November 28, 2019 • 17 mins
In the fourth episode of our podcast, Alison Dowling, Voice Squad artist and star of The Archers, joins us to discuss radio and audiodrama.
A transcript of this episode is available here.
Presenter: David John
Producer and editor: Emma Samuel
Created by: Neil Conrich
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
David John (00:00):
So welcome back to the Squadcast.
If you've been here before,welcome back, if it's your first
time- hello.
This is the podcast from Londonvoice agent Voice Squad.
It's for people connected to thevoice over world, involved with
audiodrama, or if you're justinterested in that world, you're
also very welcome.
We'll be talking about life of avoice agency and all the skills
(00:21):
involved with being a voicesquad artist.
I am presenting, my name's DavidJohn.
I'm a voiceover at Voice squadand I also work in dubbing as a
dubbing director and I'm theEquity Audio Counsellor.
So I'm kind of always in andaround audio.
I'll be interviewing otherpeople who are also working in
(00:42):
the audio world regularly-actors and casting people,
producers.
Today I'm really happy to havemy dear friend Alison Dowling.
Hello Alison!
Alison Dowling (00:51):
Good morning Dave!
(00:51):
Alison's really well, most known nowadays I would say, for
Elizabeth Archer in The Archers,wouldn't you?
Probably?
Alison Dowling (01:00):
Yep, thirty-five years...
David John (01:00):
Unbelievable.
But she's also at Voice Squad ofcourse, and has worked on all
sorts of things.
Commercials, animation, computergames, corporate work, you name
it, Ali's done it.
Including ADR of course.
Alison Dowling (01:17):
Yeah.
It's such a big field now, isn'tit?
The voice industry?
David John (01:21):
It seems to have grown, over all those years,
yeah...
Alison Dowling (01:22):
Yeah, massively.
David John (01:23):
Yeah.
So we're going to chat about youand about your life in audio and
really, where did it all start?
I mean, you, you are an actor.
So you started in theatre orfilm...?
Alison Dowling (01:35):
Well, I started as a child performer.
I went to a stage school.
David John (01:42):
Right! That rings a bell!
Alison Dowling (01:42):
Got to do a bit of everything.
Singing, dancing and drama andworked in stage television, film
and recording.
And my very sort of first forayinto the voiceover world was an
audition I got for the filmTommy, which was directed by Ken
Russell.
So that's a good start, isn'tit?!
David John (02:03):
Bit of a legendary movie!
Alison Dowling (02:03):
Yeah.
Um, and I spent a couple of daysin Ramport studios in Battersea.
I don't know if they still exist- it's a long time ago.
Um, yeah.
With Keith Moon and RogerDaltrey, as I was doing the
voice of Tommy as a young boywith Roger Daltrey singing the
adult lines.
David John (02:22):
I didn't know that! I'm going to have to listen to
that again!
Alison Dowling (02:23):
It was amazing.
They apparently they auditionedlots of choir boys and young
male actors.
And then ultimately the femalevoice worked better on this
beautiful little angelic youngyoung boy that played Tommy.
So that's where it all started.
David John (02:38):
I've definitely got to back and have a look at that.
I'd love to have seen Keith Moonplay the drums.
I just missed him.
Alison Dowling (02:43):
Yeah, they were, they were so amazing.
Yeah.
And they were really nice to me.
You know- I was a kid of 11.
David John (02:50):
And what was the school you were at?
Alison Dowling (02:51):
I was at Barbara Speake Stage School.
David John (02:53):
God, that's a bit of a story from the...
'70s, I guess it was?
Alison Dowling (02:59):
Yeah.
Great, great start.
A little bit of everything.
And so that was the first- thatwas my first voice job really.
David John (03:05):
And then when you kind of left as an adult, was it
kind of radio drama that-?
Alison Dowling (03:09):
No, I was[at a] voice agency and I started off
doing primarily commercials.
I did a string of commercialswith Kenny Everett.
The job in The Archers came upas a casting that came into the
office.
They were looking for a youngactress to cast as Elizabeth
Archer and I took the train toBirmingham along with many
(03:29):
others.
Auditioned with the lovelyNorman Painting.
He played Phil Archer- herfather in the program- and we
just recorded a couple ofscenes, got the train back to
London and then forgot about it.
David John (03:41):
So was that a new-?
Alison Dowling (03:42):
I'd never done radio drama before at all.
David John (03:44):
Did The Archers exist as a program or was it a
new thing?
Alison Dowling (03:48):
No The Archers has been going, yeah, many, many
years.
Yeah.
So it was quite privileged tobegin within this Archers
family, which now thirty-fiveyears later I'm still part of,
and it has such a devoted fanbase.
Also the actors that I've workedwith over the years in the
Archers, it's something you'dnever get to do.
(04:08):
It's all sort of like having anine-to-five but still being an
actor.
David John (04:12):
Yeah, it's almost, I suppose it's like a theatre
company, but it goes on and onforever...
Alison Dowling (04:16):
Yeah.
We've had, you know, we've grownup as families together, working
relationships, something thatyou don't normally experience as
a jobbing actor.
David John (04:26):
I suppose we get that with ADR as well-
Alison Dowling (04:28):
Almost like a rep group, that you get to see
the same people.
David John (04:32):
Which is good.
I like that, it's really nice.
Alison Dowling (04:32):
Yeah, it's lovely.
It's really team playing.
David John (04:35):
So do you think having that role has kind of
changed the way your careerwent?
Has it influenced it in any wayor has it meant less radio drama
or more?
Alison Dowling (04:47):
I think quite fairly, it's meant less radio
drama-
David John (04:51):
Because you're such a well known voice-
Alison Dowling (04:52):
I think that people generally tend to cast it
- you know there's so manyactors that adore the medium of
radio.
Naturally they're going to giveother people a chance.
And the BBC has a rep companywhere people can get to meet
lots of different directors andplay many parts, which is
terrific because often withvisual casting there's certain
roles you're never going to getto play if you don't look right.
David John (05:12):
You're restricted.
Right, exactly.
Alison Dowling (05:13):
Yeah.
So doing The Archers has givenme the chance to work with these
incredibly experienced radioactors over a period of
thirty-five years.
And they've been generous enoughto hand over the Baton and teach
me those skills.
Now my character has twochildren in the program.
So two young actors have beencast who haven't done radio
(05:34):
before.
And I'm in that position that Ican help them with all the
various techniques that just addto a fast turning program like
The Archers, where there isn't alot of time to help young actors
understand the dynamics ofworking in a radio drama studio.
David John (05:55):
It's quite a kind of old school technique in many
ways.
But it has changed hasn't it?
I mean I did one last week andit was all on iPads.
Alison Dowling (06:04):
Yeah, The Archers still has paper.
David John (06:09):
Still paper! That's interesting!
Alison Dowling (06:10):
But then- the age of the cast- we have a June
Spencer, who plays Peggy who isa hundred years old.
And I don't think she'd beparticularly comfortable with an
iPad!
David John (06:20):
She's not changing her technique for anyone!
Alison Dowling (06:20):
No.
And nor should she.
David John (06:23):
What about the young lads?
Alison Dowling (06:25):
They'd all be keen to have iPads, but no, no.
We stick to script.
David John (06:29):
So you're still- they have to learn the skill of
not having paper rustle, whichis really difficult sometimes-
turning the page.
Alison Dowling (06:35):
Yeah.
Yeah.
But it's great because we dolots of rewrites with a program
like The Archers.
Like I said, we're working everymonth.
The production team is workingall the time throughout the
year.
The actors come in for ten daysa month.
So there's lots of littlerewrites and topical inserts and
things that are done on thehoof.
So actually paper and pen kindof works the best.
David John (06:56):
Yeah, it's interesting'cause the one I did
last week, they said everyonemust have an iPad.
That's kind of how it'schanging.
Alison Dowling (07:04):
Same with audiobooks, isn't it?
They really prefer you to workon an iPad.
David John (07:08):
Regarding audio drama.
Just for people who arelistening, who've never been in
a studio, just give us an ideakind of how it starts, what you
do to prepare, what's expectedof you in the studio.
Alison Dowling (07:20):
Well you get your script, hopefully in plenty
of good time before you'reactually booked to turn up at
the studio.
So most actors- I'm going totalk specifically about The
Archers- we have our scripts, wehave the privilege of knowing
our characters quite well.
So you read through the script,marking up your own specific
scenes and then you look at theepisode as a whole, what the
(07:40):
other characters' storylines aredoing, how it threads together,
whether one scene is pathos,then there's another dramatic
thread running through theepisode.
So that you understand thecomponents that are going to
pull that episode together.
And then you turn up on therecording day and the actors
involved with an episode, orwith a radio drama even, we'll
(08:01):
do a read through, where we justread the whole thing through and
the production team will dotimings to make sure that it's
within the remit of what theairtime transmission is, and
then you go in scene by sceneinto the studio and begin
another rehearsal- often with aspot effects person.
