Interview with Sylvia from The Surge

The Surge by Tracey Goddard and Julie Grady-Thomas. Illustration by Boz Groden

This is a transcription of the events taking place
Tuesday, 28 May 2013, 11:24AM*
Interviewer (I): Sylvia, can you tell me how you came to be acquainted with Margo Sandler?
Sylvia (S): (Laboured, heavy breathing)
(I): I’m so sorry, your jaw. I didn’t realise it was still wired. I just thought it was the halo. Okay. Let’s try something else. How about writing your answers out.
(S): (Metal rattles against a wooden chair as Sylvia scribbles.)
(I): I understand you’re in custody.
(S): (More metal and more scribbling.)
(I): Well, yes, the police thought the handcuffs were a precautionary—yet necessary—measure.
(S): (Vigorous rattling and scribbling.)
(I): Perhaps it is “ridiculous”, but I’m just here to ask questions, get your side of the story, fair coverage and all that.
(S): (Heavy breathing and scribbling.)
(I): Yes, fair can be a subjective word…
(S): (More rattling and scribbling between very laboured breathing.)
(I): No, it doesn’t seem “fair” that you’re jaw is wired shut…
(S): (Heavy breathing, intense rattling and incessant scribbling.)
(I): …Or the fact that you’re trapped in that halo contraption…
(S): (Scribbling.)
(I): …Plus the cuffs are chaffing and you can barely move, let alone walk or escape…
(S): (Scribbling.)
(I): …or injure yourself…or others.
(S): (A chair bangs against the floor after relentless scribbling.)
(I): All right. I’ll see the about the chaffing. Officer? Officer? Those handcuffs, are they absolutely necessary?
Officer (O): Yes, madam.
(I): You see, this interview will be near impossible if Sylvia can’t express or scribble freely. Surely she doesn’t have to be chained up.
(O): Yes, madam.
(I): “Yes, madam”, you’ll let her out?
(O): No, madam, she must be detained, otherwise…
(I): I’m aware of the risks. Look, she can hardly move.
(S): (A rattle and a whimper.)
(O): Fine. But this is recorded and we have you on record stating you’re aware of the hazards…
(I): Honestly, the cruelty involved. If I can do anything by publishing this piece it will not only be to liberate the truth, but her wrists as well, if only for a moment.
(O): Right. I’ll be on the other side of the door if you need me.
(I): There. That’s better. And here, use my pen, that pencil’s down to nothing. Now, let’s get started. Sylvia, tell me how did you…
(S): (One large laboured breath.)
(I): Wow. I didn’t realize you were so far along in recovery. Standing upright, no support—you’ve made heaps of progress.
(S): (Shuffling)
(I): And that—that—is amazing. You didn’t have to get up and walk over here to show me…my pen? I said you could use it. Honestly, I don’t mind… (Choking)…MY NECK! (Choking)…bloody pen…(Choking)…OFFICER! Offi…
*Audio cuts out at 1:03. Police continue a nationwide hunt for Sylvia Dunham after the brutal murder of _____ ________ who bled to death after being stabbed in the jugular with a pen. Police have asked members of the public to not approach the suspect, but to call local authorities immediately.

An interview with Tracey Goddard and Julie Grady Thomas about their audio drama The Surge

Tracey Goddard

Tell me about your play, what is it about and where did you get the idea?
TG: Our play is about a woman who surges awake from her coma.  I had the idea for a hospital radio play initially because there are so many good recognisable hospital sounds effects but I also this would be a good opportunity to explore a character’s inner thoughts rather than the spoken word.  I first heard the time ‘surge’ on a television drama and thought it was just a made up term until I researched it and found it to be real.  At writing for performance meeting one of the members also described a similar incident with a relative; this also spurred me on to explore the space between life and death.

This is your first time writing an audio drama, what were the differences in how you thought about finding an idea for an audio play?
TG: It’s different writing for radio because you have to think about sound first and foremost.  There is still a visual picture in your mind but all the time you’re thinking about how the sound is going to bring those pictures to life.  There is also the awareness that the picture in your mind will be very different to the ones conjured by the audience; so I try to keep the pictures fairly generic and simple.  By that I mean not over filling the space. A hospital room is easy; most people know what they look like and can picture them effortlessly.  But the other great thing about a hospital room is its sparseness, which means everything you bring into that space must have purpose i.e. set the scene or move the story forward, sometimes it’s both. 

Julie Grady-Thomas performs stand-up for the first time at Crash Test in November 2012

How different did you find the writing process working on an audio play? Did you do anything differently?
JGT: I’m not entirely convinced the writing process itself is that much different to writing for a more visual medium. Rules of good storytelling still apply: format, structure, all the fun stuff. I do believe that writing for radio requires you to slightly alter your perception. Many of us are so used to describing things visually or relying on our sight for information. Obviously, with radio, you can’t do that. When I wrote my first audioplay, that very fact seemed more like a complete and total hindrance, a restriction, a massive roadblock. The difference for me was in giving up. I simply gave up trying to get around the visual dilemma and just embraced my other senses.
TG: Yes, writing for radio is just a little bit more involved, I find.  You have to think more carefully about how you tell the story, what words to use and how quickly or slowly you want the story to unfold.  Rhythm, pace and the power of silence also become important.  You have to create space to let the audience fill in the blanks.     

And what did you learn about writing an audio drama from the EarCandy project?
JGT: I learned that rhythm is not only your best friend, but your worst enemy.
TG: I remember thinking at the beginning this is an ambitious but exciting project and I was thrilled to be on board with it.  It has demonstrated that anything is possible and I feel really lucky to have been a part of it.  The group have been supportive and encouraging towards each other and it didn’t feel like the long upward battle the lonely writing process can sometimes be.

What was your favourite thing about writing for audio?
JGT: Writing is always fun for me. I’ve always loved it. But there’s something about writing for audio that is just pure play. Play with silence, with rhythm, with sequence, with sound…
TG: I like the idea that you can get inside someone’s personal space and almost whisper in their ear. It’s like having a private conversation.

What was your least favourite thing about writing for audio?
JGT: I’m going to sound like an utter control freak, but I guess it boils down to not being able to control the listener’s interpretation of the characters they hear. In film, I would be able to directly feed viewers the image of Sylvia, for example. But that ability to create and imagine on the listener’s part is what makes audio such a fantastic, interactive medium.
TG: I love writing for radio, it pushes you hard and makes you want to do better.  I find myself reaching for exactly the right word or phrase to describe exactly what I want which can make the editing process quite long.

Tell me about any other projects you are working on at the moment.
JGT: I’m very excited to be developing a webseries based on my stand-up comedy. If you’d like a sneak peak, just come out to the next Crash Test Dummies Scratch Night where I’ll be performing. And I’m also finishing up an independent feature, Broken Boys. It’s coming-of-age film that follows the unlikely coupling of two gay teens. It’s all about first love and what a gorgeous mess it can be; the raw power it has over us, the hurt it can create, the cuts, the scars, the beauty.
TG: At the moment I’m working on my final creative portfolio assignment for my Masters Scriptwriting degree.  It’s a family drama still in its early stages and I’m not yet sure if it will be a film or the start of a television series.

The Surge, a short audio drama by Tracey Goddard and Julie Grady Thomas is available to listen to at the EarCandy website