Ash, W. 1985 The Way to Write Radio Drama London: Elm Tree Books
Augaitis, D & Lander, D. (eds) 1994 Radio rethink: art, sound and transmission Alberta: Walter Phillips Gallery
BBC 1991 Best radio plays of 1991: the BBC Giles Cooper Award Winners London: Methuen
Beck, A. 1997 Radio Acting London: A & C Black
MacLoughlin, S. 1998 Writing for Radio Oxford: How To Books
Crook, T. 1999 Radio Drama: theory & practice London: Routledge
McInerney, V. 2001 Writing for Radio Manchester University Press
McLeish, R. 2005 Radio production: a manual for broadcasters (5th edn) Oxford: Focal
Rattigan, D. 2002 Theatre of Sound: radio and the dramatic imagination Dublin: Carysfort Press
Shingler, M. & Wieringa, C. 1998 On Air: methods & meanings of radio London: Arnold

Library resources, including published CDs/tapes & off-air recordings.
Online listening
Sound studio
Portable recording kits and a selection of microphones
Audio editing workstations
Audio playback facilities
The Blackboard virtual learning environment will be available (where relevant) to support this module. Details will be supplied in the module handbook.

A series of illustrated lectures introduce the theory and practice of creating drama for radio. Initially you work individually to apply this understanding in creating a scenario and early draft script. Then working in pairs / threes and with tutorial support you draw on the ideas and insights you find here in order to select and develop a script for a broadcast slot. You are also introduced to the basics of recording for radio drama in order to create an illustrative sample for inclusion in your final pitch. You articulate your learning through a reflective diary and a process of peer review in support of a finished draft and your group's pitch.

Key Information Set Data:
Scheduled learning 13%
Guided independent learning 87%

As its title suggests, this module is for you to develop a radio drama project from the initial idea up to and including the point of pitching it to a commissioning editor, i.e. prior to final scripting and production. You explore the ingredients radio drama offers, as distinct from stage, TV or film drama and you are introduced to the theory: the codes and conventions that exploit the strengths of the medium, concepts of dramatic structure, characterisation, possible approaches to space and time, how to convey action and essential visual information, effective use of sound effects and atmospheres. You may also consider the potential challenges in adapting a story from another medium for radio. You will review what is needed to develop an early draft into a professional standard script: researching matters of fact or character details, studying examples on which you could model aspects of style and structure, identifying particular technical and directing skills you need to acquire, targeting style and content to the most appropriate slot in the schedules. At the end of the module you draw together all you have learned to present a pitch to your commissioning panel, which will include the rest of your class.

A LEARNING PORTFOLIO comprising draft scripts, a learning diary, contribution to a pitch and peer evaluation. (100%) L.O.s 1 - 4

Key Information Set Data:
Coursework 100%