Riverside Radio is launching a 40-part radio soap opera created in partnership with Theatre503.
The Wandsworth Way will air weekly on the station from Sunday 29th June at 5pm. The series launches as Wandsworth celebrates its role as London Borough of Culture 2025.
Written by local writers, the soap will bring to life everyday stories from the borough in the weekly episodes.
Commissioned by Wandsworth Council’s Welcome to Wandsworth programme, the production is also a skills-building initiative, offering hands-on training in writing, acting and radio production.
Deputy Leader of Wandsworth Council, Cllr Kemi Akinola, said the soap is “the perfect way to hear local voices and experiences” and reflects the community’s culture and wellbeing. The team at Theatre503, known for championing new talent, described the soap as “about community in every sense.”
The series features a diverse cast of local voices helping shape the borough’s cultural legacy through radio.
Jason Rosam, founder, Managing Director and Breakfast presenter, said producing a radio soap of this scale is “a bold leap for a community radio station, but one that’s full of heart.”
He added: “Radio drama is one of the most challenging and costly formats to produce, especially for a community station like ours. But it’s also one of the most rewarding and ambitious things we’ve ever done.
“The Wandsworth Way is a celebration of the borough, our people, and the power of audio storytelling. It’s been a dream of mine to create a radio soap for years that’s firmly rooted in the everyday lives of people living in southwest London.”