sponsoring the festival, and send them our big thanks.

We must stress the importance of the evening session, where we go out together; this is the festival's gift to the participants. However it is not a right; nor is it a meal ticket; we expect you to remain for the whole of the evening and to use the time in getting to know the other participants and to learn about the way audio drama is practised in other countries and cultures.

Meeting radio drama professionals from other parts of the world gives the opportunity to get new ideas and approaches. It can also form the basis for collaborations and new friendships.

This is a festival in MONO, unlike other audio drama festivals. The 'judging', for want of a better word, is based on the individual views of 'jury' members; what each one of them likes, bearing in mind both tangible and less tangible criteria; is the play one that is particularly suited to radio and no other medium for example? What is the sound design like, and the acting? Is it appropriate? What is the dramatic quality, and is it enjoyable? If in doubt, perhaps the best guide is this: if listening in the car, would you be prepared to arrive late to your meeting in order to hear the ending?

At the Oscars, winners receive a gold plated trophy which symbolises the highest honour in the film industry. At this festival, winners receive a small trophy in the shape of a pig. This unique prize, in addition to the financial award, gives a nod to the 'dog' emblem used for decades by HMV on their gramophone records, and to the Empress of Blandings, the pig owned by Lord Emsworth, in P.G.Wodehouse's classic tales of Blandings Castle.

[At the conclusion of his address, Jonathan was presented with an impressive mascot in the shape of a pig, knitted by the 'Canterbury Knitter' Alison Deacon, to much applause. His name is Colin, for reasons known to a select few, and his picture is below.]

30 Mar 26

AUDIO DRAMA FESTIVAL 2026

AUDIO DRAMA FESTIVAL 2026: From a follower ...

I’m visiting Canterbury next week to attend the 12th Uk Audio Drama International Festival; it’s taking place at Canterbury Cathedral Lodge 30th March - 3rd April 2026 https://radiodramafestival.org.uk - and importantly, for Canterbury -

YES ----WE ARE STILL COMING

and

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE IN CANTERBURY TO ATTEND!

If you are keen on Radio Drama (for example Radio 4 Afternoon play) or speak other languages and miss hearing audio in your language, take the chance to pop in, you don’t have to stay all day.

There are Audio dramas from 20 countries. We sit together to listen to them, and can follow an English translation for the languages we don’t speak.

Can’t visit?

Keep reading--

There’s German, Italian, Polish, Romanian and many more – 25 in total, so if you want to know when there is a drama in a language you speak – you can have a look at the programme. Link https://radiodramafestival.org.uk

Added bonus – we all lead busy lives – you can listen on line at the same time as every body else, or the plays will stay on line for a while (Like BBC Sounds!) and you can vote for your favourite in the Audience Award.

It’s free. You don’t have to book to drop in but you might like to book in anyway.

Links to eventbrite are on https://radiodramafestival.org.uk

Please share with any groups or people you think might be interested, and if really keen and you can display a poster for us - that would be brilliant!

25 Mar 26

SCHEDULE SUMMARY:- Time, Title country, language, length in minutes.

MONDAY
Welcome and confirmation of jury 10.00 - 10.30
Dogman ep 3, Australia, English, 34
Anas Khilvebi Da Kidev..., Georgia, Georgian, 47
The Autumn's Dream, Iran, Persian, 35
Not Lost Any More, Montenegro, English, 22 **LUNCH 1300-1400
Ultea, Spain, Spanish, 11
Padurea mireselor din Canarale, Romania, Romanian, 42
Nuages, Belgium, French, 53
What Is Important?, Belgium, English, 35
Under the Rain, Iran, Persian, 7
Shadow on the Green, Iran, Persian, 5
The Tower of the Swallow, Ireland, English, 5; (ends1700); JURY 1730

