Home>Chung Wai Ming Talks about the Production of Radio Dramas> Clip1-The Production of Radio Dramas in the 1950s and 60s

Chung Wai Ming Talks about the Production of Radio Dramas

Clip1-The Production of Radio Dramas in the 1950s and 60s

    Go    Next Audio   [Audio #1, Total 5 Audios]

In the 1950s and 60s, the production of a radio play began with inviting a script writer to write the script; most of the early radio dramas were adapted from stage plays, such as “Thunderstorm” and “Sunrise”. After that came the casting. The production assistant was responsible for allocating the work, and arranging rehearsals. Since radio dramas were all aired live, going over the dialogue was very important, and usually it had to be done two to three times. Once we were happy with it, we would get the person in charge to arrange for rehearsals in the studio. After that, we rehearsed with the music and sound effects and timing, and so on. When the programme was finally broadcast, the dialogue went out instantaneously, with special technicians handling the sound effects. If the sound effects people slipped up, or if actors misread the script, we had to do what we could to save the day. For example, once, when we were supposed to make the sound of a baby crying and a dog’s barking sound came out by mistake, the actor said immediately, “That dog is barking again!” Only in the early 50s when Rediffusion started to sell programmes to Singapore and Malaya did the recording of programmes take place.



Back to Chung Wai Ming Talks about the Production of Radio Dramas