RADIO DRAMA REVIEWS ONLINE

Crash Landing by Phillip J. Rhoades

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Download Crash Landing from www.soundcloud.com

www.soundcloud.com, 14 February 2013
 
I have often remarked that radio drama online is the ultimate democratic medium, offering the opportunity for anyone to record plays of any length and distribute them to listeners worldwide.
 
Crash Landing provides a good example of how this technique works.  This instalment of a projected radio piece lasts just under three minutes, written and performed by Rhoades himself with no aural accompaniment.  The style recalls a bygone age of science fiction in the immediate post-1945 era, when explorers visited planets and reported their experience with a mixture of fear and wonder. Yet Rhoades remains sufficiently self-aware to make fun of his material; personal and professional issues are impossibly confused.
 
You might describe the production as "amateurish"; but it's often the case that most radio productions online are performed by people working in their spare time on their favourite hobby.  In truth, the distinction between "amateur" and "professional" drama really doesn't mean much today: listeners have a huge range of material at their disposal, and should just enjoy it on its own terms.  If you approach Crash Landing in this spirit, it comes across as a bit of fun.