TUESDAY
A Tower Rises in Babel, USA, English, 10
Wlazelkotek, Poland, Polish, 45
Baltieji prieš juoduosius, Lithuania, Lithuanian, 44
Stan Euphorii, Poland, Polish, 40
Half Time, Romania, Romanian, 4
You Asked a Question, Canada, English & Morse Code, 6 **LUNCH 1300-1400
Time Grows By, France, French/English, 37
NIXE. Eine Geschichte queerer Beziehungsgewalt, Germany, German,54
To The Stars, Poland, Polish/English, 45
The Wind-Up Doll, Iran, Persian, 5
A step by step guide to wooden spoon carving, Italy, English, 6 ; (ends1715)JURY 1745

WEDNESDAY
Lyre Bird, Romania, English, 1
Polovtsian Date, Georgia, English, 17
Matko Boží, vyžen Putina, Czech Republic, Czech, 49
The Forbidden Voice, Iran, Persian, 12
Dit Vuur, Netherlands, Dutch & other languages, 59
Timisoara Now, Ireland, English & Romanian, 5
Hunger, Ireland, English, 5
The Word, Italy, Italian, 7 followed by short break & JURY; free afternoon

THURSDAY
Three Drops of Blood, Iran, Persian, 30
Ein Leben im Blick der Securitate, Germany, German, 56
Pendrekom Do Zvezda part 1, Serbia, Serbian, 34
Round Midnight, UK, English & German, 20
Poste-Parking, France, French, 23 **LUNCH 1300-1400
The Doorway, UK, English, 29
The Letter, International, English/Albanian, 48
Are We Only Dreamiing?, US, English, 5
The Detention Lottery, US, English, 58
Dead Air, UK, English, 6
ADotHDot, US, English, 4 (ends 1710) JURY 1740

FRIDAY
Calle de la Cabeza: Eat the Rich, Spain, English, 29
Geschichten aus der Vorstadt des universums,Germany, German, 57
The 30 Acres, Ireland, English, 30
When we were on Fire, pt.1, US, English, 20
Glosy ciemnosci, Poland, Polish, 46
A Side View, UK, English, 1.35
The Patrolman, UK, English, 5 **LUNCH 1350, 1500 JURY, 1930 AWARDS

If you need a single-sheet version of the above for easy reference, it's here - apologies in advance for any inadvertent typos.

12 Mar 26

SHORTLIST:
We can now publish the shortlist of works accepted for inclusion in the live listening sessions. We reserve the right to make changes to this list for any reason. The detailed daily programme will be published soon as will the booking details for the live and online listening sessions; entry remains free and we are delighted to welcome everyone to our festival.

The listing below:
Title, Country, Language, Length in minutes

LONG FORM
Dogman ep 3, Australia, in English, 34
Nuages, Belgium, French, 53
What Is, Belgium, English, 35
Samson Lion's Honey, Canada, English, 31
Matko Boží, vyžen Putina, Czech Republic, Czech, 49
Time Grows By, France, French/English, 37
Poste-Parking, France, French, 23
Polovtsian Date, Georgia, English, 17
Anas Khilvebi Da Kidev..., Georgia, Georgian, 47
Geschichten aus der Vorstadt des universums,Germany, German, 57
NIXE. Eine Geschichte queerer Beziehungsgewalt, Germany, German,54
Ein Leben im Blick der Securitate, Germany, German, 56
The Letter, International, English/Albanian, 48
The Autumn's Dream, Iran, Persian, 35
Three Drops of Blood, Iran, Persian, 30
The Forbidden Voice, Iran, Persian, 12
The 30 Acres, Ireland, English, 30
Baltieji prieš juoduosius, Lithuania, Lithuanian, 44
Not Lost Any More, Montenegro, English, 22
Stan Euphorii, Poland, Polish, 40
To The Stars, Poland, Polish/English, 45
Wlazelkotek, Poland, Polish, 45
Glosy ciemnosci, Poland, Polish, 46
Lyre Bird, Romania, English, 15
Padurea mireselor din Canarale, Romania, Romanian, 42
Pendrekom Do Zvezda part 1, Serbia, Serbian, 34
Ultea, Spain, Spanish, 11
Calle de la Cabeza: Eat the Rich, Spain, English, 29
Dit Vuur, Netherlands, Dutch & other languages, 59
Her Dying Wish, Uganda, English, 45
Round Midnight, UK, English & German, 20
The Doorway, UK, English, 29
The Detention Lottery, US, English, 58
When we were on Fire, pt.1, US, English, 10