You are on mic doing yourapproaches.
(08:22):
Your recedes.
If there'a a door opening,there's a spot effects person
that's doing that- poppingchampagne, delivering a lamb if
it's lambing season, et cetera.
With all the old tricks with apot of yogurt and a wet cloth as
the lamb hits the hay! All verydistracting.
David John (08:39):
Fascinating for people who haven't ever seen a
radio studio.
Alison Dowling (08:42):
Absolutely.
And there's lots of, you know,in The Archers we have a lot of
horse riding, so I have a saddleand a lot of thigh slapping, a
bit like panto!
David John (08:49):
Coconut shells!
Alison Dowling (08:51):
Alka seltzer and corks popping! It's fab, it's
definitely a team effort andthen you'll have little rewrites
perhaps.
And it's about getting thebalance right so that everyone
sounds that they're where theyshould be when they should be
wherever.
David John (09:08):
So you're taking direction then from a- a
producer or director?
Alison Dowling (09:12):
Yes.
The producer and director andstudio, um, and it all pulls
together and when the actors arefinished, of course then the
work goes on because it goes tothe editing suite where it will
be fine tuned and cut and justknitted together with the
preferred takes.
(09:25):
Yeah.
Well, it's interesting to hearthat because that is how it
always was.
As in, in the radio drama repwhen I did the one in the world
service, the way it was done waslike that.
But recently with some othercompanies, independent companies
like Audible and Big Finish, thespot effects are kind of almost
never done in the studio at thetime.
(09:49):
They kind of add it later.
So often you just work with theiPad, do all the dialogue, and
then they kind of mix stuff inlater.
Alison Dowling (09:56):
That's a bit like working on animation then
it's very similar.
I quite like the organic way ofdoing it in the studio.
It's collaborative.
You can feel your way if theactor and the spot effects
person work together.
Often I'll say to whoever'sdoing the spot effects I think
my character is just going topause for a moment here and then
(10:16):
continue loading the dishwasherbecause there's something going
on emotionally.
So it's, it's drama driven.
David John (10:21):
Yeah.
So you have actually more of asay as an actor than if it's all
done afterwards-
Alison Dowling (10:27):
And you work together.
David John (10:28):
So let's just chat about other stuff that you've
done from Voice Squad.
I mean you've been at VoiceSquad so many years- since the
beginning, was it?
Alison Dowling (10:40):
A little later.
Yeah.
David John (10:41):
I think they're coming up on twenty years, so
almost twenty years.
So you've done all sorts ofstuff.
What, I mean, apart from TheArchers, what kind of stuff do
you really enjoy?
Alison Dowling (10:54):
Um, well, the, the joy of being a voiceover
artist as well as a jobbingactor is the variety.
So you can spend the morning, uh, doing Victorian gutter chat in
something, a series likeHarlots.
Then you could nip along to astudio to do a highly technical,
lots of big words, medicaldocumentary, or corporate.
(11:17):
Then next you could go to thegame studio in the afternoon and
be a, uh, a speaking vampire ora little, you know, tree that
talks in a preschool animationor game.
It's just the breadth ofcharacters that you get to
explore.
I can't call it work.
It's the best job in the world!I love it.
Yeah.
David John (11:37):
Yeah.
I mean, I, I agree with you thatbecause visually there's so many
things that most of us can'tever play because how we look,
whether we're too tall or smallor whatever-
Alison Dowling (11:48):
You are cast to type.
David John (11:48):
You are cast to type - because of how you look.
And of course with the, with thevoice you can sound like, you
know, my thing is I can soundtall! Whereas I can't look it,
whatever I do! You know, soyeah.
Yeah, that's interesting.
Alison Dowling (12:01):
And it's also lovely when you're doing work
like ADR, which again is a lotof work that comes through Voice
Squad.
Yeah.
You're working with a team ofpeople where the egos are left
at the door, you have the bestcraic going.
The sense of humour involved inADR is just wonderful.
No one's afraid to make fool ofthemselves and neither should
you be.
And you get to know each other.
(12:21):
There's a shorthand in studio.
It's a very familiar group ofpeople with new people coming
through all the time as well.
But there's great camaraderieand I, I really enjoy the ADR,
the spontaneity.
You have to think on your feet.
It's a bit like doing standup alot of the time or improvisation
because that's more often thannot what it is- sometimes with
specialised dialogue, if it's aperiod piece you're working on.
(12:45):
Yeah.
So you're, you're alwaysthinking it's, um, I think it's
very good for honing your actingskills.
