Lamplighter Theatre

It’s hard to believe that the final episode of The Captive has already aired and now we’re hearing the first episode of The Unexpected Returnon stations worldwide. If you’ve already read the book, The Captive, then you know what a powerful punch that book contains, in spite of its slim page count!

The Captive is a powerful story about one young man’s stoic resolve in his service to the Lord. Though he endures painful hardship, slavery, and abuse, his gaze never turns from God and his faith speaks volumes to all who come in contact with him. It is a story of actions living louder than words and of how a man’s faith can turn the hearts of his enemies to the one, true God.

When you listen, observe how Anselmo’s heart remains soft and understanding. He does not hate his captors, but reaches out to them, even if it means remaining a slave for his entire life. Anselmo’s compassion supersedes his discomfort and the painful reality that he is the slave of another man, allowing him to remain faithful to God. Though Jalal, a hardened and violent Muslim radical, sees Anselmo as an infidel, and even attempts to kill him, Anselmos faith remains strong in the Lord. Anselmo does not dodge the difficulties and obstacles that God places in his path but receives them with the understanding that God will turn evil into good.

If you missed the first episode of The Captive, you can listen to it on the Lamplighter homepage, or subscribe to the new podcast and download the first episode of each drama, plus lots more! The full drama is available for download now, or you can purchase the 2-disc set which will be shipping in mid-February.

Here’s an interesting question: Who was the true captive in this story? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Listen to Episode 1 of The Captive now!

The Captive: Episode 1 – Lamplighter Theatre Podcast

Interested in downloading some of the latest episodes, radio promos, behind the scenes videos, and more? Subscribe to the brand new Lamplighter Theatre Podcast on iTunes, or watch/listen right here on the Lamplighter Theatre Blog.

We’ve decided to make the first episode of EVERY audio drama we do available for free download all the time! So here is Episode 1 of The Basket of Flowers.

Coming up in March we will be airing the radio drama of one of our best known titles, A Peep Behind the Scenes. But long before the day of the first broadcast, much must be accomplished to get the drama produced. The script must be written, actors need to be hired, the studio needs to be booked, and travel arrangements must be made.

For most of our dramas we head across the Atlantic to record with one of the world’s most talented radio theatre producers, Phillip Glassborrow at SoundHouse Studios, London. In the future, we’ll tell you all about Phillip. But as a precursor to that, I’d like for you to see some of our actors and production staff in action with these “behind the scenes” (pun intended!) videos from the recording sessions for A Peep Behind the Scenes. Enjoy!

During one of the recording sessions at the Soundhouse, a studio in London, England, filmmaker David Hamby captured some great behind the scenes footage of The Basket of Flowers being filmed and infused it with an interview with Lamplighter Ministries president Mark Hamby as he discusses the scope and mission of Lamplighter Theatre. Check out the video and share with your friends!

Well, I hope you enjoyed our latest production, The Basket of Flowers, which aired its fourth and final episode over the course of the past week. If you haven’t heard it yet then get to our website before Friday to hear it. Come Friday, the first episode of Charlie’s Choice will take its place, so you better hurry! The 2-disc set, complete with beautifully illustrated, full color packaging is now available for purchase and will be shipping out starting October 30th, so get your copy today! Or, if you’re in a hurry, you can purchase the high quality MP3 version here. Either way, you’re bound to enjoy it over and over again!

As you may know, the Basket of Flowers was the first book published by Lamplighter Publishing. Just like Finnian Jones told Jessica in the story, it was first written in 1878 by Christoph von Schmid. Originally written in German, then translated into French, and then into English, this book is the cornerstone of our Lamplighter Rare Collector Series.  What a picture of mercy, thankfulness, honesty, and integrity it paints for us in fundamental truths like “It is better to die for the truth than to live for a lie,” or “The worst pillow to sleep on is the pillow of a guilty conscience.”

What are some of the truths that stood out to you as you listened? What were your favorite parts of the story? We’d love to hear from you! Post a comment below and share your thoughts.

Home just isn’t the same for Jessica since she and her family moved to Abington Falls from the United Kingdom. A tangled web of BFF’s and BFFL’s has left her feeling like she has no friends at all. And to make matters worse, Finnian Jones has just diagnosed her with a curable, yet highly contagious, condition that requires special treatment: four ears and a shift in focus. For the first time Jessica is about to experience the legendary wonder of the Exploratorium as Finnian hands her a tattered edition of The Basket of Flowers.

