Listen To Audio Drama 'My Father Punished Me When I Talked to Ghosts'

A new audio drama written and directed by Noga Flaishon delves head-first into the life of a blind boy who finds himself living next to a tear in the fabric of reality where the dead can slip back into the world of the living.

'My Father Punished Me When I Talked to Ghosts' is based on an original story by prolific Reddit horror writer, Edwin Crowe. The short was originally posted to the NoSleep subreddit, and revolves around a young boy named Sean, who lives alone with his strict, but loving father. This off-beat coming-of-age story explores themes of disability, abuse, and the power of friendship and human kindness to overcome them both.

Crowe's eerie and often disturbing stories have previously been featured in the hugely popular NoSleep Podcast, but after posting 'My Father Punished Me When I Talked to Ghosts' to creepypasta.com, the story inspired Noga of Harpy Productions - an actor, writer and singer who primarily describes herself as a storyteller.

The production company, founded by Noga with Katie Pratten, aims to bring to life stories by previously undiscovered talent. They originally planned to turn Crowe's story into a stage show, but due to the global coronavirus pandemic, the production team decided to embrace the audible nature of the piece and instead adapted the story into an audio drama.

The entire production, including rehearsals and recording, was conducted in line with social distancing guidelines. The result is a vibrant production that overcomes limitations of distance and isolation.

The audio play features the vocal talents of Harry Ryan (adult Sean), Edina Hadley (young Sean), and Angus Easener as Sean's father. As well as Shady Murphy, Helana Muir and Penny Ashmore. The characters are brought to life in Crowe's world by audio editor, Kaleb Lindevaldsen, a junior at Liberty University studying Digital Media with a concentration in audio.

Crowe said, "I wrote the story originally for the NoSleep subreddit group, and was asked by the editor of creepypasta.com if it could be posted there. I agreed and was very lucky for it to become one of the top posts on the website."

Since the drama's protagonist is blind, the creative team brought in Joe Strechay, a professional consultant for disability employment, as well as movies and television shows that concern the visually impaired. His notable works include Netflix's odd but compelling series, 'The OA' and 'Daredevil' with Charlie Cox.

Joe's support and insight was invaluable for the writing process of 'My Father Punished Me When I Talked To Ghosts', adding a level of realism to moments where it's hard to imagine how a blind person might experience the world around them.

The team's hard work during an unprecedented time paid off, one YouTube commenter wrote: "This was stunningly beautiful. As close to perfect as a short story can get. The adaptation was wonderful, moving and enchanting."

You can find out more about the production and read more of Edwin Crowe's stories at edwincrowe.com, or listen to the audio drama now on YouTube or Soundcloud.