The aim of this thesis was to develop two dramatic pieces (a radio drama and a stage play) from the Smalls Lighthouse incident of 1780. The resulting dramas are intended to be separate, but complementary, so that a consecutive immersion gives an all-encompassing sense of the characters, narrative and historical context. The purpose of these dramatic pieces - Hearts of Oak and Timbre - is more than a mere attempt to reanimate history for a twenty-first century audience. My main objective was to examine the distinct opportunities offered by radio drama and the stage, and to explore the essence of each medium (its specific, unique elements), so that the medium itself constitutes an integral part of each play. Writing for each medium, simultaneously became the act of challenging them and raised important questions. How could they be manipulated as vehicles for modem storytelling? What possibilities lay (as yet unlocked) within them? What exactly is the essence of these two forms of medium, and can that essence be written into their scripts?

No description available.