Joyce Branagh

Director of The Interpreter by D.A. McIlroy

'The smallness of the space we used as a police interview room gave the scene a claustraphobic effect acoustically. It also created a close atmosphere where the actors feel the strong emotions of the climactic scene.'

Joyce on directing The Interpreter 

Speedy! - it seemed no sooner had Maud Hand called before I was into casting conversations, chats with the writer, seeing the studio and then actually recording.  As I write, I'm expecting the first cut/draft of the recording to come through my email.

Transferring directing skills from other media to radio
A lot of it is exactly the same:
- choosing the right actors
- creating the right atmosphere in the room
- talking to the actors about how they might approach certain scenes
- working with the writer to create the play that they had in their mind's eye

Now, in the post production, thinking about the music which will be a part of the piece, - that's very similar to how I would approach a theatre piece too.  

Challenges faced and surprises found
The differences were the speed at which the actors had to arrive at their final performance. No four weeks rehearsal to let the text be absorbed. But they only needed to do it right once - and we had captured it.  That’s very exciting - that in the edit we can choose the best versions of everyone's performance.  (That's something that you often wish you could do with a stage piece! )  

Technically thinking about how the cutting process would happen and what we needed to get recorded so that we would have options in the editing process. That was a totally new consideration for me, but luckily John Dryden was around to offer suggestions and make sure I didn't get us into trouble.  Also, at the start of the day, I didn't realise that I had to cue the action, so I kept wondering why people weren't starting...!

Working on location?
I loved the fact that for the scenes set in a corridor we could use a corridor.  That may sound silly, but to have that sense of the two actors moving, and of the space around them changing as they went from one end to the other created a lovely dynamic feel that we wouldn't have been able to achieve stood around a microphone.  The smallness of the room we used as a police interview room gave the scene a claustraphobic effect acoustically. It also created a close atmosphere that helped the actors feel the strong emotions of the climactic scene.

On working with a mentoring director
It was so good to have John on hand - he listened to every take and made suggestions about how I might approach the technicalities.  It felt lovely to have that safety net - all that wise experience to hand.  He and Rob Bourke, the sound recordist made some great suggestions that have helped what we came away with on the recording day.

On the actual writing / writer's vision
 I think it's a terriffic piece of writing - very atmospheric, some lovely humour, a storyline that surprises, and great characters that the actors could get their teeth into.  I spoke to D.A.McIlroy, the writer on the phone after I'd first read the piece. Then we met the day before the recording so that I could get into his head and bring the play to life for him.

Joyce’s thoughts about radio drama on Channel 4 Radio services
I listen to a lot of radio drama - I have it on in the house and the car.  Up till recently there's only been BBC Radio 4, but now BBC Radio 3 has started doing more. I think the competition has made the output better and the quality higher.  I think if Channel 4 joined the fray - with its reputation for edgy new drama - they could really challenge the other channels. Their profile could attract big names and with that, big audiences.  It’s also  a cheaper way to try out a drama or a comedy, to try new talent, and develop writers , actors and directors for TV and film strands.

Joyce’s aspirations for directing radio drama for Channel 4
I'd love to!  About a year ago, following my avid listening of radio drama, I went and shadowed a radio director - Sally Avens - at BBC Radio 4.  It was a great learning experience, but I still didn't know how to make the leap into radio.  When I got the call about this I was really excited.  And now, having done it once, I'm eager to do it again.  If Channel 4 do more radio drama, they'll be getting my CV through the post...

Check out the other directors for The Radio Play's The Thing

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