“Dirk Maggs combines the sensibility of American populist entertainment with state-of-the-art digital production, lush soundscapes and music scores that easily rival anything Hollywood produces ... truly ‘movies for the mind’.” MASTERPIECE GALLERY, CRAZY DOG AUDIO THEATRE.COM, March 2003
Dirk Maggs is a Spielberg for the audio drama world; his productions include Superman: Doomsday and Beyond, Batman: Knightfall, The Amazing Spider-Man, An American Werewolf in London, Series 3-5 of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, and many, many more. If you haven't heard his work, you're missing out. FURTHER ADVENTURES.COM, December 2006
THE ADVENTURES OF SEXTON BLAKE
" ... a punchy new series that has reimagined the hero for the post-modern listener ... As with all the best radio drama, one enters a different world and is saddened to leave it."
SIMON GARFIELD, The Mail On Sunday, 2nd August 2009
" ... spiffing new Sexton Blake adventures ... replete with danger, villainy and good old British grit. Capital!"
TOM COLE, Radio Times, 21st July 2009
"... this aural slapstick version directed by dynamic Dirk Maggs ... huge fun ..."
GILLIAN REYNOLDS, Daily Telegraph 31st July 2009
A QUESTION OF ROYALTY "... Andrew Lynch's knockabout caper (with Johnny Vegas and Ricky Tomlinson) produced hilarious worlds-colliding moments ... " ELISABETH MAHONEY, The Guardian, 2nd April 2009
BOSCOBEL: THE FLIGHT OF CHARLES II AFTER THE BATTLE OF WORCESTER
"A new play by Ian Curteis is always an exciting prospect, and this breathless man-on-the-run thriller doesn't disappoint ... "
DAVID CRAWFORD, Radio Times, November 22 2008
THE JOHNNY CASH HIJACK ROADSHOW
... starring Philip Jackson and Ray Fearon ... it's a dramatic ride ..."
GARY ROSE Radio Times November 14 2008
DIRK GENTLY'S HOLISTIC DETECTIVE AGENCY: THE LONG DARK TEA-TIME OF THE SOUL
"During the height of Beatlemania you could buy Beatles chewing gum. As with their music, the impression was given that Beatles gum was a superior product. Care had been taken.
The producer Dirk Maggs is the radio comedy equivalent of Beatles gum. Others may be content with doing a competent job of translating the written word to recorded sound, but Maggs goes farther. Nothing comes out of his studio, you feel, that has not been buffed and shone to the limit.
Already the producer of the last three adaptations of Douglas Adams’s Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy oeuvre, last year he turned to the mystical, magical and bizarrely hilarious (that’s as in bizarre and funny, rather than surprisingly funny) Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency. It starred Harry Enfield as the New Age sleuth ... and it was a joy. And now it's back. How can one resist?"
CHRIS CAMPLING, The Times, 27th September 2008
THREE AGATHA CHRISTIE MYSTERIES (USA RELEASE) Radio writer-director Dirk Maggs puts his considerable talents to work ... the acting is spectacular ... effective use of sound effects and acoustics gives the listener a sense of being part of the story. AUDIOFILE MAGAZINE Golden Earphones Award Winner, August 2008
DIRK GENTLY'S HOLISTIC DETECTIVE AGENCY (2007) "... Dirk Maggs, the avatar of the sound effect whose radio adaptation of the last three books of Douglas Adams’s Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy made entirely superfluous the need to read them, returned ... Maggs officially becomes James Boswell to Adams’s Dr Johnson. Rarely can a technician - nay, artist – have spent so much time and care on reproducing the thoughts of a genius. Multilayered, multifaceted, the sound effects tell a story on their own. What goes on in the background is important – a news report, half-heard, is from “our environment correspondent, Jeremy Clarkson”. An answerphone carries a loop of Ravel’s Bolero. Maggs didn’t have to do that; it’s his little gift to us that he did." CHRIS CAMPLING, The Times, October 5th 2007
" ... Adams' novel is teeming with a multitude of unrelated ideas, thoughts and opinions. Therefore, the utmost concentration is required to follow the plot ... Dirk Maggs deserves much credit for turning a veritable cornucopia of events into a cohesive piece."