Inside the pages of a rare and aged book…

Mary is falsely accused of stealing, and the penalty is death. She had always been taught that it is better to die for the truth than to live for a lie — for the worst pillow to sleep on is the pillow of a guilty conscience. Will the darkest and most dreadful night help Mary find God for herself or will she live in the shadow of a faith that is not her own.

 

 The Basket of Flowers - Episode 1 [27:54m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

If you’re a fan of the cinematic version of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, then you’ll doubtless know the name John Rhys-Davies, the 6′1″ Welshman from Tanzania who plays the dwarf, Gimlee, in The Lord of the Rings. John Rhys-Davies is an accomplished actor on screen and in the recording studio with a list of over 190 acting credits and over 25 soundtrack and voice-over appearances to his name. Here is an excerpt from the Internet Movie Database about John’s background:

Acclaimed British actor John Rhys-Davies graduated from the University of East Anglia and is probably best known to film audiences for his roles in the blockbuster hits Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). He has also had leading roles in Victor Victoria (1982), The Living Daylights (1987) and King Solomon’s Mines (1985).

Rhys-Davies, who was raised in England, Africa and Wales, credits his early exposure to classic literature for his decision to pursue acting and writing. he later refined his craft at London’s renowned Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. His television credits include James Clavell’s “Shogun” (1980) and “Noble House” (1988), “Great Expectations” (1989), “War and Remembrance” (1988) and “Arch

aeology”(1991).

An avid collector of vintage automobiles, Rhys-Davies has a host of theater roles to his credit, including “The Misanthrope”, “Hedda Gabler” and most of Shakespeare’s works. He divides his time between Los Angeles and the Isle of Man.

John is the host of Lamplighter Theatre, the voice you’ll hear at the beginning of each series, welcoming you Abington Falls, where Finnian Jones has a quirky little shop full of “more than you would expect.” His voice over work for Lamplighter Theatre is recorded at a studio on the Isle of Man.

We are still here in the studio, about two hours longer than expected for the recording of the crowds. What a lesson for me today. The crowd parts are just as important as any other lines in the drama. They add so much richness and depth. We had over twenty five actors and actresses and children here today doing these parts…they did the crowds for Charlie’s Choice, Basket of Flowers, and The Captive…what a day! Wait till you hear this!

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the microphones at a recording session for a radio drama? Well here is an insiders look from one of the industries best, Mark Drury, on what the Foley recording involved for Sir Malcolm and the Missing Prince.

Well, you’ve got 53 scenes with some challenging action and settings…it ain’t a Whit’s End or Barclay’s show! Even with 2 of us working on it together (with me doing some stuff on my own), the time commitment will probably end up being around 80-85 hours for the foley. That might be about 15-20% longer than if I was doing this at Focus – in a true foley room with all surfaces and props readily available – but foley is always a very time-consuming process, especially when you have to get very unique sounds like crawling through weeds, jumping on/off wagons, horse dismounts (did that with a real saddle on a stand), building a dam in a stream (used a real stream), jumping on/off a rolling ladder, getting in/out of a boat and rowing, etc, etc, etc. Can’t just get that stuff off of sound fx CD’s and make it sound in-scene or timed correctly.

Foley is the art of recording the natural, everyday sounds that would occur in a soundtrack for a movie or audio recording. Basic sounds would be cloth movements, foot steps, doors opening, body movements, etc. It is the sound that provides a real life aspect in a fictional environment. You may not notice when it’s there, but when it’s not, you would certainly feel a difference. Foley recording involves long days of much physical activity, scrutinizing the performance to ensure accuracy, and a lot of editing. For a high quality, realistic sounding audio drama like Sir Malcolm and the Missing Prince, much of the recording would be done at various locations outside the studio in order to capture the most realistic sounds.

Our producers and sound designers have put an incredible amount of effort into making this audio drama the very best that it can be in a relatively short amount of time. There has been a great number of long days and nights put into the creation of Lamplighter’s first audio drama. We can’t wait for you to hear it!

One of the biggest challenges in producing an audio drama intended for radio is actually getting it on the airwaves. Thankfully, we have had interest in our project from radio stations before we even began. We knew that when we had a finished product, we had a place to put it. And for us, that is just more evidence that God is in this and that He is directing our steps according to His plans. Here is a brief note from Rick Snavely, CEO and Network Manager of Family Life Network in Bath, NY after receiving “Defy the Darkness” and the accompanying promotional materials:

Mark,

Wow – I’m impressed! That’s quite a promotional package that you put together. How far along are you with the video concept? Will you have a video for each audio story that you produce? It looks like your going full-speed ahead with multiple engines. I’m excited for you!

Rick Snavely
CEO / Radio Network Manager
Family Life Network