Radio drama is a dramatized performance broadcast on radio using only sound. It relies on codes and conventions like sound effects, genre, storyline, characters, and accents to help listeners imagine the performance. Sound effects and accents provide context and help listeners visualize characters. The most crucial element is the storyline, which must keep listeners interested and consistent. Radio dramas may feature a cast of actors each playing a character, or one actor playing multiple roles using different voices and accents.

1. Radio Drama
Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre) is a
dramatized, purely acoustic performance, broadcast on radio or
published on audio media

2. Codes and Conventions
The majority of radio dramas require codes and conventions which they
follow:
• Sound effects
• Genre
• Storyline
• Characters
• Accents
The reason why they use these is because it helps the making off a radio
drama and these are all the ‘requirements’.

3. Sound Effects/ Accents
• The use of sound effects depends totally on the genre of the radio
drama, for example: If you have horror as a genre you might want to
have the sound of blood splat. The reason why this is important is
because it gives the listener something to imagine.
• Likewise with sound effects, accents help the listener imagine what the
characters look like and gives the listener a clear image. An example
of an accent which is commonly used is an upper class English accent,
and automatically you then think of the surroundings of where they are
and what they are wearing.

4. Storyline/ Genre
• The most crucial part in creating a Radio Drama is the storyline, the
reason being for this is because the storyline has to always keep the
listener interested and has to always be consistent
• Once you have written the storyline you can then clarify the genre,
here are some examples:
• (Taken from the BBC)

5. Characters
• Sometimes in radio drama you will tend to find a whole cast of actors
who are playing individual characters in the radio soap, a good
example of this is The Archers, which is the longest running radio
drama and is globally known. In the Archers they have each individual
actors playing a character whereas in radio dramas such as ‘That Door’
you will have one actor playing multiple characters with different
accents. For example if you had one female actor but a male character
in the radio soap she would then have to deepen her voice and
(depending on where he/she is from) will then change from a English
middle class accent to a Liverpodlian accent.

6. My opinion