What they say about us
Listening to plays in a foreign language is a weirdly engaging experience
How on earth can you follow what’s going on when you can’t possibly know what anyone is saying? Remarkably well: each play has an English translation which you can read word-for-word as the drama unfolds. But in any case the fact that you can’t understand what’s being said hardly seems to matter. It’s the rhythm of the words that draws you in and keeps your interest, the pacing, the tone, the cadences, and whether there’s enough variety of voices between all the actors.
KATE CHISHOLM
The Spectator (2019)
Impressions from the 5th UK International Radio Drama Festival
One of the things about radio drama is that you don’t need to stop doing everything to take part; listening is what you do, usually, whilst doing something else. The experience is also less passive than watching a movie; you might expect that hearing a play in a foreign language presents a problem… however it doesn’t, because English scripts on electronic readers are provided. Once you get synchronised there isn’t a language barrier. At the end of Tuesday afternoon it was wonderful to hear everyone laughing at David Mairowitz’s comic play ‘Mono’, in spite of it being in German!
NIGEL DEACON
2019
Dear friends,
I want to say a lot of thanks to you,
It is very important for the future of Georgian Radio drama “TRAVELING IN AFRICA” success of our play. For our team this is very good motivation for new inspirations and new radio plays. This year on the radio-festival there were a big number of really interesting radio plays. This fact shows, and I’m very glad to realize it, that the genre of radio drama is steel actual and alive. So nice, that the storyline of our radio drama,very sensitive and painful theme for us, (as you know the part of my country – Georgia is occupied), was so familiar for audience of different nationalities.
Many thanks, to that people who organized this festival – so important for radio drama genre.
With kind regards, from all my team
I want to say a lot of thanks to you,
It is very important for the future of Georgian Radio drama “TRAVELING IN AFRICA” success of our play. For our team this is very good motivation for new inspirations and new radio plays. This year on the radio-festival there were a big number of really interesting radio plays. This fact shows, and I’m very glad to realize it, that the genre of radio drama is steel actual and alive. So nice, that the storyline of our radio drama,very sensitive and painful theme for us, (as you know the part of my country – Georgia is occupied), was so familiar for audience of different nationalities.
Many thanks, to that people who organized this festival – so important for radio drama genre.
With kind regards, from all my team
ZURAB KANDELAKI
Winner of the 2019 Audience Award
A really enjoyable week, listening to audio drama from around the world. I enjoyed listening to and learning about formats very different to those used in the UK. Hearing people’s reactions to the pieces was fascinating, as was finding put the background as to why they were in the format they were.
ALISON
2019
I had a wonderful day on the Monday listening to the range of different plays and being exposed to a new style of form and content.
MICHAEL
2019
It was for me a pleasure to participate for the second time to me to yours festival. I left it with many new and inspiring ideas for my work.
OANA
2019
Thank you again so much for having us in your beautiful festival with an amazing laid-back atmosphere in nice places in Canterbury.
ULRIKE & ANDY
2019
Impressions from the 5th UK International Radio Drama Festival
It was weird to hear people around me laughing at the jokes in RTE’s Surviving Ireland drama-documentary as if there was a studio audience, only to realise the laughs were coming from inside the room not out of the radio set on the sideboard. It probably also makes you more open to the unusual, more willing to keep listening, to be taken out of your comfort zone. But the festival is also intended as an opportunity to bring to the UK plays from across the world.
KATE CHISHOLM
The Spectator (2018)
REVIEW ‘SURVIVING IRELAND’
Exterior. Night. Herne Bay.
I am walking back to my hotel, typing away on my smartphone, about an audio mockumentary concerninging digital detox. Oh the irony.
Before I start, I should mention that it is possible that there are some errorrrs in the writing. Because walkking and rwiting is harder than it seesm.s
In ‘Sunviving Oreland’, Holly and Declan, the wto main cahrachters, retreat to a place hwere smratphones are bannde: the isle of Carnananánachán (which is written without any mistakes, I promise).
Ocne arrived by baot, the msartphone-dependent couple set forth on a very unconventional traetment to make temh appreciate the simpler thignssss in liife. And as in evvery godo cult, breaking thhese uules has terilbe conseqqquoenities. ‘Surviving Ireland’ is an extremmley funny and well producde radio prodcution, and hihgly recommende.
By the way: in typing this, I stumbled over a grassy roadside, I walked into one lamppost, and missen one fox running away before I could see it.
So: thank you, ‘Surviving Ireland’, you took away the only really British experience I had time for in this week of only listening.
Totally worth it.
Exterior. Night. Herne Bay.
I am walking back to my hotel, typing away on my smartphone, about an audio mockumentary concerninging digital detox. Oh the irony.
Before I start, I should mention that it is possible that there are some errorrrs in the writing. Because walkking and rwiting is harder than it seesm.s
In ‘Sunviving Oreland’, Holly and Declan, the wto main cahrachters, retreat to a place hwere smratphones are bannde: the isle of Carnananánachán (which is written without any mistakes, I promise).
Ocne arrived by baot, the msartphone-dependent couple set forth on a very unconventional traetment to make temh appreciate the simpler thignssss in liife. And as in evvery godo cult, breaking thhese uules has terilbe conseqqquoenities. ‘Surviving Ireland’ is an extremmley funny and well producde radio prodcution, and hihgly recommende.
By the way: in typing this, I stumbled over a grassy roadside, I walked into one lamppost, and missen one fox running away before I could see it.
So: thank you, ‘Surviving Ireland’, you took away the only really British experience I had time for in this week of only listening.
Totally worth it.
WEDERIK
Review of one of the plays from the 2018 Festival
Comments on the 4th edition of the Festival (2018)
NICHOLAS MCINERNY
Riverside Radio
Climbed the mountainous stairs to enter an harmonious world of language, sounds, atmosphere and mystery. I discovered your unique festival. Thank you.
JANE
2016
I really enjoyed the festival when I came to the Vintage empire tea room on Thursday afternoon. It was lovely to see something like this in Herne Bay right on my doorstep, it’s great for Herne Bay and I hope you return again next year. I popped into Beach creative and they said it was a success, so fingers crossed, congratulations!
I wish I could have seen more, but unfortunately I could not make it to some of the other radio dramas that I wanted to see.
I wish I could have seen more, but unfortunately I could not make it to some of the other radio dramas that I wanted to see.
JENNY
2015