Sony Drama Awards - Radio Plays
2008
GOLD
Q & A
Writer: Ayeesha Menon / Vikas Swarup,
Assistant Director: Tasneem Fatehi,
Composer: Sacha Puttnam,
Sound Designer: Nick Russell-Pavier,
Production Manager: Nadir Khan.
Cast: Anand Tiwari, Sohrab Ardeshir, Henry Goodman, Caran Arora, Rajit Kapur, Radhika Apte, Nadir Khan, Radhika Mital, Ratnabali Bhattacharjee, Ashley Cook, Rohit Malkani, Ayeesha Menon, Kenneth Desai, Pooja Ruparel, Armaan Malik, Vikrant Chaturvedi, Jaimini Pathak, Trikash Karkera, Devika Shahani-Punjabi, Pushan Kripalani.
Editor: Jeremy Howe ,
Director / Producer: John Dryden.
The panel thought this an outstanding serial, praising in particular the originality of the subject matter. The adaptation, performances, the adroit mix of contemporary and traditional themes, the surprises and the cliffhangers made this a superb piece of radio entertainment.
Goldhawk Essential Ltd for BBC Radio 4.
SILVER
Memorials to the Missing
Director: Martin Jenkins,
Writer: Stephen Wyatt.
Cast: Anton Lesser, Michael Maloney, Keith Drinkel, Teresa Gallagher, Sophie Roberts,
Karl Davies, Alex Wyndham & Ben Crowe.
Actuality Producer: Angela Hind,
Production Assistants: Joanna Green & Emma Davis,
Production Manager: Jane Ellison,
Studio Manager: David Thomas,
Commissioning Editor: Jeremy Howe,
Executive Producer: Peter Hoare.
Powerful, moving, informative and uplifting were just some of the adjectives used to describe this beautifully assured production. The various strands of the drama were masterfully woven together, forming an utterly original treatment of an unjustly-neglected aspect of Remembrance Day.
Pier Productions for BBC Radio 4. See Stephen Wyatt page.
BRONZE
Blood Wedding
Producer/Director: Pauline Harris,
Writer: Federico Garcia Lorca,
Adaptor: Ted Hughes.
An atmospheric re-working of Lorca's classic drama by Ted Hughes, brilliantly acted, recorded and directed. This was a Rolls-Royce production – everything about it shouted quality.
BBC Radio Drama for BBC Radio 3
NOMINATED:
Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf
Writer / Performer: Toby Hadoke,
Producer / Director: Paul Hardy,
Studio Managers: Paul Cargill & Denise Else,
Broadcast Assistant: Sally Harrison.
Cast: Toby Hadoke, James Quinn, Louise Jameson, Colin Baker, Rebecca Ridgeway, Alfie Joey, Ashley Margolis, Niall Shepherd & George Weaver.
This was a funny, warm and original drama, even for those who can't see what all the Doctor Who hype is about. The judges were also mindful that a small budget had not been an obstacle to producing an excellent piece of radio.
BBC Radio Entertainment for BBC7
The Veldt
Director/Producer: Judith Kampfner,
Writer : Ray Bradbury,
Adaptor: Mike Walker.
..An excellent piece of drama in a genre surprisingly under-represented in radio schedules given its popularity. The judges were particularly impressed by the sound design, and by the scary atmosphere the cast and director managed to create and sustain. See Ray Bradbury page for details.
The Corporation for Independent Media for BBC Radio 4
2006
Breakfast with Mugabe
A Royal Shakespeare Company Production by
Catherine Bailey Ltd, for BBC Radio 3.
In Search of Oldton
Broadcast on Radio 4.
Lorelei
Broadcast on Radio 4
The Cairo Trilogy
Dramatised by John Dryden as the Classic Serial.
Goldhawk Essential Productions for Radio 4.
True West
Broadcast on Radio 3.
Above information sent to me by Clive lever - thanks, Clive.
2005
Gold - NO BACKGROUND MUSIC
Friday Play about events in Vietnam 30 years ago.
The jury found it "compelling drama, beautifully written,
performed and produced". Not really true - it was a monologue, delivered by
Sigourney Weaver, and she played a hospital
nurse trying to patch up men who had been
subjected to unspeakable brutality. There was nothing left
to the imagination, and I can see why the production won
an award. But is it entertainment? The events described were utterly
vile.
Silver - WHAT A CARVE UP
Jonathan Coe's cult novel, adapted by David Nobbs, is a black comedy inspired by the immorality, greed and ambition of 1980s Britain.
Michael ...... Robert Bathurst
Fiona ...... Fiona Allen
Hortensia/Tabitha ...... Flaminia Cinque
Mortimer ...... Charlie Higson
Alice ...... Lucy Punch
Pyles ...... Jeff Rawle
Michael's Mum ...... Geraldine McNulty
Lawrence/Waiter ...... Gus Brown
Produced by Lucy Armitage.
