Drama Guide

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31109, 12 July 1966, Page 12

Drama Guide

The N.Z.B.C. is now producing a little drama brochure with a few details about radio plays as a guide to listeners.

The first lists the plays to be broadcast from July to .September, and gives a line or two describing each play. It also states the drama {policy of each type of station. ; The YC stations are concerned {with “plays of serious appeal I —mainly works of depth, experiment, or drawn from theatrical heritage;” the National Programme offers “plays of a substantial nature with fair appeal” on Monday evenings, with repeats of popular 60-minute plays on Sunday afternoons; the ZB Sunday Showcase offers light entertainment every second week: and the X stations dispense “shorter plays catering for all tastes."

The brochure notes that the Playhouse series, “intended, in addition to its general listener appeal, as an N.Z.B.C. contribution to the cause of higher education in New Zealand,” is concerned this year with the theme of “man and the conflict of loyalties,” with works chosen by Professor I. Gordon of Victoria University. Something of the tremendous growth of the N.Z.B.C. drama studios is indicated by the fact that of the 44 plays i3B are N.Z.B.C. productions land only seven are Ifrom the 8.8. C. The playwriting industry has grown too, as 13 of the plays are by New Zealanders.