Acting for radio: a play in a day

Read, rehearse and record a short play in this intensive one-day workshop, taught by one of the most experienced actors in radio drama. The day will end in a recording of Artificial Shakespeare, a play for radio by Bella Basura.
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  • Start Date: 19 Jul 2025
    End Date: 19 Jul 2025
    This course is full
    Sat (Daytime): 10:30 - 17:30
    In Person
    Location: Keeley Street
    Duration: 1 session
    Course Code: DMA006
    Tutors:  David Gooderson
    Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £69.00

Any questions? drama@citylit.ac.uk or call 020 4582 0413

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SKU
240563
Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £69.00

What is the course about?

Read,rehearse and record a short play in this intensive one-day workshop, taught by one of the most experienced actors in radio drama. You will read, discuss and rehearse the play Artificial Shakespeare by Bella Basura in the morning session. During the afternoon you will record and then evaluate a performance of the play, and thus experience how to create a piece of radio drama in minimal time.

What will we cover?

Discussion of the themes of the play, and rehearsal of its rendition.
How to attain character voice safely and effectively.
The professional rigour and etiquette of performing a radio drama.
Evaluation of the broadcast performance and how it could be improved.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

Create your character(s) convincingly
Perform and susain your character(s) in a short radio drama, and with minimal rehearsal.
Work as part of a creative team in a group enterprise
Evaluate your performance and articulate how you could develop future performances.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

You should have completed Acting for Radio: Improvers level, or have similar experience.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

This workshop takes place in our media studio, and has full technical support.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

Pen and paper, bottled water.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

You may wish to do other Voiceover and Radio, Voice and Speech or general acting courses.
For further information see the full sequence of voice and speech classes at City Lit as you consider which area you would like to study next.

David Gooderson Tutor Website

David is an actor and playwright who has specialised in radio.He has written five plays broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and acted in more than 400 others, including the pilot episode of "The Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy," and comedy shows with David Jason, Roy Hudd, Kenneth Williams and the "Dad's Army" cast. On television he has played the iconic role of Davros in "Dr Who" and Simpkins, the pathologist, in "A Touch of Frost." Three of his plays have been performed in London's West End, including his adaptation of "The Wind in the Willows," which has twice broken box office records. David has been teaching radio technique for 30 years, at the Guildford School of Acting and, since 2001, at City Lit. He currently teaches Acting for radio and podcast dramas: beginners, improvers and advanced, with a new Advanced weekend workshop launching in February 2022. David's play "Walk or Die" will be repeated on Radio 4 Extra in May 2022. He has just revisited Davros with a voiceover for the reissue of "Destiny of the Daleks" and other Tom Baker episodes on Blu-ray DVD.

Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.