When academics meet “The Archers”
An annual conference offers Foucauldian analyses of the BBC radio drama. And cakes
It feels less like a fact than a philosophy problem. “The Archers”, a BBC radio drama centred on the fictional rural village of Ambridge, contains numerous silent characters, spoken about but never heard from. Some have been in the show for years. There is Barry, who plays (wordlessly) for the local cricket team; Derek, who chaired the parish council (inaudibly) and even had an affair with another silent character; and Molly Button, who misbehaves (mutely). Their existence raises troubling questions, among them “Why?” and “What is the sound of a silent radio character?”
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This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Ambridgeology”
Britain April 27th 2024
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