Radio play

A special and completely unique collection are the radio plays of BOO. From the beginning of radio broadcasting, radio plays have been part of the programming. Whereas at first they were still adaptations of plays, real radio plays were soon written. Several Flemish composers enthusiastically take up this new genre, which quickly becomes very popular.

Unlike narration, in a radio play a story is "performed" by voice actors under the guidance of a director. Everyday sounds, such as a door slamming or a telephone ringing, are imitated in the studio to bring events to life. Songs and musical interludes are indispensable in radio plays. Some radio plays feature a full orchestra, others only feature wind instruments or an ensemble of strings, flute and oboe. The musical diversity is very big.

The radio plays were given wonderful titles such as De tooverviool (The Magic Violin; Maurice Schoemaker), De prinses met den gouden bal (The Princess with the Golden Ball; Michel Brusselmans) or Pluizebol (Fluffy ball; Karel De Brabander). Although the subjects were certainly not always fairy tales, many serious stories and legends were also adapted into radio plays. Arthur Meulemans' Karel De Stoute (Charles the Bold), Victor Legley's De boer die sterft (The Farmer Who Dies) and Karel Albert's Mariken Van Nimwegen are just a few examples.

The rise of television in the 1960s put an end to the popularity of this special genre.