An Introduction to the Narratological Analysis of Radio Plays

Abstract

Narratology is nowadays an extensive discipline of literary studies relating to particular media (literature, fi lm or theatre) and particular disciplines (philosophy, sociology or psychology). However, this narratological plurality still fails to include numerous artistic phenomena, for example a radio play; its narratological analysis is presented in the following paper. In order to tackle the variety and complexity of a radio play, I use various methodologies drawn from the narratology of literature and fi lm and the theory of theatre. Dan Rebellato’s Cavalry serves as the prime example insofar as it demonstrates that a radio play’s general narrative features (for example, level construction and focalisation) as well as radio-specifi c features (microphone and space construction) can be successfully examined from the narratological standpoint without ignoring the specifi city and individuality of a radio play as a legitimate work of art.