Dirk Maggs is renowned for his numerous audio dramas with such credits as Superman: Doomsday, Spider-Man, Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy to his credit. Jay Smith (HG World) got the opportunity to sit down and talk with Maggs via Skype over a year ago. Jay offered the interview to The Chronic Rift and it's an excellent discussion on audio drama production today, the good and the bad. We want to thank Jay for sharing this interview with us and for hosting this episode.
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Dirk Maggs' BBC Career included stints as a producer in BBC Television and a Senior Producer in BBC Radio Light Entertainment. He has won national and international awards including Sonys, Talkies and Audies. Dirk was among the first ever nominees for the Directors Guild Award for Outstanding Achievement in his field.
Dirk was responsible for writing and directing the hugely successful 2003-5 radio renaissance of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - its late author Douglas Adams having specifically asked him to produce the conclusion to the saga in its original medium. In 2012 Dirk adapted the entire five-novel Hitchhiker’s epic into a stage show featuring the original cast which delighted thousands of theatregoers.
In Spring 2013 Dirk adapted, co-directed (with Heather Larmour) and sound designed Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere for BBC Radio 4/4 Extra, a critically acclaimed production with an all-star cast including Benedict Cumberbatch and James McAvoy.
Dirk's Television work includes Bob The Builder and The Animated Mr Bean, in Film The Magic Roundabout Movie. For BBC Radio, Dirk created epic 'audio movies' featuring Superman, Batman, Spider-Man and Judge Dredd.
Dirk's Voice Directing for Games has included Revolution Software's Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon and Broken Sword: The Angel Of Death.
Dirk has directed many outstanding artists, including James McAvoy, Benedict Cumberbatch, Christopher Lee, Leslie Nielsen, Christian Slater, Rowan Atkinson, Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry, Joanna Lumley, Jonathan Pryce, Juliet Stevenson, Jim Broadbent, Maureen Lipman, Johnny Vegas, Ricky Tomlinson, Harry Enfield, Jim Carter, Steve Coogan, Alison Steadman and Spike Milligan.
Dirk has been elected an Honorary Fellow of the University of Winchester for his work in the dramatic arts and is a Guest Lecturer at the Universities of Westminster, Bournemouth and Winchester. He has also been involved with creative Native American projects at Native Voices at the Autry Center in Los Angeles, California and Native American Public Television in Lincoln, Nebraska.