David John (12:51):
Yeah.
Keep you sharp, isn't it?
Yeah.
And it, as you say, it's thatkind of teamwork thing and
there's a lot of, you know,familiar faces, people you work
with for many, many years, butbecause you need young voices
and they're coming in andthey're learning the trade from
us as we carry on.
Alison Dowling (13:05):
And at any one time, given the, the work of the
people that are involved in ADR,a lot of them are very
successful actors, quite oftenaway doing a tour or a TV job.
So you have to be able to mix upand use new people all the time
too.
So I think with all of us,there's a voice that we've got
(13:26):
three of us.
So if one person is away doing atelly, you've got A, B, or C
choice.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Yea.
We had one of these podcastswith Louis Elman actually, so we
did a long chat about ADR andyou know how he casts and it's
quite interesting.
David John (13:43):
Before we go, we've got a few quick fire questions
we ask everyone so people canget to know you a little bit.
Okay.
So are you a cat person or a dogperson?
Alison Dowling (13:56):
Well, animal person is the answer, but I do
have a dog and I've previouslyhad cats.
So anything.
Both!
David John (14:01):
Have you got a favorite ice cream flavor?
Alison Dowling (14:06):
Strawberry all day long.
But it's got to be quality!
David John (14:09):
Right.
And is that from childhood?
Alison Dowling (14:11):
I think, yeah.
I've always been strawberryreally.
David John (14:14):
Yeah, yeah.
Fair enough.
So your favorite movie, have yougot one?
Alison Dowling (14:20):
Oh, this is the[ hardest]!
David John (14:21):
Everyone says that!
Alison Dowling (14:21):
Yeah.
'Cause each, yeah, you have astandout film, don't you?
But I'm a huge Woody Allen fan.
So kind of anything.
I just love the way his filmsare character-driven dialogue.
I'm not a fan of big explosionsand budget car chases.
It's about the people, the, thehumanity, the interaction.
(14:45):
So Woody Allen, he is one of thebest and Blue Jasmine, I just
adored, not least because ofKate Blanchett's performance.
But then for laughs there'sLittle Miss Sunshine.
If you haven't seen it.
Get that one out.
David John (15:00):
Do you get to theater these days?
And if you do, what's the lastthing you saw?
Alison Dowling (15:06):
The last thing I saw was at the Fire Stables in
Oxford and it was Table Mannersby Ayckbourn.
And it's very good.
It was young Oxford graduates inthe show.
Really nice twist on a very oldplay.
David John (15:25):
So last one.
Can you come up with a favoriteplace in London?
Alison Dowling (15:30):
Yeah, a hundred percent.
Chelsea and Westminster hospita.
Now.
And everyone's going to go'what?' but it's where my
children were born.
And it's where I became a motherand that was just the most
amazing thing in my life- andstill is- watching these young
chaps grow up.
And it's, it's a privilege andit's been one of the best things
(15:55):
that ever happened in my life.
So, yeah.
Chelsea and Westminster hospitalis where they began.
David John (15:58):
Brilliant.
Brilliant.
Great.
Well thanks Ali.
Alison Dowling (16:01):
My pleasure.
And see you in a studio soon!
David John (16:04):
See you soon! Yeah, very soon.
(16:05):
So we've got next week, an interview with Ajoa Andoh.
A television and stage actressas well as a Voice Artist with
Voice Squad.
She's appeared as a leadcharacter in EastEnders,
Casualty, Doctor Who and allsorts of other things as well.
She's been in a lot of theatrerecently- I saw her at the
(16:27):
bridge in the fantastic JuliusCesar, which was incredible.
Great reviews.
And then since then she's beenin Richard II at the Globe,
which she also directed.
S o her career i s going fromstrength to strength-
Alison Dowling (16:43):
And she's been in The Archers recently!
David John (16:44):
And she was in The Archers!
Alison Dowling (16:46):
Isn't everyone at some point?!
David John (16:48):
She's pretty prolific as a voice artist-
though how she fits it all in, Idon't know.
She's a great audio book readerand is the voice of No 1.
Ladies Detective Agency.
So looking forward to speakingto Adjoa next week.
If you want to find out moreabout Voice Squad, you can go to
the website.
(17:08):
If you want to listen to any ofthe artists, it's
voicesquad.com.
Check us out on Twitter,Facebook, LinkedIn, and if you
enjoyed this episode, then dosubscribe and you can rate us
wherever you listen to yourpodcasts.
So that's it for this week.
Squadcast is a Voice Squad Ltdproduction.
I host it.
David John.
