Sonic Tales: S6 E02 "Elegy Delivered in a Country Pub"

It's our last episode for 2015! Sonic Tales wraps up Season 6 - Our Picks, with "Contact", a powerful monologue written by awarding winning Sydney-based playwright Katie Pollock. Heather Mitchell (The Great Gatsby, Strictly Ballroom) plays a policewoman who has made a life-changing mistake, as "Contact" explores the space between our personal and professional selves, and the conflict that can arise when the two cross. The piece has been scored by composer Cluny Edwards. Katie Pollock joins host Tegan Nicholls for a Q&A after the play to discuss the playwriting process and where ideas for plays such as "Contact" come from. Sonic Tales will return in 2016 with a new catalogue of plays. "Contact" by Katie Pollock Performed by Heather Mitchell Music by Cluny Edwards Produced by Gill Falson

Join us for a very special episode of Sonic Tales as we share the plays which started it all. Back in 2010, Eastside Radio put together a series of short plays under the banner of "Sax in The City" in order to help raise funds for the station during Radiothon. It was from this very informal series of silly plays that the idea for Sonic Tales was born. The creators of "Sax in the City" and then Sonic Tales, Katerina Skoumbas and Gill Falson join host Tegan Nicholls in the studio to chat about how a fun way to raise funds became the most active platform currently available for the continuation of Australian radio play producing. Listen to our podcast below!

Episode 3 of Sonic Tales Season 6 presents one of our favourite brand new productions, "Spirit" by AWGIE award winning writer Donna Abela. The play takes place in a processing centre on Christmas Island. It is here that bureaucratic and officious Vera faces off with severely persistent and positive Albert in the interview that could grant or reject his claim for asylum. Alice Livingstone and Craig Meneaud rise and fall in a performance that is both tense and tender, and despite being written for the stage back in 2007, the themes of Spirit couldn’t be more relevant for the audience of now. "Spirit" by Donna Abela Performed by Alice Livingstone & Craig Meneaud Sound Design by Tegan Nicholls

Episode 2 of Sonic Tales Season 6 shares Gaz Simpson's "Elegy Delivered in a Country Pub". Expertly performed by one of Australia's radio and television icons Moya O'Sullivan, the play takes us to a remote country town in rural Australia, where in the only pub in town, we let in on the town's dark history. Writer Gaz Simpson joins host Tegan Nicholls for a Q&A after the play to discuss his motivation for writing the piece for Sonic Tales. "Elegy Delivered in a Country Pub" by Gaz Simpson Performed by Moya O'Sullivan Sound Design by Alex Reyter

In Season 6 of Sonic Tales we’re sharing Our Picks, a selection of our favourite plays from previous Sonic Tales seasons. We launch Season 6 with our Captain’s Pick, as producer Gill Falson shares Gina Schien’s Australian thriller "Pulpit Rock", performed by Elaine Hudson with a chilling sound design by Jacqueline Labrador. "Pulpit Rock" by Gina Schien Performed by Elaine Hudson Sound Design by Jacqueline Labrador

Sonic Tales Season 5 comes to a close with "Mick", the last monologue in Frank Gauntlett’s For Men Only series. Mick has travelled far to share the ancient tale Oden and the birth of poetry. Performed by Christopher Dibb, "Mick" will take you deep into the beginnings of time where myth and legend serve as the science behind human creativity and artistic innovation. Special guest producer Gill Falson joins us to discuss the play and the changing role of language in artistic and everyday communication. "Mick" by Frank Gauntlett Performed by Christopher Dibb Sound Design by Robbie Armfield

"Robbie" has found himself in an unusual place, surrounded by unusual people he has never really understood. It is here that he tells the story of his unusual life and his unusual struggle for normality. Third in Frank Ganutlett's diverse story series For Men Only, "Robbie" (performed by Harley Connor) reflects on what it means to be human in this beautifully crafted tale. Special guest Harley Connor joins us in the studio to discuss the piece and his approach to finding the voice of Robbie. "Robbie" by Frank Gauntlett Performed by Harley Connor Sound Design by Robbie Armfield

Following on from "Twirler" comes "Cec", the second play in Frank Ganutlett’s delightfully obscure For Men Only series. Kim Knuckey delivers a wonderful performance as Cec, the newspaper man who knows too much, and joins me in the studio to discuss the piece and his approach to developing the character. WARNING: This play contains course langauge "Twirler" by Frank Gauntlett Performed by Kim Knuckey Sound Design by Robbie Armfield

Kicking off Season 5 of Sonic Tales are the four incredibly diverse and wonderfully bizarre monologues which make up For Men Only by Frank Gauntlett. Listen below to hear the first of the four, "Twirler", and hear from the playwright as he discusses the origins of For Men Only. "Twirler" by Frank Gauntlett Performed by Nicholas Gledhill Sound Design by Robbie Armfied