| South African Old-Time Radio New Productions: History In The Making |
| The Pumamouse Website Presents... |
Welcome to the "New Productions: History In The Making" webpage of The Pumamouse Website! The following is an essay written and provided by Frans Erasmus at The Pumamouse's insistence...just the facts for your consideration. Had I not insisted, these facts would not have been made public. (As I told Frans, it ain't braggin' if it's the truth!) |
SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO HISTORY IN THE MAKING During August 2002, I had a chat with veteran Springbok Radio director/producer, Henry Diffenthal. I had an idea milling in my head to commission a radio drama for broadcast on the “Vintage Radio” programme, currently airing on Radio Today. A totally new South African play. The first in five years, since the SABC decided to drop English radio drama from its schedules, and the first independent commercial radio drama produced and aired in South Africa since Springbok Radio closed on 31 December 1985. Henry was very keen on the project, and so planning started on the play. The play was officially commissioned at the end of August. The only prerequisites I gave were that the play had to be 25 minutes in length, and that the subject for the play should have a Christmas flavour. My idea was to have this play broadcast over the Christmas period. On 6 November, the play was recorded at the Olympia Recording Studios in Durban. The play, entitled “A Corporate Star”, written by another Springbok Radio veteran, Caroline Smart, and Thomie Holtzhausen, saw the light, so history was made on that night. Nobody ever thought that an English radio drama would ever be produced in SA ever again. “A dying art,” everybody said...how we proved them all wrong... I received the play on 12 November, and was I surprised to hear the outcome...a brilliant modern day play. Being a Springbok Radio collector and the compiler of the weekly Vintage Radio programme, I had become pretty use to the old Springbok Radio dramas and comedies. In fact, it was only then, when I heard the new production, that I realized how old fashioned the old plays were. This new play with its stark realism made me think of how Springbok Radio might have sounded in 2002, if it was still around. We are all very pleased with the outcome. My thanks goes out to all of the participants in the play...in particular to Henry Diffenthal, a master in the field of radio drama in South Africa, and to the scriptwriters, Caroline Smart and Thomie Holtzhausen. It was a great honour for me to have had Henry produce and direct this play, and also to be part of this historical occasion. To the Vintage Radio listeners, I can say that the play will be broadcast on 19 December 2002 at 19H00 on Radio Today 1485AM. It shall be a historical night not to be missed. Two further plays will be commissioned during February and March 2003 for broadcast on Vintage Radio. Vintage Radio is currently the only programme on the South African ether waves dedicated to playing South African radio dramas and comedies. Frans Erasmus Johannesburg 22 November 2002 |
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