It's devised by Neil Conrich.
It was produced and edited byEmma Samuel.
(17:30):
If you've got any questionsabout the show, please visit the
website or even better email ushere.
So welcome back to the Squadcast.
If you've been here before,welcome back, if it's your first
time- hello.
This is the podcast from Londonvoice agent Voice Squad.
It's for people connected to thevoice over world, involved with
audiodrama, or if you're justinterested in that world, you're
also very welcome.
We'll be talking about life of avoice agency and all the skills
(00:21):
involved with being a voicesquad artist.
I am presenting, my name's DavidJohn.
I'm a voiceover at Voice squadand I also work in dubbing as a
dubbing director and I'm theEquity Audio Counsellor.
So I'm kind of always in andaround audio.
I'll be interviewing otherpeople who are also working in
(00:42):
the audio world regularly-actors and casting people,
producers.
Today I'm really happy to havemy dear friend Alison Dowling.
Hello Alison!
Alison Dowling (00:51):
Good morning Dave!
(00:51):
Alison's really well, most known nowadays I would say, for
Elizabeth Archer in The Archers,wouldn't you?
Probably?
Alison Dowling (01:00):
Yep, thirty-five years...
David John (01:00):
Unbelievable.
But she's also at Voice Squad ofcourse, and has worked on all
sorts of things.
Commercials, animation, computergames, corporate work, you name
it, Ali's done it.
Including ADR of course.
Alison Dowling (01:17):
Yeah.
It's such a big field now, isn'tit?
The voice industry?
David John (01:21):
It seems to have grown, over all those years,
yeah...
Alison Dowling (01:22):
Yeah, massively.
David John (01:23):
Yeah.
So we're going to chat about youand about your life in audio and
really, where did it all start?
I mean, you, you are an actor.
So you started in theatre orfilm...?
Alison Dowling (01:35):
Well, I started as a child performer.
I went to a stage school.
David John (01:42):
Right! That rings a bell!
Alison Dowling (01:42):
Got to do a bit of everything.
Singing, dancing and drama andworked in stage television, film
and recording.
And my very sort of first forayinto the voiceover world was an
audition I got for the filmTommy, which was directed by Ken
Russell.
So that's a good start, isn'tit?!
David John (02:03):
Bit of a legendary movie!
Alison Dowling (02:03):
Yeah.
Um, and I spent a couple of daysin Ramport studios in Battersea.
I don't know if they still exist- it's a long time ago.
Um, yeah.
With Keith Moon and RogerDaltrey, as I was doing the
voice of Tommy as a young boywith Roger Daltrey singing the
adult lines.
David John (02:22):
I didn't know that! I'm going to have to listen to
that again!
Alison Dowling (02:23):
It was amazing.
They apparently they auditionedlots of choir boys and young
male actors.
And then ultimately the femalevoice worked better on this
beautiful little angelic youngyoung boy that played Tommy.
So that's where it all started.
David John (02:38):
I've definitely got to back and have a look at that.
I'd love to have seen Keith Moonplay the drums.
I just missed him.
Alison Dowling (02:43):
Yeah, they were, they were so amazing.
Yeah.
And they were really nice to me.
You know- I was a kid of 11.
David John (02:50):
And what was the school you were at?
Alison Dowling (02:51):
I was at Barbara Speake Stage School.
David John (02:53):
God, that's a bit of a story from the...
'70s, I guess it was?
Alison Dowling (02:59):
Yeah.
Great, great start.
A little bit of everything.
And so that was the first- thatwas my first voice job really.
David John (03:05):
And then when you kind of left as an adult, was it
kind of radio drama that-?
Alison Dowling (03:09):
No, I was[at a] voice agency and I started off
doing primarily commercials.
I did a string of commercialswith Kenny Everett.
The job in The Archers came upas a casting that came into the
office.
They were looking for a youngactress to cast as Elizabeth
Archer and I took the train toBirmingham along with many
(03:29):
others.
Auditioned with the lovelyNorman Painting.
He played Phil Archer- herfather in the program- and we
just recorded a couple ofscenes, got the train back to
London and then forgot about it.
David John (03:41):
So was that a new-?
Alison Dowling (03:42):
I'd never done radio drama before at all.
David John (03:44):
Did The Archers exist as a program or was it a
new thing?
Alison Dowling (03:48):
No The Archers has been going, yeah, many, many
years.
Yeah.
So it was quite privileged tobegin within this Archers
family, which now thirty-fiveyears later I'm still part of,
and it has such a devoted fanbase.
