LO1 Radio Drama Analysis

This essay will be an analysis of both a traditional radio drama and a

postmodern one. For each drama, I will be looking at the codes and
conventions, styles and also the structure that is used. A postmodern
radio drama is traditionally a little bit unusual and not in the ordinary.
Postmodern dramas codes and conventions differ slightly in comparison
to traditional drama as traditional drama follows codes and conventions of
a typical soap opera. The two radio dramas I will be analysing will be The
Archers, which is a traditional drama and Day of the Dead which is a
postmodern drama.
The style for The Archers is traditional. A traditional style consists of a
strong and consistent storyline that involves a narrator and many
characters. It often features a problem or dilemma which the characters
aim to try and fix. The storyline of the Archers is appropriate to the TA as
the characters in the drama closely resemble that of the audience, for
example, a slightly older person. There is no main mood that is created
throughout, but any mood that is set is through the use of words and the
way each character comes across and how we interpret there mood to be.
The Day of the Dead differs as the style is a post-modern drama; these
are usually slightly more interactive with the audience as in post-modern
radio drama there are more questions being raised, which the audience
must take it upon themselves to answer, than problems and questions.
Any mood set in this drama is created by the use of music and speech.
The music would
In the episode of The Archers, three elderly women are finalising there
preparations for a party that is happening later that evening. A younger
couple are collecting their son from school, whilst also debating about
their new retail business. In the Day of the Dead, a young man travels to
New Orleans to find his missing lover, however, he unintentional find
something else, himself.
The codes and conventions of both differ due to the times that each style
of drama was first created. The language used is specific to the era that
The Archers was supposed to be set in, which also relates to the audience
that it is aimed at (elderly and political). The words used are also essential
in telling the storyline and giving the listeners an idea of what is
happening. The words can be narrated or spoken in conversation by the
characters. The voices help us to characterise and visualise what the
characters look like, and we can tell by how well speak and how formal
they are, that would be of an elderly age. The episode starts off with a
short theme tune which indicates the start and allows the audience to
instantly know what is happening. Ambience and aural signposting are key
in both dramas. In the Archers, we can tell by the echo in the characters
voices that they are inside, we also hear rustling of clothes which
indicates that they are looking at the costumes for the party. Sounds such

as people talking and birds whistling helps us to visualise where the

characters are, therefore the listeners are more likely to be able to
interact and understand the story a lot more. In the opening of Day of the
Dead, the main character is narrating and starts to explain what is going
happening. The narration at the beginning is key and helps the audience
understand where and what is happening. The narrator is describing the
change of seasons, from autumn to winter. Although he is only talking
about seasons, it sets the mood for the remainder of the drama, as it
makes the audience get a feel of mystery and eeriness. We also hear the
sound of a guitar, this helps us to visualise how and what he is playing
when he talks about it. In the second scene at the beginning, we hear the
sound of a train; this instantly indicates what is going on and where is.
Characterisation in both dramas is created through what each character
says and the emotions they show. From this we are able to work out what
type of person they are and also how relevant they are in the story. When
talking about chronological development, the Archers is easy to relate to
as the story is told in the order which the event happen. However, its
slightly different in Day of the Dead. Right at the beginning, the narrator
is talking from a future point, looking back on what has happened.
However, the rest is in order. The use of fades in both dramas are similar
to silence, as both are used to represent the end of the scene transitioning
into the next one. By using a fade, it becomes clear to the listeners
exactly what is happening, and means they will know that something is
changing.