Over the past few months I’ve busy working away on more new audio drama. These 3 new plays are part of the project I spearheaded looking for scripts from women writers to try and address the huge gender balance issue we had with the scripts that we were producing. The quality of scripts is very high and I’m very proud of how they all came out.
First up is ‘Buckle‘ by Christine Madden
‘Buckle’ by Christine Madden
Lily Albright’s teenage son is dead. The man who pleaded guilty to his murder is in prison. What compels Lily to visit her son’s killer in prison? Yet she does, repeatedly, searching for answers to questions she can’t articulate, questions she dreads.
Shane, who is responsible for Billy’s death, does not welcome Lily’s visits, nor does he oblige her with any information. What he withholds, though, is more than the specifics of a kill: it’s a life laced with fear and anger, pain and guilt. Bit by bit, Lily draws him out, and they form an unlikely bond over a tragic death that devastated them both.
First broadcast: 31st May 2019
Written and Directed by Christine Madden
Featuring:
Ali White, Lloyd Cooney, Darragh Kelly and Sarah O’Rourke
Script Consultant: Lisa Tierney-Keogh
Next was ‘The Love of Small Appliances’ by Maura McHugh
An audio drama set in an apartment of the near future, owned by Sive Chand, a futurist working in Galway. Sive is in a relationship with Jahzara Dunne, who is a chocolatier in the city. Sive’s home AI (Artificial Intelligence), Tara, offers organisation support for Sive, and monitors all the devices attached to her network, including Mary, the opinionated fridge and Ita the slow-witted vacuum cleaner. When Tara, Mary, and Ita discover that Sive is considering a job offer in London, the three end up involving themselves in the relationship between the two women (and even Jahzara’s fridge), in order to keep the couple together, and ensure that they don’t end up on the scrap heap.
First broadcast 28 June 2019
Cast
Siobhan Callaghan: TARA
Ashleigh Dorrell: MARY
Julie Maguire: ITA
Donna Nikolaisen: JAHZARA
Suzie Seweify: SIVE
Production
Director – Nicola Murphy
Series and script advisor – Lisa Tierney-Keogh
And the most recent one was ‘Plain Speak’ by Dorothy Cotter
It’s a Saturday night in Soho and Siobhán and Danny are on a doomed first date. Tinder virgin Danny has a serious case of foot in mouth while Siobhán, weary of the London dating scene, already has one foot out the door.
Awkward turns to tense, tense becomes outrage and common decency makes a run for the exit. With their mischievous, mouthy Inner Voices constantly berating them, it’s hard for the pair to think straight. It’s only when they decide to give up that there is a glimmer of hope.
Plain Speak is a short romcom about modern dating and miscommunication – First Dates meets Peep Show with a nod to Brian Friel.
First broadcast 28 June 2019
Cast:
Siobhán – Emma Moohan
Siobhán’s Inner Voice – Dorothy Cotter
Danny – Stephen Bradley
Danny’s Inner Voice– Cillian O’Donnchadha
Production:
Director: Nicola Murphy
Series and script adviser : Lisa Tierney-Keogh
And that’s all of them for now. There are 3 more currently in pre-poduction and I did another call out for scripts earlier in the year so hopefully we’ll have another season of these plays for 2020.
All of these audio dramas are made with the support of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland with the television license fee.