Also the actors that I've workedwith over the years in the
Archers, it's something you'dnever get to do.
(04:08):
It's all sort of like having anine-to-five but still being an
actor.
David John (04:12):
Yeah, it's almost, I suppose it's like a theatre
company, but it goes on and onforever...
Alison Dowling (04:16):
Yeah.
We've had, you know, we've grownup as families together, working
relationships, something thatyou don't normally experience as
a jobbing actor.
David John (04:26):
I suppose we get that with ADR as well-
Alison Dowling (04:28):
Almost like a rep group, that you get to see
the same people.
David John (04:32):
Which is good.
I like that, it's really nice.
Alison Dowling (04:32):
Yeah, it's lovely.
It's really team playing.
David John (04:35):
So do you think having that role has kind of
changed the way your careerwent?
Has it influenced it in any wayor has it meant less radio drama
or more?
Alison Dowling (04:47):
I think quite fairly, it's meant less radio
drama-
David John (04:51):
Because you're such a well known voice-
Alison Dowling (04:52):
I think that people generally tend to cast it
- you know there's so manyactors that adore the medium of
radio.
Naturally they're going to giveother people a chance.
And the BBC has a rep companywhere people can get to meet
lots of different directors andplay many parts, which is
terrific because often withvisual casting there's certain
roles you're never going to getto play if you don't look right.
David John (05:12):
You're restricted.
Right, exactly.
Alison Dowling (05:13):
Yeah.
So doing The Archers has givenme the chance to work with these
incredibly experienced radioactors over a period of
thirty-five years.
And they've been generous enoughto hand over the Baton and teach
me those skills.
Now my character has twochildren in the program.
So two young actors have beencast who haven't done radio
(05:34):
before.
And I'm in that position that Ican help them with all the
various techniques that just addto a fast turning program like
The Archers, where there isn't alot of time to help young actors
understand the dynamics ofworking in a radio drama studio.
David John (05:55):
It's quite a kind of old school technique in many
ways.
But it has changed hasn't it?
I mean I did one last week andit was all on iPads.
Alison Dowling (06:04):
Yeah, The Archers still has paper.
David John (06:09):
Still paper! That's interesting!
Alison Dowling (06:10):
But then- the age of the cast- we have a June
Spencer, who plays Peggy who isa hundred years old.
And I don't think she'd beparticularly comfortable with an
iPad!
David John (06:20):
She's not changing her technique for anyone!
Alison Dowling (06:20):
No.
And nor should she.
David John (06:23):
What about the young lads?
Alison Dowling (06:25):
They'd all be keen to have iPads, but no, no.
We stick to script.
David John (06:29):
So you're still- they have to learn the skill of
not having paper rustle, whichis really difficult sometimes-
turning the page.
Alison Dowling (06:35):
Yeah.
Yeah.
But it's great because we dolots of rewrites with a program
like The Archers.
Like I said, we're working everymonth.
The production team is workingall the time throughout the
year.
The actors come in for ten daysa month.
So there's lots of littlerewrites and topical inserts and
things that are done on thehoof.
So actually paper and pen kindof works the best.
David John (06:56):
Yeah, it's interesting'cause the one I did
last week, they said everyonemust have an iPad.
That's kind of how it'schanging.
Alison Dowling (07:04):
Same with audiobooks, isn't it?
They really prefer you to workon an iPad.
David John (07:08):
Regarding audio drama.
Just for people who arelistening, who've never been in
a studio, just give us an ideakind of how it starts, what you
do to prepare, what's expectedof you in the studio.
Alison Dowling (07:20):
Well you get your script, hopefully in plenty
of good time before you'reactually booked to turn up at
the studio.
So most actors- I'm going totalk specifically about The
Archers- we have our scripts, wehave the privilege of knowing
our characters quite well.
So you read through the script,marking up your own specific
scenes and then you look at theepisode as a whole, what the
(07:40):
other characters' storylines aredoing, how it threads together,
whether one scene is pathos,then there's another dramatic
thread running through theepisode.
So that you understand thecomponents that are going to
pull that episode together.
And then you turn up on therecording day and the actors
involved with an episode, orwith a radio drama even, we'll
(08:01):
do a read through, where we justread the whole thing through and
the production team will dotimings to make sure that it's
within the remit of what theairtime transmission is, and
then you go in scene by sceneinto the studio and begin
another rehearsal- often with aspot effects person.
You are on mic doing yourapproaches.
(08:22):
Your recedes.
If there'a a door opening,there's a spot effects person
that's doing that- poppingchampagne, delivering a lamb if
it's lambing season, et cetera.
