What if the crackle coming through an old radio wasn’t static at all?
That intriguing idea sits at the heart of The Enormous Radio, a new world premiere arriving at Newport’s The Substation as part of Melbourne Fringe.
Created by documentary theatremaker Roslyn Oades and internationally acclaimed sound artist Bob Scott, the immersive work transforms The Substation’s Main Space into a ring of vintage radios complete with glowing dials, crackling speakers and twitching antennas. Part installation, part sound experience, it invites audiences into a strange and haunting world where technology appears to tune into messages from the animal kingdom.
“I have interviewed humans from all walks of life from professional boxers to nursing homes to schoolies on the Gold Coast,” explains Oades. “I wanted to turn my attention to Australia’s wildlife.”
Drawing inspiration from early theories around electronic voice phenomena, where people believed mysterious voices could be heard in recordings, the work explores a modern form of “techno spiritualism”.
Oades and text dramaturg Sarah Walker use machine learning software to analyse and translate animal recordings as though they were spoken English, creating an uncanny new language that blurs the line between science, technology and imagination.
The project also draws on recordings from the Australian Wildlife Sound Recording Group, of which Oades is a member.
For Chamber Made Artistic Director Tamara Saulwick, the work perfectly captures the ambition behind the organisation’s partnership with The Substation.
“The Enormous Radio is a perfect example of why we created this partnership with The Substation. It is haunting, surprising and utterly singular. We could not be more excited to bring it to audiences and we look forward to seeing how they respond,” she said.
Running in the shadow of a growing climate crisis, The Enormous Radio explores humanity’s enduring desire to connect with the natural world and the mysteries that remain beyond our understanding.
The Enormous Radio runs from 30 September to 10 October 2026 at The Substation, 1 Market Street Newport. Sessions run from Wednesday to Sunday, 12:00pm to 9:00pm, every hour on the hour. The show runs for approximately 45 minutes with the final session at 8:00pm. Tickets here.
