I am a consumer of narrative. I find that having a good TV series or film on in the background is more conducive to concentration than music when I'm doing 'desk work'. I used to be a voracious reader of fiction but these days tend to listen to audiobooks and audio dramas when I'm doing the big commute to London for work or auditions. I unwind of an evening by playing cinematic, narrative-driven video games.
When I was diagnosed as neurodivergent (AuDHD) in my late forties I came to realise why this was. Stories help me make sense of the world. Engaging with characters as they engage with each other helps me navigate and process the emotions that I often struggle to identify in myself.
And I am an actor for the same reasons. Acting gives me an opportunity to explore complex feelings in a tidier way than in the real world, within a specific set of conditions without being entangled with the messiness of daily life.
I was the kid at school who would constantly disrupt the class with silly voices and general tomfoolery, until a teacher (and I'll always be grateful to Mr Green) suggested I channel this energy into the school play instead of detention. So I did, and that was it. I joined the Malvern Festival Theatre Players and took roles in plays, Christmas shows (we weren't allowed to call them pantos) and was frequently seconded into performances with other local groups.
I wasn't ready to go to university straight out of school, and now I realise that was due to my neurodivergence, but instead spent a few years doing random hospitality and office jobs. I still took part in local productions and it was during one of these that went horribly wrong due to certain cast members not delivering the correct lines, that I had the idea of making films. Live theatre can be immediate and exciting, but with film you get the chance to re-take a shot if something goes awry.
I enrolled in a degree course in Film & Video at the University of Creative Arts (from which I graduated with first class degree) and it was there that I started my voice career. I worked my way through college, taking a range of temp jobs before I was hired by industry stalwart David Goodenough to work at his Surrey studio on long format eLearning projects. I learned a huge amount about vocal delivery from David and since then I’ve continued to learn and to work with my voice alongside developing other creative skills, launching my own company in 2007.
Now I'm a father of two, based in Devon, UK and have a professional home studio - it's an amniotic haven I spend most of time in but I still get out and about on the odd acting job. It suits my brain-type to work in my own space, managing my own time, working remotely to deliver high quality audio to clients in whatever format they require but I do also enjoy travelling across the country to work directly with clients at their own facilities.