TY POWER, Scifi Online, October 2007
BBC RADIO 4 AFTERNOON PLAY: HENRYS GIRLS (2007) "... Dirk Maggs vividly evokes the splendours, spectacles and mishaps of the 17th-century theatre." GILLIAN REYNOLDS, Daily Telegraph, 15th May 2007
ON THE BLOG (2007) "... much funnier than Mitchell & Webb ... has the verve that made Little Britain, The Mighty Boosh and Dead Ringers all genuine and deserved radio hits before television squashed the life out of the lot of them." GILLIAN REYNOLDS, Daily Telegraph, 8th May 2007
"The best comedy on radio since ED REARDON'S WEEK ..." PAUL DONOVAN, Sunday Times, 7th May 2007
THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY: TERTIARY, QUANDARY & QUINTESSENTIAL PHASES (2004-2005): "... adapted and directed by Dirk Maggs, who, in our opinion, is the best radio drama writer/director in the world. He’s even better than we are, that’s how amazing he is.” TOM LOPEZ ZBS Broadcasting
“the quality of the acting is razor-sharp, the radio adaptation pinpoint.” CHRIS CAMPLING Times T2 May 2005
“The radio event of the month... it didn’t disappoint at all.” RUTH COWEN Sunday Express May 2005
“There will be those who listen to...this final series and, with Pavlovian predictability, moan that ‘it’s not as good as the first’. Well ... it’s better.” JANE ANDERSON Radio Times May 2005
“Yes I did bang on about [it] last week, but this episode is really very good.” PHIL DAOUST Guardian G2 May 2005
"The quality of writing goes without saying but the production more than keeps up, and indeed enhances the work of its much beloved creator." SONY AWARDS Judges Panel 2005
" ... a brilliantly written, lively script that matches the original 12 episodes. At the risk of being controversial, it's better than the book." GUY CLAPPERTON, Radio Times October 2004
“The sound is indeed extraordinary. If you want to know how intelligent aquatic mattresses burble, or how Arthur Dent might sound when chasing a flying sofa across a prehistoric forest, listen on.” DOMINIC WELLS The Eye, The Times October 2004
" ... there’s a real buzz about this production. The series is crammed full of guest stars ... there are so many jokes you’ll be desperate to listen again on line." JANE ANDERSON Radio Times, April 2005
BBC RADIO 4 AFTERNOON PLAY: MIRABELLE & ME (2005): "This kind of play - part magic realism, part absurdism, part bad taste romp - can be difficult to pull off, but it was saved by the exemplary direction of Dirk Maggs." MOIRA PETTY The Stage & Television Today, Dec 1st 2005
"... tender and robust in equal measures ... laugh out loud stuff." ELISABETH MAHONEY The Guardian Dec 2005
ALFIE ELKINS AND HIS LITTLE LIFE (“ALFIE”) 2003: “... later made into the Michael Caine film ... re-recorded in a perfect production...” SUSAN JEFFREYS Daily Mail, 18th January 2003
“... this compelling new production starring Nick Moran as Alfie...” STEPHANIE BILLEN The Observer, 19h January 2003
JOHNNY VEGAS’ NIGHT CLASS 2002: “... The acting is first rate all round, the use of sound is both clever and evocative at once ... as if we were listening to the radio equivalent of cinema verite ...” NICHOLAS LEZARD Independent On Sunday, 1st September 2002
GOON AGAIN - THE 50th ANNIVERSARY GOON SHOW, 2001: "Against all the odds ... a brilliant tribute to a show that changed the face of radio comedy forever..." JOHN MARTLAND, THE STAGE & TELEVISION TODAY May 2001
“... brilliant...” EVENING STANDARD HOT TICKETS 25th May 2001
“... atmospheric, affectionate and funny...” PAUL DONOVAN, THE TIMES 29 May 2001
MAN OF SOUP 2000: "... fast becoming a worthy successor to Round The Horne, The Goon Show and Monty Pythons Flying Circus" FEEDBACK BBC Radio 4, 3/11/2000
" .... thank God I caught the repeat ... the funniest thing I've heard on the radio in years" BARRY CRYER October 2000
VOYAGE 1999: “STAR WARS EAT YOUR HEART OUT ...so realistic, it’s hard to believe it was recorded in a studio... if you close your eyes you may be fooled into thinking the cinema screen is in front of you ... Another undoubted winner for Maggs and BBC Radio Collection.” PHILIPPA MORGAN, Talking Business May/June 1999
“ Dirk Maggs’ production and cast are polished as usual ... will hold your attention right to the end.” GUY HALEY, SFX Magazine July 1999
“... a wonderfully rich ‘widescreen’ soundscape, expertly crafted by director/adapter Dirk Maggs.” NIGEL ANDREW, Daily Mail, 12 April 1999
“... the superior technical skills of writer/director Dirk Maggs add real atmosphere to this five-part dramatisation ... it is his technical brilliance which brings it to life...” RADIO CHOICE, Mail On Sunday, 11 April 1999
“...Great casting, superb production and an excellent comprehensive music score all in cinematic Dolby Surround Sound. This is right up there with Maggs's usual stunning production values.” AUDIO THEATER.COM Website, Spring 2001
