The Radio Drama.

The Radio Drama is a dramatic performance on the radio or published through audio media. Without a visual, the radio drama relies on the voice, dialogue, music, and sound effects to create its fictional world and its characters. 

 

The BBC began radio transmission in the United Kingdom in 1922. On 14 November 1922, Arthur Burrows, the Director of Programs at the BBC, launched Britain’s first national radio broadcasting service from the Macroni House in London.

 

The radio drama achieved popularity within a decade and by the 1940s, it was leading in entertainment. Though with the start of widespread use of the television in the 1950s, it lost some popularity and in some countries was unable to regain large audiences. 

 

As of the early 2010s, radio drama has held a minimally steady presence on radio in the United States and has made a transition to streaming platforms. Though in the UK, radio drama remains intertwined in the media consumed daily. 

 

Today, radio drama has made a resurgence as artists find new ways to create and perform under COVID-19. Various theatre companies have transitioned over to a radio drama format to present their seasons and indirectly provided access to the theatre to millions of theatre lovers and newcomers across the nation and the world.