Notices 2025

Also note that this page is in reverse chronological order. That means newer items are at the TOP of the page.

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RADIO 3 DRAMA, DAILY TELEGRAPH RADIO CHOICE 26 Feb 25
Chris Bennion writes about the loss of Radio 3 drama in today's Daily Telegraph. He says that radio listening is at an all-time high (32 million listen to the BBC each week) and BBC Sounds is doing well. However, one area where the Corporation struggles to avoid criticism is its arts and culture offering. "The decline of BBC Radio Drama is well-chronicled, with the Radio 3 90-minute Sunday evening slot the latest to get the chop. This has prompted outcry from the Writers' Guild, Equity and the Society of Authors. In a statement urging the BBC to reconsider, the organizations said that removing the long-form drama was akin to shutting "the National Theatre of the Airwaves".

As Charles points out, there's no doubt that the BBC needs to think carefully about how to champion its audio drama in a rapidly-evolving landscape where podcasts are on the rise. Axing what it does best is not good. It's easily the world's best (and most prolific) producer of radio drama and it must capitalize on it.

27 Feb 25

HELP SAVE RADIO DRAMA
Theo Jones of the Society of Authors has been in touch about the axing of radio 3 Drama. He has compiled an interesting 45-minute piece with colleague Johanna Clarke where he talks to some well-known radio writers about what makes the form so special, and why abandoning full-length drama is seriously unwise.

Theo's podcast is here, on Spotify: Throw Us a Line: help Save Audio Drama .

The writers featured are Linda Marshall Griffiths, Paterson Joseph, Nell Leyson, Andrew MacCaldon, Timberlake Wertenbaker, Rhiannon Tise, David Morley and Hannah Silva.

I'll also remind you of the R3 petition again : it's here .

The podcast has been paid for by the Authors' Licensing & Collecting Society: ALCS.

25 Feb 25

NADIA MOLINARI
Nadia's page is now online. The 'notes' section is in progress, and I've not yet tackled radio 3. I'm also pleased to report that Nadia has three more plays going out this month (Feb):

Saint Joan of the Anthropocene (reimagining of Bernard Shaw’s Saint Joan by Linda Marshall Griffiths) going out on Drama on 3 on Sunday 9th,

Undercover The Fury series 2 by Rachel Smith 18th/19th/20th Feb on Radio 4

Messiaen and the Birds by Michael Symmons Roberts for Drama on 3 23rd Feb

28 Jan 25

MARION NANCARROW - WHY RADIO 3 DRAMA SHOULD NOT DISAPPEAR
We know the BBC is under intense pressure to make cuts and, whilst we sympathise, it’s tantamount to cultural vandalism to keep reducing and then lose something like Audio Drama. Not only is it at the heart of the BBC’s core values for both audiences and talent, it’s also a cultural training ground for actors, writers, producers, technicians etc. Cutting what’s left of Drama on 3 makes a comparatively tiny financial saving, but halts a long history and tradition of writers and actors who are now at the heart of the most popular TV and film having worked in radio early in their careers - and returning because they love the medium and the chance to be original and use their voice. Drama on 3 is one of the few remaining audio slots for plays over an hour in length, giving a unique opportunity for voices from across the world to explore the way we live now, with the depth and insight 90 minutes allows, at a time when it’s never been needed more. We lose it at our peril. Please reverse this short-sighted decision.
Marion Nancarrow

28 Jan 25

PETITION


ALEC REID
Many of you will be familiar with the work of radio producer and writer Alec Reid. I am pleased to report that a number of his recent productions are available on the 'audiotera' website, which you can find here. The selection includes a very engaging drama about horse-racing, recorded for the BBC, entitled 'Goose'. I have listed details on Alec's page, which can be found on the PRODUCERS index page.

NIGEL DEACON - WHY R3 DRAMA SHOULD NOT DISAPPEAR
Since 2017 the commissioning hours for radio
drama have been cut from 600 hours per year
to 300. Now we are told that drama must end on
radio 3 - a place for fostering new writing and
acting talent. There are around 20 commissions
of drama per year on radio 3, of which half are
new writing and adaptations, providing key
opportunities for creative talent; actors, audio
artists and writers plus the production teams
making these works. This is a cultural disaster.
The BBC should be encouraging and supporting
British talent, not closing it down.
N.D.