With all the old tricks with apot of yogurt and a wet cloth as
the lamb hits the hay! All verydistracting.
David John (08:39):
Fascinating for people who haven't ever seen a
radio studio.
Alison Dowling (08:42):
Absolutely.
And there's lots of, you know,in The Archers we have a lot of
horse riding, so I have a saddleand a lot of thigh slapping, a
bit like panto!
David John (08:49):
Coconut shells!
Alison Dowling (08:51):
Alka seltzer and corks popping! It's fab, it's
definitely a team effort andthen you'll have little rewrites
perhaps.
And it's about getting thebalance right so that everyone
sounds that they're where theyshould be when they should be
wherever.
David John (09:08):
So you're taking direction then from a- a
producer or director?
Alison Dowling (09:12):
Yes.
The producer and director andstudio, um, and it all pulls
together and when the actors arefinished, of course then the
work goes on because it goes tothe editing suite where it will
be fine tuned and cut and justknitted together with the
preferred takes.
(09:25):
Yeah.
Well, it's interesting to hearthat because that is how it
always was.
As in, in the radio drama repwhen I did the one in the world
service, the way it was done waslike that.
But recently with some othercompanies, independent companies
like Audible and Big Finish, thespot effects are kind of almost
never done in the studio at thetime.
(09:49):
They kind of add it later.
So often you just work with theiPad, do all the dialogue, and
then they kind of mix stuff inlater.
Alison Dowling (09:56):
That's a bit like working on animation then
it's very similar.
I quite like the organic way ofdoing it in the studio.
It's collaborative.
You can feel your way if theactor and the spot effects
person work together.
Often I'll say to whoever'sdoing the spot effects I think
my character is just going topause for a moment here and then
(10:16):
continue loading the dishwasherbecause there's something going
on emotionally.
So it's, it's drama driven.
David John (10:21):
Yeah.
So you have actually more of asay as an actor than if it's all
done afterwards-
Alison Dowling (10:27):
And you work together.
David John (10:28):
So let's just chat about other stuff that you've
done from Voice Squad.
I mean you've been at VoiceSquad so many years- since the
beginning, was it?
Alison Dowling (10:40):
A little later.
Yeah.
David John (10:41):
I think they're coming up on twenty years, so
almost twenty years.
So you've done all sorts ofstuff.
What, I mean, apart from TheArchers, what kind of stuff do
you really enjoy?
Alison Dowling (10:54):
Um, well, the, the joy of being a voiceover
artist as well as a jobbingactor is the variety.
So you can spend the morning, uh, doing Victorian gutter chat in
something, a series likeHarlots.
Then you could nip along to astudio to do a highly technical,
lots of big words, medicaldocumentary, or corporate.
(11:17):
Then next you could go to thegame studio in the afternoon and
be a, uh, a speaking vampire ora little, you know, tree that
talks in a preschool animationor game.
It's just the breadth ofcharacters that you get to
explore.
I can't call it work.
It's the best job in the world!I love it.
Yeah.
David John (11:37):
Yeah.
I mean, I, I agree with you thatbecause visually there's so many
things that most of us can'tever play because how we look,
whether we're too tall or smallor whatever-
Alison Dowling (11:48):
You are cast to type.
David John (11:48):
You are cast to type - because of how you look.
And of course with the, with thevoice you can sound like, you
know, my thing is I can soundtall! Whereas I can't look it,
whatever I do! You know, soyeah.
Yeah, that's interesting.
Alison Dowling (12:01):
And it's also lovely when you're doing work
like ADR, which again is a lotof work that comes through Voice
Squad.
Yeah.
You're working with a team ofpeople where the egos are left
at the door, you have the bestcraic going.
The sense of humour involved inADR is just wonderful.
No one's afraid to make fool ofthemselves and neither should
you be.
And you get to know each other.
(12:21):
There's a shorthand in studio.
It's a very familiar group ofpeople with new people coming
through all the time as well.
But there's great camaraderieand I, I really enjoy the ADR,
the spontaneity.
You have to think on your feet.
It's a bit like doing standup alot of the time or improvisation
because that's more often thannot what it is- sometimes with
specialised dialogue, if it's aperiod piece you're working on.
(12:45):
Yeah.
So you're, you're alwaysthinking it's, um, I think it's
very good for honing your actingskills.
David John (12:51):
Yeah.
Keep you sharp, isn't it?
Yeah.
