The Revival of Radio Drama: A Narratological Analysis of John Dryden’s Pandemic (2012) and Martin Millien’s COVID39 (2020)

TLDR: In this paper, the authors examine radio drama as a rich art form with distinctive qualities that could address serious issues and have a far-reaching influence on listeners, and compare two radio dramas: John Dryden's Pandemic (2012) and Martin Millien's COVID39 (2020).

Abstract: The aim of this study is to examine Radio Drama as a rich art form with distinctive qualities that could address serious issues and have a far-reaching influence on listeners. The resurgence of Radio Drama can be attributed to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic; however, there are a plethora of outstanding plays that tackle significant subject matters and are worthy of study. The researcher attempts the following questions: Can Radio Drama be considered an art form per se? Can Radio Drama be as influential as stage drama? The researcher compares two radio dramas: John Dryden’s Pandemic (2012) and Martin Millien’s COVID39 (2020). The first play predicts the future and visualizes the stages that have led up to the outbreak of a deadly pandemic across the world, and the latter tackles the mental, psychological, and socio-political repercussions of COVID-19 after the lapse of 20 years. To provide a theoretical framework for the plays under study, the researcher employs the theory of narratology and draws upon the works of Elke Huwiler who was the first to apply the latter theory to Radio Drama. The researcher proves that both Dryden and Millien through their compelling radio dramas unravel the social and political problems in connection with the pandemic. Dryden, on the one hand, unveils the unscrupulousness and indifference of governmental officials which act as determinants of the pandemic outbreak. On the other hand, Millien unfolds the incessant discriminatory experiences of racism in the United States of America.