Prague theatre to stage English-speaking live radio plays

Prague’s D21 theatre will be hosting a special event on Wednesday night: three original radio plays, performed live on stage with actors accompanied by music and sound effects. One of the people behind the project, produced by Dark Bark Drama and Radio Tuna, is Prague-based British writer and director Steen Agro.

“I am a Brit living in Prague who has had a long fascination with radio ads and radio stories since the BBC production of the Hitchhiker’s Guide, which I listened to as a kid. I eventually ended up becoming a feature director and screenwriter, and right before the pandemic, I had the idea to create a live radio event, but Covid got in the way.

“A few years after that, I met up with Spencer Derr, a Californian living here in Prague, who along with Kierstan Devoe and Olga Mikulska, had set up something called Dark Bark Drama, a non-profit company that works with a creative writing group of playwrights in Prague.

“They were actually doing a script in hand performances, with a couple of actors sitting on stage with the script in hand and reading it, performing the work that way. I went to see a couple of their shows and I thought it was pretty similar to what I had in mind having actors in front of mics. So I approached Spencer and he said: let’s try that, so that’s what we did.”

So what does a live radio play look like? Would you say it is essentially a stage reading or is there more to it?

“It’s probably somewhere between the script and hand reading and a full performance. I also think about it like a movie without the pictures.

“There are several actors standing front of microphones and we have a live foley table which is going to create some of the sounds. We also have music cues and mixed audio cues with sound effects, so it’s a soundscape of voice, music and sound effects.

“If people close their eyes, hopefully they’ll be transported to wherever the play is set.”

The evening is called Radio Tuna. Can you explain the title?

“Yes, it is my idea of a word play pun. ‘Radio tuner’ as in what you tune to find a radio station, although I believe I am probably the only person in Prague that thinks that finds it funny.”

There will be three plays performed live on stage within the Radio Tuna evening. Can you tell us a little bit more about them?

“The first one we’ll start with is A Race to a Kiss in Prague by Gabriel M. Paletz, which we describe as a romantic journey through sound through Prague.

“The second one is called The Power by Emma Clark. It’s a mystery and I don't want to give too much away, but it’s about taking personal charge of your life and those kinds of themes.

“And the last one is called A Brave, Newish World by Jonathan Hodapp, which I can only describe as a crazy sci-fi comedy, that parodies lots of blockbuster movies and TV shows in that genre.”

Each performance will also be recorded for a later broadcast on your podcast…

“That is the hope, if we can get the technical thing working.”

Does that mean that the play also works just in sound without the visual side?

“It does, it absolutely does, and we are hoping to record the audience’s reactions as well. So, with fingers crossed, we can get the technical side of that working.

“I think there are benefits to being there because you'll be able to see the live performers and, like I said, it will probably be somewhere between a classic stage performance and a film.”