...under the Spotlight.

Good afternoon - and what a grey, damp and Aprilly afternoon it is! You find me currently preparing for next week's recording of a fascinating Dr Who story - but more of that later as I am of course, sworn to secrecy about the entire adventure at the moment. As part of my routine 'prep' for such a vocal work out, I would normally now be pacing the garden and yodelling gently to myself as a warm up exercise*. Alas, the weather has kept me indoors and in some ways, it almost feels like I've got the day off.

With that in mind and not wishing to fritter the time away, I decided to refresh the audio sample clips attached to my Spotlight page. The original '5 Minute Upload' appears with other clips further down this site, but these new clips have been uploaded individually in the order they're posted below. The maximum amount of time allowed for sample uploads is five minutes, which can be made up in any way you choose. I suppose if the point of the whole exercise is to demonstrate a bit of vocal versatility and technical competence to those in the industry who might be in a position to offer work, it makes more sense to use a variety of clips rather than uploading a single clip of five minutes. You get my drift...

Some of these clips might well be familiar, if not as samples, then perhaps because you've heard the full story they're taken from. I'm not convinced that anyone at all will listen to them via Spotlight, but hope you will find something here to enjoy.

...all for now, more soon!

*...not really!

Audio update...

I'm aware of how few updates I've managed to post recently - my apologies! Paradoxically, that is not as a result of there being little to mention or talk about; there is in fact quite a lot going on at the moment in a variety of recording studios and on a variety of projects - which is good!

Unfortunately, on many of these projects, I'm sworn to secrecy, (yeah, I know - yawn, yawn), at least until they are about to be launched. What I think I'm allowed to say, is that I've recently been back in the studio with the Big Finish crew, with whom there are further dates scheduled both this month and next and which of course, I'm very excited about - as usual!

What I can also say this fine April evening, is that I was in the studio for a couple of days last week with producer Neil Gardner, to record an audio book for Audible.co.uk called Black Venus, written by James MacManus, which I very much enjoyed and later this week, have another audio book to record for the same company, Gabriel's Angel by Mark A Radcliffe. At a time nearer their respective release dates, I'll mention them again and add a synopsis for each; meanwhile, here's some artwork from their original book covers, which might well change along with the new format.

...all for now - further updates coming soon!

Dr Who: Moonflesh

"...whenever April showers come along."

Another month, another April and another brief update on recent events. Way back in November 2012 - yes, 2012 - a few of us gathered expectantly at Moat Studios to record Dr Who: Moonflesh and sometime very soon, it will become available for all to hear.

Now I know I almost always say how much I'm looking forward to listening to a particular release and often give the reason, especially if there's a specific memory or event associated with recording etc etc. Moonflesh was recorded so long ago, that I can't remember very much about the story at all, so there's one reason to look forward to catching up with it.

In the meantime, here is some fab cover art by Damien May and a synopsis from Big Finish:

Peter Davison The Doctor   Sarah Sutton  Nyssa   Tim Bentinck Nathaniel Whitlock

Rosanna Miles Phoebe Whitlock   John Banks Silver Crow   Francesca Hunt Hannah Bartholemew
Hugh Fraser Edwin Tremayne   Geoffrey Breton Hector Tremayne

One wouldn't normally expect to find elephants, gorillas and rhinoceroses roaming free in Suffolk in the year 1911. One wouldn't normally expect to find an extra-dimensional police box at the same time/space location either. Two aliens, named the Doctor and Nyssa, exit said box, only to find themselves pursued by a hungry lioness – for they've landed in the private hunting grounds of the famous explorer Nathaniel Whitlock, who's brought together a motley group of friends and acquaintances for a weekend's shooting.

But one of Whitlock's guests isn't all they seem. One of them wants the secrets of the Moonflesh, the mystic mineral looked after by Whitlock's retainer, a Native American known as Silver Crow. Because the Moonflesh is reputed to have the power to call down spirits from another realm…

…and soon, the hunters will become the hunted.

 Written by Mark Morris

  Directed by Ken Bentley 

Hugh, me, Francesca, Tim, Rosanna, Geoffrey
Peter & Sarah 

* * * * *

It's a funny old world. A couple of weeks ago and completely out of the blue, I was offered some voice-over work by Focalpoint Television, a production company I had applied to several years previously without success.

The work involved recording the narrative to an inter-active corporate training film for one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies. The script was a tangle of jargon and extraordinarily tongue-twisty terminology with some multi-syllabic drug names thrown in for good measure; but in it's own strange way, was good fun and very satisfying to record. I'd love to say more, but given the commercial sensitivity of the content, I had to sign a 'Non Disclosure Agreement' and must remain silent on the subject. (!)

Don't worry, you haven't missed much and as an alternative, listening to Moonflesh should be much more entertaining - at least, I hope it is!

All for now, further updates coming soon!