Dramatic Irony Done Well
Cornucopia Radio Podcasts no.36 The Tight Ann Hic
written and Produced by Chris Bellamy. Edited by Peter Beeston.
Aural Stage Sudios: Dialed In - Straw Into Gold written by Perry Whittle
written and Produced by Chris Bellamy. Edited by Peter Beeston.
Aural Stage Sudios: Dialed In - Straw Into Gold written by Perry Whittle
These short plays are lovely examples of the humour that can be derived when the audience knows more about the situation than the characters – or more about the characters than they, themselves, do. Done extremely well in these two plays, the listener can predict the characters’ fates or foibles and laugh almost before the punch-line.
In The Tight Ann Hic the writer does it by starting with a tale from history where, as quoted from the website:
“Declan Deck has invented something which he feels will change the very nature of what we consider standing and what we consider sitting. He calls it an easy-to-erect-and-collapse-one-size-fits-all-canvas-covered-chair (although he’s flexible on future name changes). He thinks that perhaps a soon-to-be-launched, metal-clad, yet unsinkable boat (featuring four funnels, five decks & one lifeboat), will be the perfect place to demonstrate his new sessio-esque device. But somewhere, out in the Mid-Atlantic, sits a lonely and tone-deaf iceberg who has a very different idea… “
What follows is a fun twist on events around that familiar background with invented characters who are also funny in their own right.
In Straw into Gold it is one of the main characters who is familiar, and the joy here is seeing that personality in an unusual situation.
“A princess (Linda Mason) contacts a ghostwriter (Matthew J Boudreau) known for his unusual success to write her story. However, the cost of success may be a little too high for her liking.”
Again, a fair part of the humour comes from agreeing with the writer – of course the character would say that, and in seeing how that affects the outcome.
Dramatic Irony is only one aspect of these plays and only one part of their fun, but it is a real benefit of writing a spin on something/someone from history, mythology or popular literature. Other benefits can be the immediacy with which the audience can connect with the play, and the reduced need for exposition. It can be enormous fun for writer and listener alike as the writer then takes that start into brand new territory, just as done in these two short plays.
In The Tight Ann Hic the writer does it by starting with a tale from history where, as quoted from the website:
“Declan Deck has invented something which he feels will change the very nature of what we consider standing and what we consider sitting. He calls it an easy-to-erect-and-collapse-one-size-fits-all-canvas-covered-chair (although he’s flexible on future name changes). He thinks that perhaps a soon-to-be-launched, metal-clad, yet unsinkable boat (featuring four funnels, five decks & one lifeboat), will be the perfect place to demonstrate his new sessio-esque device. But somewhere, out in the Mid-Atlantic, sits a lonely and tone-deaf iceberg who has a very different idea… “
What follows is a fun twist on events around that familiar background with invented characters who are also funny in their own right.
In Straw into Gold it is one of the main characters who is familiar, and the joy here is seeing that personality in an unusual situation.
“A princess (Linda Mason) contacts a ghostwriter (Matthew J Boudreau) known for his unusual success to write her story. However, the cost of success may be a little too high for her liking.”
Again, a fair part of the humour comes from agreeing with the writer – of course the character would say that, and in seeing how that affects the outcome.
Dramatic Irony is only one aspect of these plays and only one part of their fun, but it is a real benefit of writing a spin on something/someone from history, mythology or popular literature. Other benefits can be the immediacy with which the audience can connect with the play, and the reduced need for exposition. It can be enormous fun for writer and listener alike as the writer then takes that start into brand new territory, just as done in these two short plays.
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