RADIO PLAYS

Radio Record, 8 July 1938, Page 23

RADIO PLAYS

Prizewinners In NBS Competition.

PRIZE-WINNERS in the gadio play-writing competition of 1937-38, conducted: by- the -National Broadcasting Service, are: First prize (£40), ‘"Hndeavour," Isobel Andrews, Wellington.. Second prize (£20), "The Tartan: of Rangi Ngatai," Merrick W. Horton, Weilding. Four prizes (£10 each), "Love ‘Thy Neighbour," Henry MecNeish, New. Plymouth; "Southern. Lights," .-Gordon Griffiths, Timaru;: "The Honour is Theirs," Agnes lL. Henderson, Dunedin ; "The Trampled . Herbage Springs," Ralph Hogg, Wellington. The restriction of this year’s competition to plays about New Zealand may be taken as the main or sole reason for the drop in the number of entries from 390 to 206, state the judges. This decrease has resulted in a rise in the average of quality. This time competitors had to turn their eyes to their own country and make use’ of less showy material. There has been a valuable gain‘in sincerity of choice and treatment. A play about New Zealand life, however, is something more than a play merely laid in New Zealand. What was looked for in the competition were plays depicting conditions typical of New Zealand life-political, economic. or social. In this important respect. the competition has been somewhat disappointing. There are still rich territories of incident and character tha! await further development. and,. in deed, exploration. A number of competitors have choseuv the chronicle history form of play. This is an easy road in that the mater jal is ready to hand, but the element of surprise is sacrificed; the andience, for the most part, is familiar with the outline of the story. Chronicles of his tory have their place in New Zealand drama, and they will have a special importance and appeal during the Dominion Centennial, but native drama will not develop if writers do not courageously grapple with the difficulties of creative work in the fullest sense of the term.