Radio Theatre: Theatrical Genre or Hybrid Species?

Radio theatre emerged at the beggining of the 20th century, during a time in which classical theatre was undergoing a series of changes, people were experimenting with it, and new trends appeared – such as symbolism, expressionism, and avant-gardism.

The theatre play was adopted and adapted by the audio media, with the goal of educating and
providing entertainment, in the sense of spending time in a pleasant way. Taking into consideration that radio theatre combines elements from several different arts and means of expression – which it adapts according to the specificities of the audio medium – can one conclude that it is a theatrical genre, or is it rather a hybrid species, somewhere between theatre in its purest form and a narrative exercise of sound? The arguments which support the idea that radio theatre is a theatrical genre are related to the common points between radio theatre and classical theatre: both start from a text, preserve the dramatic structure, directors and actors take part in their creation, and both offer the audience an aesthetic theatrical experience.

However, in radio, the stage dimension and physical presence of actors are missing. Moreover, audio media cannot exist in the absence of technology. In accordance with the arguments presented in the following comparative analysis, the answer is affirmative.