How it all started…
Using my voice for my work started when my career in the entertainment business began in 1986 as a Butlin’s Redcoat, as a next stage on from drama classes.
Back in those days, presentation standards were incredibly high, so before being let loose representing this iconic brand, we underwent training to provide strong grounding & experience in techniques such as vocal performance, presentation skills, microphone technique & technical basics, which really pressed-home how extra effort results in vastly improved performance.
Most of my work involved compère activities for competitions both serious in nature (sponsored national competitions), and some not-so serious! Annunciating over the Radio Butlin network gave me my first radio broadcasting experience. Theatre shows in front of 2,500 guests per house helped to develop my stand-up routine.
The jump to light speed…
After several successful seasons I took my stand-up act onto the professional cabaret circuit during the Summer, made up of a combination of comedy, impressions and hapless comedy magic.
Winter saw both production shows and pantomimes, playing a variety of characters over the years.
Those days really gave me the chance to hone my improvisation – working in front of a live audience you really had to adapt to the moment and pick up on things instantly.
Along the way, sound engineering & stage management experience was added to my mix of skills, which was to prove beneficial to clients in my voiceover work.
Reflections
I think being the Master of Ceremonies for Status Quo’s 25th Anniversary Party gig was one of my most memorable experiences from the “live” days (what happened at the party stays at the party!)
The years of performing, production shows, panto work, Stanislavski technique, research, rehearsal & writing have been a never-ending apprenticeship, in terms of learning how to properly develop real characters with depth and, conversely, how to develop and manage caricatures when appropriate.
Onwards we go…
I’m so grateful to all the teachers, artists and audiences for the experiences and lessons I’ve learned along the way, which have given me the skills to really get into clients’ scripts, be they character, narration, commercials or trailers, to bring characters to life and to lift text off the page.
Here’s to the next 30 years of enhancing your customers’ experience!