And it, as you say, it's thatkind of teamwork thing and
there's a lot of, you know,familiar faces, people you work
with for many, many years, butbecause you need young voices
and they're coming in andthey're learning the trade from
us as we carry on.
Alison Dowling (13:05):
And at any one time, given the, the work of the
people that are involved in ADR,a lot of them are very
successful actors, quite oftenaway doing a tour or a TV job.
So you have to be able to mix upand use new people all the time
too.
So I think with all of us,there's a voice that we've got
(13:26):
three of us.
So if one person is away doing atelly, you've got A, B, or C
choice.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Yea.
We had one of these podcastswith Louis Elman actually, so we
did a long chat about ADR andyou know how he casts and it's
quite interesting.
David John (13:43):
Before we go, we've got a few quick fire questions
we ask everyone so people canget to know you a little bit.
Okay.
So are you a cat person or a dogperson?
Alison Dowling (13:56):
Well, animal person is the answer, but I do
have a dog and I've previouslyhad cats.
So anything.
Both!
David John (14:01):
Have you got a favorite ice cream flavor?
Alison Dowling (14:06):
Strawberry all day long.
But it's got to be quality!
David John (14:09):
Right.
And is that from childhood?
Alison Dowling (14:11):
I think, yeah.
I've always been strawberryreally.
David John (14:14):
Yeah, yeah.
Fair enough.
So your favorite movie, have yougot one?
Alison Dowling (14:20):
Oh, this is the[ hardest]!
David John (14:21):
Everyone says that!
Alison Dowling (14:21):
Yeah.
'Cause each, yeah, you have astandout film, don't you?
But I'm a huge Woody Allen fan.
So kind of anything.
I just love the way his filmsare character-driven dialogue.
I'm not a fan of big explosionsand budget car chases.
It's about the people, the, thehumanity, the interaction.
(14:45):
So Woody Allen, he is one of thebest and Blue Jasmine, I just
adored, not least because ofKate Blanchett's performance.
But then for laughs there'sLittle Miss Sunshine.
If you haven't seen it.
Get that one out.
David John (15:00):
Do you get to theater these days?
And if you do, what's the lastthing you saw?
Alison Dowling (15:06):
The last thing I saw was at the Fire Stables in
Oxford and it was Table Mannersby Ayckbourn.
And it's very good.
It was young Oxford graduates inthe show.
Really nice twist on a very oldplay.
David John (15:25):
So last one.
Can you come up with a favoriteplace in London?
Alison Dowling (15:30):
Yeah, a hundred percent.
Chelsea and Westminster hospita.
Now.
And everyone's going to go'what?' but it's where my
children were born.
And it's where I became a motherand that was just the most
amazing thing in my life- andstill is- watching these young
chaps grow up.
And it's, it's a privilege andit's been one of the best things
(15:55):
that ever happened in my life.
So, yeah.
Chelsea and Westminster hospitalis where they began.
David John (15:58):
Brilliant.
Brilliant.
Great.
Well thanks Ali.
Alison Dowling (16:01):
My pleasure.
And see you in a studio soon!
David John (16:04):
See you soon! Yeah, very soon.
(16:05):
So we've got next week, an interview with Ajoa Andoh.
A television and stage actressas well as a Voice Artist with
Voice Squad.
She's appeared as a leadcharacter in EastEnders,
Casualty, Doctor Who and allsorts of other things as well.
She's been in a lot of theatrerecently- I saw her at the
(16:27):
bridge in the fantastic JuliusCesar, which was incredible.
Great reviews.
And then since then she's beenin Richard II at the Globe,
which she also directed.
S o her career i s going fromstrength to strength-
Alison Dowling (16:43):
And she's been in The Archers recently!
David John (16:44):
And she was in The Archers!
Alison Dowling (16:46):
Isn't everyone at some point?!
David John (16:48):
She's pretty prolific as a voice artist-
though how she fits it all in, Idon't know.
She's a great audio book readerand is the voice of No 1.
Ladies Detective Agency.
So looking forward to speakingto Adjoa next week.
If you want to find out moreabout Voice Squad, you can go to
the website.
(17:08):
If you want to listen to any ofthe artists, it's
voicesquad.com.
Check us out on Twitter,Facebook, LinkedIn, and if you
enjoyed this episode, then dosubscribe and you can rate us
wherever you listen to yourpodcasts.
So that's it for this week.
Squadcast is a Voice Squad Ltdproduction.
I host it.
David John.
It's devised by Neil Conrich.
It was produced and edited byEmma Samuel.
(17:30):
If you've got any questionsabout the show, please visit the
website or even better email ushere.
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