THE GEMINI APES 1998: “... Dirk Maggs’ thrill-a-minute scifi drama should lure the kids in from the television ...” LINDA O’CALLAGHAN, Daily Mail WEEKEND, 19 December 1998
“... has teenage appeal ... a fast-moving saga billed as radio’s answer to the Yuletide movie blockbuster.” STEPHANIE BILLEN, The Observer, 20 December 1998
“... a highly crafted sci-fi morality tale ... big, bright, bold, highly original and beautifully done ... it ought to be snatched up at once and made into a movie.” GILLIAN REYNOLDS, Daily Telegraph, 28th December 1998
AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON 1997: “Like Dirk Maggs’ previous Radio 1 dramatisations, the pace and production values are simply terrific.” KEN GARNER, The Express, 7 April 1997
“The beast was brought triumphantly back to life ... thanks to expert direction from Dirk Maggs ...” STEPHANIE BILLEN, The Observer, 13 April 1997
“The hip language, vivid sound effects, insistent music and Dolby Surround bear witness to Dirk Maggs.” PAUL DONOVAN, Sunday Times 7 April 1997
“... Dirk Maggs adds new twists and grizzly sounds to John Landis’s movie ... Recommended.” RADIO CHOICE, Daily Mail, 7 April 1997
“... an excellent job - congratulations!” JOHN LANDIS (An American Werewolf In London, The Blues Brothers) April 1997
INDEPENDENCE DAY UK 1996: “... Dirk Maggs’ brilliant Independence Day UK is Number one (in the Bookseller Spoken Word Chart), having already become one of the very few spoken word recordings to make the regular album charts ...” M.J.SIMPSON, SFX Magazine, Christmas 1996 issue
“...the script's literary quality is very much the hallmark of an original and potent form of radio drama. Dirk Maggs previously created very short episodic 'Audio Movie' style series of early comic strip stories such as 'Judge Dredd', 'Batman' and 'Superman' for Radio One FM and this production was an extension of that genre...” M.A. RADIO COURSE, Goldsmith’s College, University Of London October 1998
PETER PAN 1995: “...spoken word is much more than an inferior way of experiencing books. A producer such as Dirk Maggs (Spiderman, Peter Pan) uses surround-sound and special effects as an artist uses a pallete.” CHRISTINA HARDYMENT New Statesman, October 1997
JUDGE DREDD 1995: “... listening to Dirk Maggs’ award-winning “audio movies” is like hearing sound in colour or watching a Cinemascope film with your eyes shut ...” CHRISTINA HARDYMENT, The Guardian, January 21st 1995
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 1995: “This is just what you'd hope for from a Marvel Comic Book dramatised for radio. It's a high powered, fast paced, richly produced and wonderfully performed audio movie... Dirk Maggs’ production is infinitely superior to the embarrassingly sluggish Spiderman brought out by Simon & Schuster." AUDIO THEATER.COM Website, Spring 2001
“Maggs’ forte is more than marshalling the apt accent: he midwives the whole acoustic of American popular culture onto the airwaves, a rich soundtrack, along with lashings of irony. No wonder people so readily compare radio as a medium with film ...” ANNE KARPF, The Guardian, January 21st 1995
“... Dirk “Mr Genius” Maggs, as Brian May calls him, is Writer Producer Director behind Spider-Man ... Were any Archers fan to tune in, their eyebrows might be raised at the adventure and the ground-breaking effects (and wall-smashing, bomb-exploding effects for that matter)...” NICHOLAS BARBER, Independent on Sunday, 5th February 1995
BATMAN KNIGHTFALL 1994: “... Dirk Maggs, who wrote and produced, threw everything into the pot and stirred vigorously. The result was richly textured, highly flavoursome, original and wonderfully energetic ... Maggs struck just the right balance between Gothic horror, gung-ho heroism and camp humour, and maintained it. This sort of speed and density is all too rare in radio ...” NIGEL ANDREW, Daily Telegraph
“... summoned up Gotham’s nocturnal horrors more effectively than the movies...” DAMIAN THOMPSON, Sunday Telegraph
“... Dirk Maggs productions ‘Composed through' like a Lloyd-Webber' musical - scene boundaries of the lightning cut type - over-aural-excitation - crowded 'mise en scène' - plenitude of sound events...” STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY February 2001 NEW MEDIA: NEW PRACTICES: NEW PARADIGMS
THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN 1990-3: “Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s sheer quickfire genius in the most sensationally produced comic strip.” RADIO CHOICE, Mail On Sunday,1992
THE MARX BROTHERS’ FLYWHEEL, SHYSTER & FLYWHEEL 1990-2: “...for me, the Dirk Maggs version is a flattering improvement...” NAT PERRIN, Creator/Co-writer of the original 1932 Marx Brothers Radio series
"... I'd give my right arm to be in your Marx Brothers Radio Show."
