Our UK correspondent, Roy, sez that RTÉ Radio 1 (Ireland Public Radio) is airing a new series throughout October. Ireland’s award winning Crazy Dog Audio Theatre has created “Audio Gothic” a series of five radio plays. Each of the plays is written, directed and produced by Roger Gregg, recently hailed on BBC Radio 4 as ‘one of a handful of truly great radio dramatists.’
Varying in styles from dark comedy to sombre character studies, each play focuses on individuals who struggle with loneliness, loss and self-delusion. Each production features all of the hallmarks of Crazy Dog Audio Theatre; original music scores, location recordings, state-of-the-art sound design and some of the very best Irish and international voice talents.
Roy writes: “Given Crazy Dog’s track record this should be well worth investigating at least. However, I’m not sure that the Tuesday Play slot is necessarily archived for later listening or mp3 download even though from the ‘past shows’ link previous Crazy Dog productions such as Diabolic Playhouse still appear to be available from 2004.”
Crazy Dog has posted the entire 5 episode description on their website.
Tuesday 3 October:
SEANY BOY
Unable to deal with his grief, Seany Boy, an elderly Cork farmer, has retreated into his fantasy of being a gun toting, singing cowboy of the Old West. Seany is dismissed as a colourful eccentric until he draws a gun to intervene in a racist attack on an asylum seeker and the consequences rapidly spiral out of control. Liam Heffernan stars in this modern tale of the West.
Tuesday 10 October:
BRAD’S BOOK OF LIES
Following a nervous breakdown, the world’s greatest marketing guru awakens to the fact that the only truth he’s ever known is how to best tell lies. He resolves to become a new person but soon discovers that the world around him will not let his old self die. Simon O’Gorman stars in this dark comedy.
Tuesday 17 October:
MARY MAGUIRE SURROUNDED BY LOVED ONES
A moving portrait of a lonely Dublin woman spending a day reunited with her long-lost nearest and dearest. Karen Ardiff stars as Mary Maguire in this tale of loss and love.
Tuesday 24 October:
MARSYAS: THE HIPPEST SATYR
A modern jazz retelling of the Greek myth of Marsyas, a humble satyr who comes under the spell of a cursed magical horn. Leading Irish guitarist Giordai Ua Laoghaire is the featured musician in this comic musical fable of pride and self-delusion.
Tuesday 31st October:
MARINETTE 1.1.
A special Halloween tale of voodoo and vengence. A maladjusted computer expert comes to believe he’s being guided by a vengeful voodoo spirit named Marinette. Phil Proctor of RUGRATS stars in this voodoo tale for Halloween.
Thanks for the heads-up Roy!