The Making of Trouble and Shame.
Post categories: Audio,ÌýDrama,ÌýRadio Scotland,Ìýhighlights
| 18:15 UK time, Wednesday, 28 July 2010
This Friday a brand new drama goes out on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio Scotland called Trouble and Shame. Producer, Kirsty Williams, tells us how they came up with the idea for the play and gives us an insight into producing theatre for the airwaves.
About a year ago my colleagues and I were discussing themes that writers might respond to for Radio Scotland dramas. The subject of Orange Walks came up because of some recent articles in the press claiming that there were more marches in Glasgow than in Belfast and Derry combined. This intrigued me and seemed like an interesting jumping off point for a writer.In fact, it felt like an interesting jumping off point for David Ireland. He's a Belfast born writer in his early 30s who spent over a decade living and working in Glasgow. And he writes biting and insightful satires that often address the political and religious context of Northern Ireland.
So we asked David to come up with an idea for a play and Radio Scotland bought it. Trouble and Shame was the result. It's a play about a Glaswegian who kidnaps two Northern Irish politicians. It's satirical and absurdist but it's got a powerful punch.
We have a day in the studio to make a Radio Scotland drama and then a day to edit it into the finished product.The drama is set inside the car of the kidnapper and plays out in real time. So, on the morning of the record, the sound team made a set in our drama studio in ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Pacific Quay which replicated the inside of a car. All the action took place in that space - so the actors playing the politicians sat on the back seat and Gary Lewis, who played the kidnapper, sat in the front.
Initially the politicians are gagged, so we asked the actors to bring something they'd be happy to gag themselves with - Veronica Leer had a (very clean) pair of socks stuffed in her mouth and Robert Jack had a (brand new) hanky. This was really the only way to get an authentic sense of muffled voices but can't have been particularly pleasant for them!
We broke the play down into three sections and rehearsed each section during the course of the day, and at the end of the day we put all the sections back together and recorded the whole play in one sitting.
That's not how we always make radio dramas, but for a play with one set and one continuous conversation, it makes sense to let the actors experience it at a full run. The nightmare for them is that they have to perform whilst holding a whole script in their hands, and they have to turn the pages without making any noise. In an enclosed space, close to the mic, that's a bit of a challenge. But they did it and made us all laugh and cry along the way.
Don't miss Trouble and Shame, Friday at 1130 on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio Scotland.
Comment number 1.
At 8th Aug 2010, Kazariin wrote:I just heard this via Listen Again. Almost fell off my chair laughing for the first half, and got just a bit teary toward the end. Honestly funny and genuinely moving - a real treat. Well done to everyone involved!
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