The judges reckoned that the production conveyed a sense of
fun and audio cartoon.
Bronze
LAST LOVES
Friday Play. By Rony Robinson. With original songs by Sally Goldsmith.
From the winners of the Stronger Than Fiction Writing
competition, a drama about love among the elderly in a residential
home - inspired by true stories. The play features original songs,
also created from real stories and the words of older people in care.
Paul ...... Richard Wilson
Mo ...... Barbara Marten
Kate ...... June Broughton
Bob ...... Peter Martin
Singers ...... Violetta Hall, Roa Allender, Joan Crookes, Jill Elke, Monica Mellor, Jim Russell and Tony Smith
Music arranged and performed by Val Regan.
The judges mentioned a good performance by Richard Wilson. I'd
go along with this, but the supporting cast were good too.
ALSO NOMINATED:
HITLER IN THERAPY (World Service)-a play drawing on psychoanalysis, history, memory and
fantasy, set in London in the 80s and Germany in the 30s.
IN SEARCH OF LOST TIME (R4)
Mammoth serial (Proust), dram. by Michael Butt. Easier to get into than the books.
2003
Gold: RUNT, by Michael Phillip Edwards prod. M.Nancarrow, WS
Silver: AUTUMN JOURNAL, by Louis MacNeice, prod. Susan Roberts, R4
Bronze: CROSS MY HEART AND HOPE TO FLY, by Sarah Daniels; prod. Sally Avens, R4
4th & 5th: CARANDIRU by Jeff Young and MILOSEVIC by Peter Morgan, both R4
RUNT A Jamaican-American black man believes he is the runt of his family. Written and performed by Michael Edwards, this is an autobiographical account of the struggles between him and his father.
The father is the pack leader, assertive, woman-hater; he believes that laziness is the root of all evil. Despite his father's abuse, the son cannot hate, fight or confront him.
The play was recorded in Los Angeles and it's also been made into a film, released in 2004.
2002
Gold:A WOMAN IN WAITING, by ??? prod. ???, R4
Silver: DEAR DOCTOR GOEBBELS, by Neville Smith, prod. ???, R4
Bronze: BLUNT SPEAKING, ???; prod. ???, R4, Piers Productions
4th & 5th: ??
In Dear Dr. Goebbels, by Neville Smith (R4, 1415, 30 Nov 01), something of Goebbels' private life is revealed. Most people have never heard of Morgenstein, but he was offered an honour by Churchill (which he refused because his boss was not offered one) on the strength of the little ditty he wrote making fun of the Nazi leadership and their unfortunate medical conditions, sung by squaddies to the tune of "Colonel Bogey":
Hitler, has only got one ball
Goering, has two but very small
Himmler has somthing similar
But poor old Goebbels has no balls at all
....(ND, VRPCC newsletter)
2001
Gold:ALPHA, by Mike Walker prod. Gordon House, WS and R4
Silver: CRUSH, by Gill Adams, prod. Lucy Baldwyn, R3
Bronze: MAN IN SNOW, by Israel Horovitz; prod. Ned Chaillet, R4
4th & 5th: DOROTHY, A MANAGER'S WIFE by P.Tinniswood and
LISTEN TO YOUR PARENTS by Ben Zephaniah, both R4
ALPHA
Alpha by Mike Walker (R4, 2102, 6 Jul 02) made a superb Friday Play:
a scientist has built a computer so all-knowing that it appears to have
an independent life of its own. In comes the representative of organised
religion (David Calder as Father Marquez) to put an end to it. A
predictable church response, perhaps. A few centuries ago the
established church ordered the bones of John Wycliffe to be dug up
and burned because he made the bible intelligible to ordinary people.
One wonders what church leaders of today might do if computers became
intricate enough to offer advice on moral dilemnas. With computer
memory doubling every eighteen months we might not have long to wait.
This was another first class play directed by Gordon House.
CRUSH
A portrayal of teenage pregnancy. With Lucy Beaumont. Vivid,
lifelike, completely believable.
MAN IN SNOW
A moving and evocative picture of a man's journey towards death. With
Israel Horovitz, Marcia Warren. SMs Peter Ringrose, Anne Bunting & Lee
Sparey. Dir. Ned Chaillet.
DOROTHY, A MANAGER'S WIFE
Dir. Enyd Williams; with Pauline Collins, Timothy West and David
Thorpe. See Peter Tinniswood page. (Radio-LISTS-Peter Tinniswood)
LISTEN TO YOUR PARENTS
Abuse in the home - a disadvantaged youth finds that the only way out
is through his football...with James Smith, Charlie Ryan, Flo Wilson,
Burt Caesar.
.........My information runs out here..........any Sony winners want to supply their details?.............Nigel Deacon/Diversity website
