With Christmas just days away, my Dad is about to get his present for the Early Ward Christmas, and I’m not holding back what. POWDER RIVER.
That’s right. What better gift can you give, than fantastic audio? Instead of wondering what to give, pop over to Colonial and grab your favourite bundle. Whether its historical or hysterical, mysterious or monstrous, contemporary or cowboy. Get some rare and wonderful radio drama today!
It’s been 75 years today that radio took America by storm. That King of Radio Theatre, Orson Welles had convinced those who were glued to their sets that the Martians had invaded, and the rest was history.
No one questioned the power of the audio story again, nor the way it could rivet a listener and paint pictures in the mind that left an indelible mark.
And to mark the three quarter of a century mark, who else, but the modern day equivalent of Mercury Theatre on the Air, the award winning, ever freshly sounding Colonial Radio Theatre takes on a shiny new story of this timeless tale of H.G. Wells’ invasion from the Red Planet.
Veteran writer M.J. Elliott brings back the feel of 19th century England, and with the dulcet tones of our own enormously talented David Ault in the main role along with the expert and clear direction of Jerry Robbins at the helm this story is instantly a classic.
I had thought all versions of the Martian attack had been seen almost endlessly, but instead of reprising Orson Welles’ inventive modern day style, the CRT gang goes back to the roots.
This is why Colonial Radio has been so popular through the years, in my opinion. They are one of the very few companies that captivate the joy of radio plays from the past with the skills of modern storytelling.
If you’re a fan of history, a fan of science fiction, or aching to pull out your steampunk attire, don’t hesitate. Get yourself a copy of “War of the Worlds” from either Amazon or Audible today! At $6.95 it’s a steal!
In the finale for Season 8, thanks to incredible generosity of Jerry Robbins and the award winning, constant classic producing Colonial Radio Theatre team we have two phenomenal shows from their fantastic series: “Father Brown Mysteries” and “Jeeves and Wooster”
Jack introduces Jerry Robbins from “Colonial Chat” to talk about the life and works of the amazing Ray Bradbury who recently passed at 91 years young.
It was an opportunity that made me giddy at the thought.
Vincent Price… the master of horror, the voice of so many great OTR shows I remembered, and an offer from Colonial Radio Theatre my favourite audio drama company to write a script for the comic line from Bluewater.
And now it’s out for everyone to hear on spinning CD.
Vincent Price Presents… Volume 2 including works from the astounding M.J. Butler and riveting Patrick Hume.
Canadian Amazon Store has it too!
Feels good to be in good company. Thanks Jerry and Mark and everyone!
Here’s a treat! Colonial Radio Theatre (Check out their new gorgeous look for the website) unveils a large trailer of their adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s Martian Chronicles.
What a great collaboration this has been in the audio world!
CRT and Bradbury have put together other great gems like
Something Wicked this Way Comes
and Dandelion Wine.
Order your Martian Chronicles now… and enjoy one of the great classics of Bradbury done by his own favourite audio drama team!
THIS JUST IN…. from Jerry Robbins and Colonial Radio Theatre and their collaboration making audio drama adaptations of ‘Vincent Price Presents’ Comics have accepted Jack J. Ward’s adaptation “Family of the Night” and will release the episode October 4th, 2011.
Mr. Ward is already hard at work on another adaptation for Colonial Radio and is pleased to make CRT his first professional contribution.
Perfect timing for the holidays! Pick up a couple of copies of Colonial Radio Theatre‘s “Buck Alice and the Actor-Robot” by the always clever and wry pen of Walter Koenig. Working together on this project Mr. Koenig and Jerry Robbins have put together a triumph of a science fiction audio drama!
Listen to this fun and engaging tale and get an extra for gifts! Or just point family to the site and say, “Here! This is what I want for Christmas”. Shopping made easy, the audio drama way 🙂
Synopsis: From the mind of Walter Koenig (Star Trek: The Original Series, Babylon 5) comes Buck Alice and the Actor-Robot – a science-fiction comedy unlike anything you’ve ever heard before! When an alien invasion annihilates most of humanity, it’s up to a small pocket of survivors to restart civilization. There’s just one problem: they’re all losers.
From an Irish pub to the Florida Everglades, from the outermost reaches of space to the innermost regions of the mind, join a rag-tag group of humans and aliens as they face the end of one way of life and the beginning of another.
Packed with absurdity, pathos, wry observations about human nature, and a story that will keep you on your toes until the final word, Buck Alice is an emotional journey you’ll want to take again and again.
With a full-cast, a sweeping original music score, and thousands of sound effects, the award winning Colonial Radio Theatre On The Air proudly presents a black comedy with a heart that pumps slightly acidic blood. Grab a manhole cover and prepare yourself for a story that begins when all others end – Buck Alice and the Actor-Robot!
Looking for an extra squeal of delight this horror season?
May we recommend the amazing Halloween Tree from Colonial Radio Theatre. Not only is it Bradbury approved, it’s the best adaptation of this classic tale.
The dramatization is also a winner in the stores showing up as the number one drama sold of Bradbury’s work in Amazon. Well done CRT!
And hey, while you’re there, pick up a couple more of their adaptations too. Halloween is just around the corner!
The College Hill Independents that is!
Radio Drama Revival’s Fred Greenhalgh gives Audio Drama a boost in one of the more recent articles on the re-emergence of audio theatre with the growth of the Internet in a piece called Airwave Renaissance by Natalie Jablonski.
We have a little wince when we see words like “we forget there was a time when…” and “stirrings of life”, its good to see some people who haven’t had an interest in all things audio take a little notice.
But we think that Audio Drama has been off life support for a while, thank-you. The Sonic Society ranges from 30-40,000 listeners a week and ranging up towards the hundred mark, there’s a pile of people out there making audio drama. Sure we don’t hit youtube levels, but how many stage plays go viral? Or new painters?
While certainly there are some folks who reflect the old timey radio stylings, I’d say that modern audio drama has really upped its gain. Companies like Colonial Radio Theatre and Radio Repertory Company of America and Jim French Productions (companies that aren’t even mentioned in the article) have been doing quite well in the United States.
Someone wake the doctor, the patient has slipped out the door.
I feel very blessed to be on the ground floor of this latest, pardon the appropriation Fred, Revival of Audio Drama. I know Fred feels the same way. And while podcasting hasn’t exactly thrown pots of money in the direction of radio drama providors… it hasn’t made money for standard radio folks like the BBC, CBC, or other huge organizations. That’s not a limitation of the medium of audio drama, but rather the expectation of folks in the modern age of the Internet.
Our minor corrections aside, go read Airwave Renaissance yourself and tell us what YOU think.
After all, my grade 11 students haven’t listened to any audio dramas. Of course, they never heard of podcasts either, and were shocked to find out that some of their favourite kind of music was available for free on their I-pods.
It’s not so much Audio Drama that needs to hit the mainstream, but the idea of podcasting itself.
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