Sarah Golding
Actor
A Scottish Podcast (2016-)
Role
“Drunk Helen.”
Bio
“Quirky Voices is a Company started by me - Sarah Golding - in 2017 with the aim of producing my own audio drama, exploring the craft of voice acting via MADIVA Podcast, and running voice acting and drama workshops for all kinds of events and participants worldwide.
Voice Acting has been an absolute joy to jump into with both feet in the last five+ years.
I love accents I love fresh scripts I love collaboration I love creation of new projects I love being part of storytelling in all shapes and sizes and also not using commas.
I love it when people say they’ve heard me as so and so or enjoyed me as whatsername or even simply recognised me as a mostly non speaking character in a podcast from my cough.
I also love to write, edit, sound design (steep learning curve here) and voice act direct and produce. I have been a theatre director for so many decades for various communities, and acted on and off for years onstage.
I teach LAMDA in a school and balance being a mum to two amazing kids who surprise and amaze and lift me everyday with their awesome everythings.
I truly am keen to help and support other women creatives too and will hopefully utilise this business to promote and encourage folks identifying as female to also jump into audio drama creating and voice acting, whilst of course not putting off the gentlemen, for I work with, and for, and alongside many.”
“…it should never sound like you are reading.”
How did you become aware of the show?
“I had been working as a VA on as much as I could and, in 2016 somewhen, Matthew said he had a role for me – ‘Drunk Helen’. It’s a little hazy as to why he chose me for this role, but I was a determined character actor and favoured the quirky roles. She is still one of my absolute favourites of all time!
I went on to work with Matthew for Hostile Worlds and a few other projects, and helped found The Fiction Podcast News Weekly too.”
What was your aim in getting involved?
“Well - to have as much fun as possible! I LOVE comedy roles.
I have been obsessed with being in comedy since 14 when I saw Monty Python and wrote to various BBC coemdy folks - and Michael Palin and Terry Jones - and Terry Gilliam (he wrote back and on a signed picture said ‘TO SARAH, YOU’RE FIRED! SO MUCH FOR A CAREER IN FILMS’. So…that was groovy.)
I am a character actor at heart, so every script from Matthew and Robert was a gem beyond compare! Still is. I want more though. MORE! #Morepleaseworld.”
What was the biggest challenge?
“Trying not to knock over my booth when I was drunkenly flailing, and also trying not to spill my pint if I was drinking and doing the lines (just water, obvs, I never went method!)
I think, truth be told, also because there was oft a gap of some girth between eps I had to refresh on the accent so…uh..it does…move about Scotland a little bit. Apologies to The Scottish – though I do have plenty of Scottish ancestry so maybe the lilts are inbuilt.”
Have you continued to work in the field?
“Yes! The field, the space ship, the pub, the country garden etc. Well Drunk Helen still pops up now and then and had an offshoot in another podcast (Tunnels special) - and has done some poetry for Matthew too!
I love it when folks find her and have heard me in another podcast and can’t believe it is the same person….that’s truly fun! There was even a hashtag at one point - #AWildSarahGoldingAppears!
I think I have appeared in over 150 podcasts now - since 2016 - and continue to be approached for roles. And yet, do audition sometimes, though I also produce my own (award-winning) work now with Quirky Voices, and host podcasts about audio fiction creation like Madiva (Voice-Acting for Audio Drama), Indie AF and ADWIT (Audio Drama Writers Independent Toolkit). Please do find these for useful guidance on the craft of voice acting and making audio drama.
I am dialogue-editing for OZ9 podcast which is joyous and have started to make people’s character voice reels – consulting, writing and editing. Love it. Hit me up for help making yours!
I have recently become Production Manager for Wireless Theatre and truly hope to bring some wonderful scripts to production this year. I feel I am immersed in audio fiction and happily support the many amazing folks making it.
I was part of the organising team for last year’s Audio Drama Hub Podfest and hope we can do more!
I am also a mum to two very talented brilliant teenagers, and have a patient husband who is good at putting his noise cancelling headphones on when – as he describes it – I will be ‘screaming my bits off’ for a podcast.
I would love to step into making animation voices and video games – just did a great animation voices workshop with Nic Redman and Julie-Ann Dean as, of course, it is truly important to keep training, keep striving to improve and learn from other brilliant expressive groovy people.”
What would be your dream project?
“Oh my - I am fortunate in that some folks have written some parts specifically for me, and that humbles my fun-seeking brain.
I guess a lead role wherein I can truly chew the scenery would be amazing – like someone very funny and feistily zesty but surprising and exciting with a twist of quirky and useful in a perilous situation with just a sliver of room for an emotional turn would be cool – don’t ask for much, right?
