In ep 158 of “How Do You Say That?!” sponsored by britishvoiceover.co.uk, Perdita Lawton joins Sam and Mark to talk about how to level the prosody in a corporate read, maintaining friendliness in the face of a very dry subject and how to approach a comedic audio book. We're also taming sheep, wearing slippers and telling fibs to fit in! Plus how knowing what a returning client wants feels like getting into a warm bath! Our wildcards include a puppy Mum with a very naughty four-legged friend, a narrator who goes from sadness to joy, and someone battling the wind to be heard!

Our VO question this week is all about he Norman Beaton Fellowship - a flagship initiative run by BBC Audio Drama. Via this bursary, BBC Audio welcomes new actors each year to five-month contracts with the Radio Drama Company, and it's open to any voice actors who havent been to a traditional drama school.

Get involved! Have you got a Wildcard suggestion that we should try or an idea for the show? Send it to us via Mark or Sam's social media or email it directly to [email protected]

Script 1

Updating both project files and controller firmware can now be done remotely and securely at any time from the Lighthouse Cloud interface, as well as directly from the Lighthouse Designer 2 software.

Portals give you the ability to provide your own personalised version of Cloud to your customers – with a custom theme and URL access available. With Portals you can set up Multi-Sites - a convenient way to give Site owners the control they need while allowing a central administration department to maintain overall control. Portal admins have complete control over all Sites in a portal, and access to exciting new portal-only features.

Script 2

Nanna Lem eventually told Penny what had happened, which boiled down to the age-old truth that people above a certain age should not climb onto chairs to clean cobwebs from the ceiling. Or, indeed, for any other purpose.

"It's a sprain actually," she said, tilting her injured foot. "Or a bruised bone. Something like that. Not very serious."

"But you're in hospital," Penny pointed out.

"Ah, that's on account of me getting the white pills and the grey pills mixed up”

"Oh?"

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About our guest:

Perdita Lawton is a voice actor, actor, theatre maker, film maker and plays the piano. She studied English and Drama at University, did a diploma in drama at theatre school and has been working in the industry ever since, spanning 20 years and counting. She has voiced many things from animations, audio dramas, films, and has 29 audio books currently available on audible.

Perdita was a finalist in The Norman Beaton Fellowship for the BBC 2025 and this year is off to play at The Edinburgh Fringe. She spends her spare time volunteering as a scout leader teaching paddleboarding, kayaking, archery, climbing, camping and keeping young people safe as they learn….. which has been helpful in her new role as a puppy Mom keeping her puppy alive.

Resources:

Perdita's script was from ‘The Wonderland Murders’, book 1 of the Cozy Craft Murder Mystery series by Millie Ravensworth. Find it on audible here

Find out more about the Norman Beaton fellowship by clicking on this link:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/16T1mNfG9PSPk6XsrHS9pk3/the-bbc-norman-beaton-fellowship

Click here for the Wildcard Generator and don't forget to think of an action your character can be doing!

About your hosts:

With over 40 years representing major international clients such as Google, Emirates and HSBC; Mark Ryes has been trusted to be the voice for some of the world’s biggest brands. If your business needs a fresh voice to represent you, then make it Mark's British voice. As a voiceover, TV presenter, podcaster or product demonstrator - Mark makes your brand truly sparkle!

Mark's demos & contact details: https://linktr.ee/britishvoiceovermark

Elegantly British with an intelligent, warm and seductive voice, Samantha Boffin helps creatives and production companies create great audio that really connects with their audience. BBC-trained and with over 20 years of broadcast experience on both sides of the mic, she's created award-winning promos, narration and commercials for companies all around the globe, including the BBC, Sky, Games Workshop, John Lewis, Audible and Penguin Random House.

Samantha's demos & contact details: https://linktr.ee/samanthaboffin