SHORT FORM
You Asked a Question, Canada, Englisn & Morse Code, 6
Under the Rain, Iran, Persian, 7
Shadow on the Green, Iran, Persian, 5
The Wind-Up Doll, Iran, Persian, 5
The Tower of the Swallow, Ireland, English, 5
Timisoara Now, Ireland, English & Romanian, 5
Hunger, Ireland, English, 5
The Word, Italy, Italian, 7
A step by step guide to wooden spoon carving, Italy, English, 6
Half Time, Romania, Romanian, 4
Y and Z, UK, English, 5
A Side View, UK, English, 1.35
The Patrolman, UK, English, 5
Dead Air, UK, English, 6
ADotHDot, US, English, 4
Are We Only Dreamiing?, US, English, 5

18 Feb 26

PRESS RELEASE: THE UK INTERNATIONAL AUDIO DRAMA FESTIVAL
We are back in Canterbury for the 12th year to celebrate the art of great Audio Drama.

This year’s International Audio Drama Festival is titled ‘To Canterbury with Rich Offerings’ and takes place at the Canterbury Lodge Community Studio in the Cathedral precincts from 30 March – 3 April 2026.

100 submissions from 23 countries in some 20 languages – from Iran to Denmark, Georgia to Uganda – this is the only outward looking Audio Drama in the UK. From this embarrassment of riches, we will be selecting some 50 plays both full length and short form (7 minutes or under). We have a huge diversity of offerings from national broadcasters to talented school students.

This is also a hybrid festival – where you can either join actual listening sessions with your fellow enthusiasts or listen to the plays online. Entry is free and listeners are welcome to attend for one play or the whole week. English language translations on a Kindle ensure everyone enjoys everything.

However, the jury will be live, and we are delighted to welcome Nigel Deacon and Helen Rowe who will co-chair. Evening discussions about the day’s work are open to all.

Prizes include Awards for Long and Short Form – and the Deacon prize for a young producer – a wonderful way to look to the future. And for a month after the festival closes, we invite votes for the unique Audience award.

So why don’t you come and join us in Canterbury which has welcomed pilgrims telling stories for centuries– or join us online through the link on our website – to listen together as we share amazing stories told in amazing ways. And for five days let’s make Canterbury the centre of audio drama for the world!

Official website

We’d like to thank ALCS for their continued and much valued support.

8 Feb 26

2026 FESTIVAL
Five days of brilliant listening: Canterbury Cathedral Lodge and online:

14 Jan 26

FESTIVAL UPDATE



Resolution 1 for 2026
Submit our entry to the UK International Audio Drama Festival.

Resolution 2 for 2026
Book our travel to Canterbury to arrive for 30 March.

4 Jan 26

REMINDER - THE 2026 FESTIVAL IS ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS

Our 2026 UK International Audio Drama Festival is accepting submissions with a closing date of 17 Jan 2026.

There are two categories for this year's event: full length and short form. Cash prizes are available in both categories for the winning works chosen by the jury. Application forms and regulations are available on the website. There's also the Young Producers' Award if you're below the age of 30.

Less than a month to go - if you wish to submit, you'll need to get your skates on!

18 Dec 25

ABOUT THIS EVENT
The UK International Audio Drama Festival is back. A unique chance to hear wonderful audio drama lasting from 1 minute to 1 hour. A whole range of languages but English translations provided . A rare chance to hear work from other cultures and other countries. Everyone welcome to join the jury discussion at the end of the day and even to join the jury and make awards. Thanks to our sponsors: ALCS and Nigel and Alison Deacon.

Location: Canterbury Cathedral Lodge, 30 Mar - 3 Apr 2026. We look forward to welcoming producers and audience alike for an exciting and stimulating week of listening and discussion.

ONLINE LISTENING SESSIONS
The UK International Audio Drama Festival 2026 will be available for real-time collective online listening in our new hybrid festival format

Listening to audio drama with others is a rare treat! After the success of last year's online festival, we are offering those who cannot make the journey to Canterbury, the opportunity to enjoy the spirit of the festival but online. Hosted, collective zoom sessions will bring the festival to you where you are and enable you to share the joy with others around the world. We hope also to enable remote participation in the jury sessions too.

Here's part of an interview on Indie AF from 2025 where Mel Nock and Nicholas McInerny talk about last year's festival.

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WHAT ABOUT ALL THOSE LANGUAGES?

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UK INTERNATIONAL AUDIO DRAMA FESTIVAL, CANTERBURY

This year we will be using the Cathedral Lodge, in the grounds of what is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England.

Canterbury Cathedral was completed in 1077 and added to over the centuries until 1498. It is a masterpiece of stone and stained glass. The magnificent crypt is a thousand years old.

This video gives a flavour of the event from a couple of years ago, when were based in another ancient building in Canterbury: the Eastbridge Hospital; nearly as old as the Cathedral. .

The venue may have changed, but the festival itself has not. It is a showcase for some of the best audio and radio dramas in the world. Plays featured here have frequently been amongst the winners of the BBC Audio Drama Awards.

Here's the video link:

Festival video

25 Nov 25

THE 2026 FESTIVAL IS NOW OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS

We're excited to announce that our 2026 Festival has opened for submissions with a closing date of 17 Jan 2026.

There are two categories for this year's event: full length and short form. Cash prizes are available in both categories for the winning works chosen by the jury. Application forms and regulations are available on the website.

The regulations and applications forms can be found on the Festival website, here .

And we are very much looking forward to welcoming everyone back in person for a week of wonderful listening, and conversation.

25 Nov 25

Deacon Award
We are delighted to announce that this award will continue; it is for young producers under the age of 30. The Deacon Award will chosen by the jury from the shortlisted works. This award is generously sponsored by our long time supporters, Nigel and Alison Deacon.

Back to Canterbury

We are very much looking forward to welcoming everyone back to Canterbury for an in-person event. There is no substitute for a conversation over a cup of coffee or pint of beer and the opportunity to get to know people and their work in more depth. And we know how much audiences love listening to audio drama together.

But we also understand that a range of constraints will always prevent some people from travelling so we are building on the success of last year’s online festival and will ensure that anyone can tune in remotely too.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

SUBMISSIONS
Deadline will be 17 January 2026.

We can't wait to listen to the amazing works you send us this year. Hope to see you all in Canterbury!

To get in touch with the Festival team, please email radiodramafestival@gmail.com

COVID ISLAND DRAMAS
Imagine you're in quarantine, or lockdown, with a mystery virus preventing you from going anywhere or doing very much. Which eight radio dramas would you take with you to your 'Covid Island' to hear again and again, to keep you sane? That's the question we thought about during lockdown, and we made four programmes where radio drama enthusiasts were quizzed about their lives and asked about their favourite plays.

We hope you have fun listening to them.

COVID ISLAND DRAMAS, 4
Andy Jordan, producer of more radio plays than we can count, interviewed by Karen Archer.
Covid Island, episode 4

COVID ISLAND DRAMAS, 3
Jonathan Keeble, radio actor, and voiceover artist, interviewed by Clive Perrott.
Covid Island, episode 3

COVID ISLAND DRAMAS, 2
Jack Klaff, actor, writer and academic, interviewed by Maureen Younger.
Covid Island, episode 2

COVID ISLAND DRAMAS, 1
Nigel Deacon, radio drama collector, chemist and apple breeder, interviewed by Jack Klaff.
Covid Island, episode 1



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