David Koenigsberg
Shooting for the stars
In the words of the Master... 'Radio drama can be so cheap, effective and
available to good writers/directors...' This was said to me in support of
my endeavour to illicit a considered response for myself to develop Radio
Drama at local if not eventually, national level in Ireland.
They say that once in a lifetime opportunity may walk on beyond...all
dreams of avarice. But not so on this occasion thebunker and myself in
particular have been afforded the opportunity to realise a dream. All that
is required now is the dynamic to continue on the good works already begun
by such dons of radio drama production as Orson Wells, David Koenigsberg,
Samuel Beckett, Bertolt Brecht Joe Orton and Tom Stoppard , to name but
the few...
Beckett's literary value is determined by his stage plays and not by his
radio plays. The same can be said for Bertolt Brecht and Tom Stoppard. Joe
Orton was discovered by radio drama and first produced on radio. The
foundations of the film directing genius of Orson Wells may well lie in
his radio experience as much as in his theatre work. His track record in
writing, performing and directing in the sound medium is greater in volume
and range than any other media.
In contempory Ireland as in most of the known world much is acclaimed of
the BBC and it's influence on local and national broadcasting and
particularly that of radio drama. The basic infrastructure of the
electronic communication's industry is still a part of our inherited
culture. As are most other institutions in this country be they concerned
with the arts, health care, education, law or places of criminal
confinement. This understandably leads to inertia on the part of our
political guardians whose considered ethos is not to fix that which
remains unbroken.
Some years ago I was involved with the fledgling so called 'Irish Film
Industry' which amounts to this very day no more than an open coffer to
contain the influx of the American dollar and Hollywood style betrayal's
of historic event. As a child growing up in England I considered the
filmic event 'The Quiet Man' starring John Wayne and Ireland's own flame
haired beauty Maureen O' Hara to be a documented account of a then
contempory view of life in Ireland and particularly that of the county of
Mayo my spiritual home.
The Irish Film Industry remains to this day skilful in it's retention of
the multinational begging bowl. Indigenous independent
filmmakers/scriptwriters who had/have something particular to portray in
the medium of film are abandoned to the wind now, as then in preference to
the pan globalisation of the creative wilderness. I have attempted to
research the precedent for Irish radio Drama in pursuant of my dream. I
have not found one that does not relate directly nor indirectly to the
ethos thus described be it the writer of the script, the production nor
it's broadcast.
I returned to these shores in the early nineties, a product of emigration.
I found little to suppose that I may have been correct in my assumption
that the quiet men still lived and thrived throughout the provinces. I
found a country beset with violence. A simple shopping trip to any or all
of our major cities was fraught with equal danger's. The euphemism 'Stab
City' spring's to mind. The 'Dublin jackeen' for so long an historical
fact now transposed as a pious 'General of the people' into legend.
Journalism murdered courtesy of the motorcycle industry. Criminals
masquerading as volunteer's introducing this nation to drug importation,
intimidation and disrespect for the rights of other's, now the present
incumbent's of this island of Ireland. Social housing I found to be in
deep despair with whole areas of any given inner city community consigned
to the vagaries of fate. Rural communities fared even worse with the
'clever ones' and not those 'for the boat train' filling their own coffers
on behalf of the many. Community was still set against community... the
list is endless...just fill in the blank space. All this diatribe leads
only to one conclusion...that nothing has changed in the intervening
years, as I stand in testament to The Homecoming.
The Dynamic has already begun the way is now open for the advent of Irish
literary radio drama. Who else amongst you will take up the quest...do we
still have any writers of consequence indigenous or otherwise, in this
country that do not rely heavily on the successive emigration policies of
this once great nation? Do creative workers still abound that do not rely
upon tax exemptions to better facilitate their artworks? In fact I beg the
question IS there anybody still out there?
To the people of Ireland if you have the need to write, act, produce or
direct drama through audio communication and all it's attendant
diversities then I suggest if I may, you contact us here at thebunker
because as sure as hell is where we all end up at the final reckoning,
you won't stand a flying fuck out there in that globalised world of
indifference to your hopes and aspirations. Come one, come all. Good luck
and may your god look kindly upon your face...
Addendum:
My words are not to disrespect the creative intent of other nation's and
their varied culture's in their own artistic intention nor refuse that
which is freely offered with open palm. But I like them demand the right
to influence the mind's and therefore the lives of other's through the
creation of artistic works borne of life and it's experience and not
subscribe to be a part of any or all collective consciousness that sets
out to destroy the very people that it [in it's intention] purports to
relieve of their burden in this our one existence.
THE END