RADIO PLAYS.
Sir,-Listening to. the discussion on radio plays broadcast from 2YA_ on November 22, I observed. among the speakers two different views on, the subject, J. C. Fisher being (I thought) reactionary and John Gundry and Lloyd Lamble slightly progressive. However, their opinions tmay have been curbed by the former’s rather vehement stipulations for the production of such. plays. He said that plays are necessarily a medium for portraying life, yet immediately condemned the present-day frequent use of sound effects. and particularly background music as an adulteration of the art. Surely music is a background of our life, not only in the home but even at work, where a tune may return repeatedly to the individual’s consciousness? Certain i uations, suggest appropriate tunes or gs to mo f us.. Just as, a theatregoer accepts: stage conventions. without second thought, so, I believe, listeners can and do ept sound effects as an integral part of a radio play.
It was conceded by .Mr. Fisher that a script or character could be improved by the actors or producer, but not by the effect of music. To me, music in a radio play provides some of the atmosphere which is lacking through the absence of flesh and blood, The listener must have not only characters but also a feeling of the situation, before’ he can picture intelligently in his mind the incidents presented to him, It is not that sound effects do not encourage’ the listener to think for himself-he) must heve ‘the raw. material there before he can, construct. his. thoughts. Appropriate music. is the ideal medium for conveying that mecessary feeling. It .was mentioned that a radio play (I do not-know whether serials or single
episode plays were meant) should follow the form of the novel, but is not the short story of the O. Henry~type, with its final bang, more adaptable, even within the episodes of a serial? The panel skimmed over the topic of actors not putting enough feeling into their part. I think that too much feeling is often put into the spoken word, and that more mioderation is needed with voice control in. most radio plays, and particularly in serials. After all, our lives are not quite melodramas.
BURNS FERRIER
(Napier) .
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New Zealand Listener, Volume 20, Issue 495, 17 December 1948, Page 5
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375RADIO PLAYS. New Zealand Listener, Volume 20, Issue 495, 17 December 1948, Page 5
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