"Sitcoms" on radio

corblimey

So I had an extended stay at the pleasure of HSE recently and found myself listening to my collection of Hancock's Half Hour. Wonderful show but it got me thinking. Does anyone have any insights into how shows like Hancock and say the more recent Museum of Everything are displayed to the live studio audience. For example, the last show I listened to with Hancock was one where he went to bed early and then couldn't get any sleep. Typical Hancock fare, but it relied on a lot of sound effects (Hancock settling in bed, going downstairs to answer the phone) and what could only be described as 'visual' jokes albeit on the radio (Hancock crouched behind a chair as time passes).

These are easy to imagine when listening, but I can't imagine how a live audience would be able to match what their imagination is coming up with the image of Hancock et al just standing in front of microphones on a stage. I also can't imagine that there was any kind of 'physical acting' going on, for example, Hancock moving across the stage or actually lying on a bed etc.

Does anyone know how it works for sitcoms on radio where there is some reliance on props, movement, etc.

SKWei

That's a good point! In the recordings I've seen, the actors tend to play it pretty straight, with the odd exception.

Sometimes, the laughter is definitely "out of sync" – the studio audience, with less suspension of disbelief, laugh at the actor doing a funny voice, for example, while for the radio listener, the humour will be a few lines later in the probably surreal or visual situation conjured up.

On the other hand, if you find some Goon show recordings videos on YouTube, you'll see a lot of the laughter being caused by Sellers, Seacombe and Milligan intentionally acting the maggot for the crowd in front of them!

Bard

How its presented to the audience is generally just him (or them in the case of the Goons) up on stage with a microphone in front of him (or them) and the sound effects guy in the background at a table with props and a mic. Very basic, very simple. It's just the sound that counts, in fairness.

DublinWriter

I was lucky enough to see a show in London in 2004 which consisted of recreations of two 'Round the Horne' radio shows from the 1960's. The actor playing Kenneth Williams had him down to a tee - he was playing to the live audience most of the time and deviating wildly from the script - which is what KW used to constantly do on the show.

The same format has been generally used from the era of the Goons right up to modern radio comedies such as The Now Show. The stage scenery tends to be non-existent and the performers openly read from scripts. They usually employ a 'warm-up' act for about 30 minutes before the taping of the show.