Andy Secombe
Actor
Wooden Overcoats (2015-2022)
Roles
“ Reverend Wavering (Wooden Overcoats); Lepidus (Cry Havoc! Ask Questions Later)”
Bio
“Oh God… here are the edited highlights:
Watto in Star Wars The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones - Colin the Security Robot; Constant Mown; Eddie: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe - Tyler (and others) Good Omens…
A whole host of theatrical and television credits which you’re probably not interested in…
Don’t really do social media. Best way to contact me is through my agent – Dan Ireson at Narrow Road Agency”
“…it’s easy to overdo things.”
How did you become aware of Wooden Overcoats?
“I was one of the readers at RNIB.
One day, I happened to be working with John Wakefield, who was one of the director/engineers. He seemed like a nice chap and we got on well together. At the end of one day’s recording he asked if I’d like to have a look at a script for a podcast he was producing called Wooden Overcoats …he wondered if I might be interested in a character called Reverend Wavering. I grandly said I’d give it a read, but couldn’t promise anything.
After reading it on the train home – hooting with laughter, much to the chagrin of my fellow passengers – the next day I came in to work, swore my undying commitment to Wooden Overcoats (the opening of wallets and the letting of blood was involved, I seem to remember) - and the rest is history.”
What was your aim in getting involved?
“Being a professional, one always has half an eye on the money offered, but when the writing is as good as this, it’s impossible to say no.”
What was the biggest challenge?
“As far as I remember, getting to the studio every morning. It was in Brixton and back then I lived in Cornwall…”
Have you continued to work in the field?
“I have no choice but to continue – I’m an actor. It’s my living.”
What would be your dream project?
“To write and star in my own movie …I once got close – but that was when I was much younger and prettier…”
How does acting for audio compare to other media, for you? Any skills or techniques you’d recommend learning?
“Because the only thing you have to communicate on radio is your voice, it’s easy to overdo things. The mistake most newcomers to voice-acting make is to ‘overcook’ the performance..”
If your character was an occasional or guest part, how did you characterise them quickly and memorably?
“Once you’ve established your character and feel happily at home inside his or her skin everything else follows. Of course, it helps if the writing’s good. And on Overcoats, it was..”