I mean…essentially Doctor Who meets Granny Weatherwax would be groovy. Sir Pterry (mayherestinpeace) came twice to see our production of Lords and Ladies back in the day, and told me I was ‘the definitive Granny Weatherwax, against whom all others shall be measured’. Love her sharpness, her wit, her no nonsense grooviness. I basically feel that David Tennant’s Doc was a personification of Granny. There, I said it. Feel free to ping me your Doctor-Who-Meets-Granny scripts – quirkyvoices@gmail.com...”
How did you land the role? Any tips for a strong audio reel (or virtual audition)?
“I had been a few quirky characters in a few shows like Wynabego Warrior from Audioblivious (Now Broken Bard) and was part of the Audio Drama Hub facebook group where I touted gently for roles….well…kind of gently. Basically jumping on anything that was casting at the time.
We were all working out remote recording and trying to better our practices, our know-how, skill and tech setups. We got sent the scripts and a deadline - and got told to crack on. So we did. I was in awe of much of the cast, and still count Matthew, Robert, Karim, David, Fiona and Tanja as my top fave voice actors – such talent! Fun times.”
How does acting for audio compare to other media, for you? Any skills or techniques you’d recommend learning for it?
“For me it’s about those extraneous sounds and being present in the space in a way that’s different for visual medium. You have to make the sounds to help paint the pictures whether it’s the oomph of pushing a heavy trolley full of booze or putting on a jacket the wrong way round or trying to balance two pints and sing.
There’s much to the art of making the character real. A lot of this stems from how you react into, out of and during your line recordings.
Add intention. Inflection. Mood. Add those gasps and sighs of acknowledgement, disagreement, frustration, excitement or disdain before through, in and after your words not just topping and tailing a sentence.
Live in the moment and visualise what you look like, who you’re reacting to and where they are in the space in proximity to you.
Be aware of your sound wave as you record – you are the master of the unpeaked recording – you are an engineer, a director, a cheerleader, a motivator, a critic and also a voice actor – there’s a lot going on.
Make sure you hydrate well before recording, have some on-hand during, and, if your script demands that you shout or have any sort of strained voice, ask your producer to put that at the end for the live record so you don’t have a buggered voice for the rest of it …and make sure you take care of your voice. Do not make bad choices with voices that will truly strain you – there is a myriad of sounds you can make – just make sure they are easily sustainable!
I just did an audition and went the extra mile for it – the scene had someone pouring a drink and smoking so I rolled up a torn bit of my bank statement, found a lighter and popped the makeshift cigarette in my mouth (made sure I didn’t actually light it as I was in my duvet-topped makeshift booth). I think going the extra mile can help you get noticed (and I got the part!)
Doing what the script actually says physically adds lots to the authenticity of the read – the performance, I mean – it should never sound like you are reading it.
A technique to get to this reality is to read it over a lot before performance so you are familiar with it and also to mark up your script – mark in pause, emphasis, emotions, changes of pace and how you aim to say some things, Make the script YOURS!
I run courses on voice acting for audio fiction and go through this in more detail and practically. Hit me up if you need to jump in with both feet – quirkyvoices@gmail.com!”
If your character was an occasional or guest part, how did you characterise them quickly and memorably? Or: if they’re a member of the regular cast, how do you keep them fresh to play?
“Helen is a guest part who - like your friendly drunk - just keeps randomly re-appearing. My tummy gets very excited when a new ASP script hits the inbox, and what tickles me is Matthew is so low key about it. Like he doesn’t realise the genius he is - same with Robert, absolute legends both.
For each new script – sometimes a year apart - I guess I have to fathom her… ‘level’ of drunkeness. Helen’s drunk-o-meter – we should make one. I think some people have found her bonkers but also a tad annoying, but then…drunks are, eh?
I think my favourite line from her is the ep where she’s being followed round the supermarket being interviewed, of course, in the wine aisle, and Jane – the interviewer - asks something about her kids and she’s incredulous and says ‘kids? I’ve got kids?!’ like she has no recollection. Just joyous and worrisome all at once.
My fave ep to do was the one where she is on a date with David Ault’s character AND SHE IS SOBER. Like. Woah. And that was a challenge trying to fathom what she was like without the burps and hiccups. But then of course Byars leaves her too long with a wine tempation on the table and he comes back in and shes swingin’ from the chandelier. Literally. Until it falls down.
I have knocked down my booth twice playing Helen. She got a bit….flaily. But then, I don’t think I’d be performing her properly if she wasn’t truly physical behind the mic too!
So, good luck out there VA’s – go have you the best fun behind that mic. Give your all and then some to those auditions - as if you re already living the part. Some of the loveliest, most brilliant, talented humans work in audio fiction, so, if that’s you, you’ll fit right in!”