@The Arts Unit Creative Classes

Stories in the dark

Create and record an original radio play

Student drama resource developed by The Arts Unit

Years 7 and 8 drama

What will I learn?

You will:

  • analyse the characteristics of a good radio play

  • create character voices and use them to plan your own radio play

  • rehearse and perform your radio play for an audience.

Before you begin

You will need:

  • clear space to move around and make some noise

  • your logbook and a pen

  • a copy of the radio play script in activity 3 or a device for writing an original radio play

  • a voice recording device.

Students reading scripts together at The Arts Unit 2019 skills development workshop
Skills development workshop – The Arts Unit

  1. Watch, listen and analyse

Watch the following 2 videos, then answer the questions in your logbook

  • Brainstorm the things that make a radio play different from a play written for the stage.

  • What elements would need to be included to make a radio play really engaging for an audience to listen to in the dark?

You may like to share your ideas with a classmate.

Behind The News – radio plays

Duration: 03:58

Listen to the following 2 examples of radio plays, then answer the following questions in your logbook.

You might like to close your eyes as you listen.

  • Who is the target audience for each of these radio plays?

  • Identify one effective element/technique from each radio play.

  • Give a specific example of how this element/technique was used to make the radio play relevant to the target audience.

  • What might be some of the advantages of writing for radio instead of for the stage?

  • What are the challenges for a radio play writer?

Sparky and the Talking Train

Duration: 16:38

Cabin Pressure – Fizz, Buzz, Have a Banana

Duration: 04:20

2. Create

Watch these character voice activities with Gen DeSouza in the following video.

Playing with voice to create character

Duration: 05:12
Radio play at WBY, 1923

Explore Gen's activities in the video to create characters' voices using:

  • pace

  • volume

  • pitch

  • facial expression

  • accents.

Remember the more options you come up with, the more choices you will have when planning your radio play.

Experiment with hot-seating 3 to 4 of the vocal characters you have generated. Imagine you are the character and take turns with a partner to ask and respond to the following questions:

  • What is your name?

  • How old are you?

  • What do you do in your spare time?

  • Tell me a secret about yourself that no one else knows.

  • If you could have a superpower, what would it be?

  • What is your greatest wish for the future?

You might like to try 'A World from Music' for another approach to generating characters

3. Plan

Watch Gen’s advice on planning your radio play in the following video.

Planning your radio play

Duration: 02:00

Read ‘The Secret Donut’ script.

On your own or with some peers, play with reading the script aloud, using your character voices so that each character sounds different and is clear to your audience.

The Secret Donut script

The secret donut script.docx

Extension activity

You might like to try to write your own original radio play using the characters you have created.

Remember Gen’s advice to:

  • keep it short (2-3 minutes)

  • make action happen early

  • focus on character relationships.


Also be sure to include the 3 essentials of an entertaining story.

  1. Plot: what happens. Make sure this includes a complication to make things interesting.

  2. Characters: who it happens to.

  3. Theme: what it means.

Get more tips on how to write your own radio play from Plan B Theatre.

If you are looking for a different script to perform, try the Australian Theatre for Young People Home Theatre.

Young person reading a script at The Arts Unit 2019 skills development workshop
Skills development workshop – The Arts Unit

4. Rehearse and perform

Watch the following video for tips on how to rehearse and perform your radio play.

Rehearsing and performing

Duration: 05:43

Rehearse your radio play with all the character voices and how you’ll make them.

Perform and record your performance.

5 students rehearsing scripts at The Arts Unit 2019 skills development workshop
Skills development workshop – The Arts Unit

Extension activity

Watch and listen to the following 3 sound effects videos.

Old-time radio sound effects

Duration: 09:15

Kids do movie sound effects

Duration: 03:07

Foley artist shows how sound effects are made

Duration: 03:11

  • List 4 to 6 of your favourite sounds from the clips. How were they created by the sound effect artists?

  • Experiment with creating sound effects to enhance your own radio play by using things found in your environment. For example: Use your shoes to make footsteps. Record those sounds and ask someone else to identify the effect you are trying to create.

  • Enhance your radio play recording by adding sound effects.

  • Reflect on some of the challenges of creating these sound effects. How could you overcome these challenges to create a more engaging radio play for your audience?

6 people recording a radio play
Recording a radio play. The Netherlands, (1949)

Well done!

We hope you've enjoyed creating your own radio play!

You have completed this @The Arts Unit Creative Class.

You might like to explore more of our @The Arts Unit Creative Classes:






Musical theatre - drama - Years 7-10 drama
Beats and rhymes - Years 7-10 drama and public speaking
Lights, camera, action! - Years 7-10 drama
Drop the mic - hip hop and Shakespeare - Year 7-10 drama
Lip-sync challenge - Years 7-10 drama
Tune in and tune up - Year 7-8 drama
I like to move it, move it. Years 7-10 drama

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