I’ve always loved radio drama, so am pleased to have had one of my own efforts at the form accepted by RTE. The play is called ‘Oblivion’, a love story and a mystery which moves between the present and the darkness of the Underworld. It features a kind of chorus of disgruntled lost poets, dead for thousands of years, whose works have been long forgotten (a warning to us all!). Here’s a bit from the opening. The play will be broadcast next Sunday, 3 June, in the Drama on One slot at 8.00 pm, and will also be available on the site or as a podcast. The producer is Aidan Mathews and the cast are Des Cave, Emmet Bergin and Deirdre Donnelly as the three main characters and Kevin Flood, Paul Tylak, Hope Brown, Karl O’Neill and Lise-Anne McLoughlin as the poor lost poets, and Olwen Fouéré as the voice of Sappho.
Here's a taste from the opening scene:
VOICE 1:
Bracket bracket bracket desire bracket bracket bracket sweet thighs my
VOICE 2
Bracket bracket I…
VOICE 3
Bracket bracket bracket bracket bracket bracket bracket bracket thunderbolt bracket bracket now the goatherd
VOICE 1
Now the goatherd…
VOICE 2
Now the goatherd sees the… ellipsis, conjecture–
VOICE 3
dawn’s rosy fingers–
VOICE 2
sweet maiden–
VOICES 1, 2, 3
(CHANTING IN UNISON)Now the goatherd sees the maiden
VOICE 1
Your tender skin has lost its lovely bloom
VOICE 1,2, 3
(CHANTING IN UNISON) your tender skin has lost its lovely bloom
VOICE 3
Former, actually, now that I think about it.
VOICE 2
What?
VOICE 3
Your tender skin has lost its former bloom.
VOICE 1
He’s right.
VOICE 2
On three.
VOICE 3
One, two, three.
VOICES 1,2,3
(CHANTING IN UNISON) Your tender skin has lost its former bloom.
