Dr Andrea Smith
@audioandrea
Shakespeare, drama, radio. Often all at the same time. Lecturer in English and Creative Writing at University of Suffolk. Formerly BBC producer. My views.
#Shakespeare and #Music people - can you help me? I'm trying to find out who composed the commonly used tune for Feste's song from #TwelfthNight - The Rain It Raineth Every Day. If not the composer, then at least when it's thought to date from. Recording below so you know the one I mean. Thank you🔊
Fancy some summer listening? Five, 15-minute bursts of archive and chat between the actor Samuel West and myself, now available as a playlist on Spotify: The Beeb and the Bard Hear all about how #Shakespeare has sounded on radio over the last century 📻 #AudioDrama 💀🎧 open.spotify.com/playlist/4CQ...
August #AudioDrama recommendation: Doctor Faustus 🔥🔥🔥 @emmaharding.bsky.social's adaptation of Marlowe's play really shows how to use the medium. Catch it on #BBCSounds for the next month and a bit - it's due to disappear in mid September. #RadioDrama #DramaOn3 www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
Delighted to be involved in the #IpswichBookFestival again this year - including hosting this event with #BBCLookEast legend Stewart White. My 20+ years at the #BBC overlapped with his - although he outstrips me by 15 years. Book tickets here: www.wolseytheatre.co.uk/events/stewa...
My recommended #AudioDrama for July is Lucy Prebble's The Effect. It takes us inside a clinical drugs trial and is funny, thought-provoking & disturbing. Listen on headphones to get the full sense of what the characters are experiencing #DramaOn3 #RadioDrama #BBCSounds www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b...
Two great conferences this week. Theatrical Voice Research Centre conference at the Guilford School of Acting: I talked about the relationship between radio and the stage. Women's Broadcasting Histories Conference at UEA: to highlight the work of women radio producers on Shakespeare's plays.
My #DramaOn3 recommendation for June is: The Duchess of Malfi John Webster's 17th century play about the oppression of a capable, intelligent woman has never lost its resonance. It's currently on #BBCSounds in Drama on 3 - but will disappear in just over a month (1/4) www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
Here we go with round 2... #ESC2026 #ESC #Eurovision2026 #Eurovision
And I've spoken about it with my friend and #UOSEnglish colleague Jenny Amos at the #IpswichBookFestival (5/6)
... And to @beyondshakes.bsky.social Full podcast here: audioboom.com/posts/888038... (4/6)
I've been on a couple of fab podcasts talking about it. Many thanks to @thoetp.bsky.social ... Full podcast here: www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.com/shakespeare-... (3/6)
'An indispensable guide to the huge treasures of our greatest writer' – Samuel West, actor 'This revelatory book opens a fascinating new field of study' – Emma Smith, Uni of Oxford A 'fascinating exploration of broadcasting history' offering 'pleasures aplenty' – Michael W. Thomas, TLS (2/6)
A year ago today my book #ShakespeareOnTheRadio 💀🎧 came out. It's been a great 12 months - many thanks to everyone who's supported me, especially @edinburghup.bsky.social It's been really well received, being awarded a Choice Outstanding Academic Title 2025 as well as some great reviews... 🧵(1/6)
Latest #AudioDrama suggestion: May: Beethoven Can Hear You You don't need to know/like Beethoven to enjoy this two-hander with Peter Capaldi & Sophie Stone. Music by deaf composer Lloyd Coleman. Transcript available on the BBC website. #RadioDrama #DramaOn3 #BBCSounds www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
Thank you to the team from Softwood Books - especially Nathan - for coming in to talk to our #UOSEnglish students about the world of #publishing. There was so much interest, they stayed half an hour longer than planned to answer the many questions. Much appreciated. #CreativeWriting #Suffolk
Happy #WorldBookNight And... Happy birthday #Shakespeare If you're looking for something for tonight's #ReadingHour I'd recommend his sonnets. You can hear me reading one of my faves below. #NationalYearOfReading
Lovely review in the TLS of #ShakespeareOnTheRadio💀🎧 Michael W. Thomas says that it's a “fascinating exploration of broadcasting history” and offers “pleasures aplenty”. You can read the full review here: www.the-tls.com/literature/l... #Shakespeare #RadioDrama #AudioDrama
This month's #AudioDrama recommendation could be called a true crime podcast/black comedy crossover. April: Arden of Faversham Sometimes attributed to #Shakespeare, it's the story of a series of bungled attempts to kill, until... #BBCSounds #RadioDrama #DramaOn3 www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
First publication of the year – a review of #TwelfthNight at the Cambridge Arts Theatre by the Marlowe Society. You can find it here: doi.org/10.1080/1745... Or if you don’t have a login, this link will take you to an open access version: www.tandfonline.com/eprint/5TCUJ... #Shakespeare 🎭
A few piccies of our beautiful new library at the #UniversityOfSuffolk Some really great study spaces, easy to find study aids and a lovely airy atmosphere. Obviously I headed for 822.33 (Dewey decimal code for #Shakespeare) and was delighted to find #ShakespeareOnTheRadio 💀🎧 #LibraryLove 📕📘📗📒💛📚📚📚📚
And here you can read a column I wrote for @thestage.co.uk (before the cut) about why Drama on 3 should have been saved. Available in full here: www.thestage.co.uk/opinion/opin... Don't let #DramaOn3 die in vain! It's still there - albeit hidden away - so do use it 📻🎧🎭 (3/3)
Below you'll find an excerpt of a video I posted on Instagram in support of the Save Audio Drama campaign that was run by the @writersguildgb.bsky.social, @equityuk.bsky.social and the @societyofauthors.bsky.social More on the campaign here: writersguild.org.uk/wggb-campaig... #DramaOn3 (2/3)
As it's a beautiful #spring day here in #Ipswich I thought I'd take four of our #UniversityOfSuffolk MA anthologies out for a little fresh air. Available in all good bookshops and online retailers #WorldBookDay 📒📗📘📕
Smith's work 'is insightful' and 'Shakespeare on the Radio is a valuable primer. It is also persuasive in arguing for the interest and value of the recordings available for others to enjoy, to explore and to extend the critical strategies initiated here.’ John Wyver, University of Westminster (5/6)
A 'fascinating history in an underrepresented area of Shakespeare studies… One of the strengths of the volume is Smith’s detailed case studies..., tracking changes in preferred plays, actor choices, and audience and critical responses.’ K. J. Wetmore Jr., Loyola Marymount University (4/6)
‘Forget the old chestnut that if Shakespeare were alive now, he’d be writing for Hollywood: Andrea Smith makes clear that he’d be writing for the verbal, imaginative medium of radio. This revelatory book opens a fascinating new field of study.’ Emma Smith, University of Oxford (3/6)
‘An indispensable guide to the huge (and largely free) treasures of our greatest writer. It’s often said that radio plays have the best scenery; this book proves that they have the best words as well.’ Samuel West, actor and director (2/6)