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The Long Road One of my earliest memories is from when I was five and
decided to go into the garden barefoot and trample bees. Not the most
intelligent of plans, but I was five. After my mother had pulled the stings from
my feet and wiped the tears from my eyes I vowed to leave well alone – until
the next day..... And the next. What any of this has to do with Dark Smile Productions is
anybody’s guess. It just gives you an idea of one of the minds behind it. I am
now rather fond of bees. Another early memory is listening to 'Genesis of the Daleks'
on BBC cassette and being scared out of my wits. Years later, when I
finally watched the TV episodes it just didn’t equal what I had imagined. The
three Daleks just weren’t as scary, and the quarry that doubled for a desolate
wasteland was just disappointing (and very gritty). There is something magical about being in a darkened room
listening to a story unfolding partly in your stereo and partly in your own
head. A feeling that is totally different to visual entertainment. Through the
years I’ve developed a love of talking books and audio plays. One of my most
treasured collections is 'The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy' which I have
in radio format and the vinyl releases. More recently I have enjoyed the work of
Dirk Maggs who has really pushed the boundaries of radio drama (and been a keen
supporter of Dark Smile for quite a while now - thanks Dirk) also the new
Doctor Who stories that Big Finish have been producing for years, some of which
have far surpassed the more recent TV revival. I also owe a debt to Orson Wells,
but then, don’t we all? Surprisingly, the play that started this whole company -
Zen and the Art of Apocalypse - was not originally intended as an audio piece,
but for theatre. Over time as the ideas became more and more elaborate we
realised that without a Royal Exchange budget we hadn’t a hope in hell. The
bright idea to do it as an audio piece was mine. Oh, if only it had been that
easy. 'I'll just need a couple of cheap microphones and a mixer and then run
everything into the computer' I thought.... Wrong. I have forgotten now just how
many bits and pieces I kept having to swap around, buy, spend days experimenting
with etc. It was a difficult and painful process. The memory of those bees seems
suddenly appropriate. You will not find 'Zen and the Art of Apocalypse' anywhere
on this site, for the simple reason that it's just not very good. So, from those humble beginnings we have become Dark Smile
Productions. Our work has been broadcast on the internet, on Heat FM in
Leicester, on All FM in Manchester, Salford City Radio, BBC Radio
Manchester, and most recently via the Independent newspaper. A radio drama
renaissance starts here. Help us spread the words. And keep listening.....
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