23 Jan 25

MARCY KAHAN - WHY R3 DRAMA SHOULD NOT DISAPPEAR
I am a playwright. Forty years ago I had my first
BBC commission: a 30-minute play for Radio 3
- The Contemplative Life - starring Alan Rickman
as a homicidal Benedictine monk. In 2017 I wrote
a R3 drama - Ninety Minutes With Stanislavski -
which dramatised the debates of New York's Group
Theatre. Last Sunday I listened to Roy William's
stupendous re-imagining of The Great Gatsby -
re-set during the Harlem Renaissance. The R3
Sunday evening drama is irreplaceable. The BBC
shouldn't be eradicating it; they should be promoting
it to our nation and to the world.
Marcy Kahan

22 Jan 25

THOUGHTS ON THE RADIO DRAMA PETITION
In a way, I'm concerned that the Equity campaign is to 'Save Drama on 3", when perhaps it should be the wider call, 'Hands off radio drama". The fact that it isn't lends weight to the idea that perhaps this is all choreographed: Radio 3 drama will be 'rescued' in a blaze of publicity whilst radio 4 drama continues to be allowed to melt slowly like an ice cube in a glass.

Is the radio 3 cut a red herring?

22 Jan 25

RADIO DRAMA PETITION
Readers may be aware that after the recent draconian cuts to Radio 4 Drama, the BBC has announced that all drama on Radio 3 is to be axed. This is a cultural disaster. At a time when the BBC has been telling the world how much it values radio drama, it has been planning these cuts.

At the end of 2024, the BBC confidentially informed three creative unions (Equity, Writers Guild of Great Britain and the Society of Authors) that it would be cutting all drama programming on BBC Radio 3. The BBC stated that it hasbeen rebranding Radio 3 as a classical music network.

In a letter to the unions, the BBC acknowledged that BBC Radio 3 is a place for fostering new writing and acting talent. There are around 20 commissions of drama per year, of which half are new writing and adaptations, providing key opportunities for creative talent; actors, audio artists and writers plus the the production teams making these works.

Commenting, Shannon Sailing (Equity) said that removing audio drama from Radio 3 with no accountable commitment to moving the commissions elsewhere is a devastating blow to the creative community.

My own view is that this latest cut is a much bigger loss than the 30-odd hours it represents, because it's the slot where more unusual and experimental dramas are aired; therefore it marks a significant reduction in the scope and breadth of what BBC Radio Drama can offer. It also means that there are 20 fewer opportunities for new writers to shine.

The BBC has promised that it will use Radio 4 as a platform for audio drama, but this is too vague. Firm commitments are needed, with figures as to how many hours of audio drama will be commited to commissioning.

We are not willing to sit back and watch idly as audio drama is wiped from the slate of the BBC.

Please write a letter to the Director-General, Tim Davie, c/o/ BBC Broadcasting House, London, W1A 1AA.

If you can't do that, sign the petition. Even that is better than nothing.

PETITION

16 Jan 25

RADIO DRAMA PRESENTATIONS, SOHO POLY THEATRE

Our radio drama presentations took place on 14 Jan, after setting up on the previous day. Soho Poly Theatre is a pleasant venue with historic connections; it nurtured a lot of cutting-edge drama talent in the 70s and 80s (Caryl Churchill, John Hurt, Hanif Kureishi, Barry Keeffe, Pam Gems and a host of others) and has now become a thriving community hub where varied events (including drama) take place.

There was a short review on the Soho Poly website, which I'm reproducing below. Click on the thumbnails for better pictures.

...

"What a delight this was yesterday - Nigel and Alison
Deacon (www.suttonelms.org.uk) talking so expertly
about the art and craft of radio drama and the medium's
ability to #DisruptYour Everyday. Thanks to
@yourdadsgayuk and Nicola Baldwin for organising,
and all who came along".

15 Jan 25

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