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Voice Reels

For £150 or free if you qualify in the opportunity competition

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Elisa King

Elisa King:  Helen in All's Well That Ends Well,  Elizabeth Barry in The Libertine,   Denise in Hush,   Rosannah in Brilliant Traces,  Prose: The Witches by Roald Dahl,   Poem: Gerard Manley Hopkins,   Theresa in Tea in a China Cup  Marie Curie,  Dutch: De Drang,   Spanish: Blood Wedding,  Also listen to more of Elisa's channelled Marie Curie being interviewed by Shaun MacLoughlin

Claire Marchionne

Claire Marchionne: Shakespeare's Sonnet 8,  Commercials and Narration,  Also listen to Claire's channelled Maria Callas and Florence Nightingale being interviewed by Shaun MacLoughlin

Maryann O'Brien Maryann O'Brien:  Introduction,  Lady Percy in Henry IV Part 1,   Cockney: Debbie in Love and Money,   Alice in Wonderland,   Poem: I Hate the Spring,   Irish: Girleen in The Lonesome West,   Geordie: Jill in Cooking with Elvis,  American: Mrs. Charlotte Wallace in Beyond Therapy,  Also listen to Maryann's channelled Anne Frank being interviewed by Shaun MacLoughlin



Tristan Pate

Tristan Pate: Henry V,  Kiss Me Like You Mean It,  Carrion Comfort,   A Skull in Connemara,   The Woman in Black,   The Misanthrope,   Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune,   Song: Love I Hear You  Also listen to Tristan's channeled Oscar Wilde being interviewed by Shaun MacLoughlin

Kevin Varty

Kevin Varty: After Poetry,  Total Eclipse,  Dogberry,  The Fallen Birdman, Song: Jackie by Jacques Brel  Also listen to Kevin's channeled George Orwell being interviewed by Shaun MacLoughlin


Advice in Writing (and Acting) for Radio by Shaun MacLoughlin
(see below for book for more advice)

Radio Drama

  1. Select no more than 8 pieces, each approx 1 minute long
  2. Make sure they're contrasting.
  3. Make sure that they cover a range, including:
    1. Comedy,
    2. Classic drama,
    3. Contemporary prose ,
    4. Native accent or dialect,
    5. Something from contemporary theatre,
    6. Include a poem...
    7. Or a song, if you wish,
    8. Include any accents/dialects with which you are comfortable.
  4. Each extract should start with the name of the play and role you are playing.
  5. On Track 1, it's helpful to introduce yourself to demonstrate your natural voice.
  6. Enclose with your CD an accompanying letter and CV - this is especially useful if you can highlight radio, theatre, film or TV credits.  And timing is also critical: if you are about to appear on stage, in a radio production or on TV, it is possible for Radio Drama to flag that fact and to encourage producers to see your performance first hand.

I also advise you to listen to as many plays and drama documentaries as possible.  Make a note of who the directors / producers are and send your carefully prepared voice CDs to them.  It will probably do no harm to praise a programme of theirs that you have heard, but don't overdo this.  Sara Davies gives some excellent advice:

"I'm sure each department has slightly different needs, but in Bristol we find the most useful voice CD is one that includes straight narration, i.e. telling a story in the third person, preferably with a couple of bits of dialogue included, so we can tell how skilfully they can handle different voices in a story; a piece of monologue in something near to the actor's natural voice and maybe one in character or with an accent; perhaps a dialogue with one other actor (but not a multi-character scene) and some poetry."

I would add to this that you should never go on longer than absolutely necessary to show what you have to offer.  Producers are extremely busy and tend to be impatient of repetition.  8 minutes for the entire offering should be an absolute maximum.

Sara continues: "the CD should be clearly marked with name and contact number.  I have several CD that have become estranged from the letters they arrived with, and all I have on the CD is a name but no contact number or vice versa. "

Audio Books

This is potentially an enormous market.

Commercials and Narration

There is a wealth of useful information online.  For example you can listen to show reels for commercials documentaries, voice overs and animation and learn from how other actors present themselves at Hobson's Artists Agency and at Rabbit Voice Management

Click here for opportunity for FREE Voice Reel CD

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We recommend Shaun MacLoughlin's book because it contains a new chapter on radio acting with advice from producers you might work for.  We also highly recommend John Barton's book Playing Shakespeare which is invaluable for voice work: