PH Audio Blog

Interview with the voiceover

Star of Hollyoaks, Coronation Street, Doctors, Dream Team, Waterloo Road and more, as well as numerous stage plays and radio productions, Martine Brown voices PH Audio campaigns and was recently the face of PC World’s TV campaign.  We’re delighted to find out who’s behind one of our star ‘Voices’ – welcome Martine…

Readers will know you from your regular appearances on television, is the schedule as gruelling as people say it is?

Yes, definitely. It’s great, I love it but you don’t have a life outside of it when you’re working. Hollyoaks included lots of night shoots so there was no time for a social life for a few years. Now I have a little boy who’s three and a half so I don’t have a social life now either! I’ve deliberately stayed away from TV and theatre work since Harry was born which has also allowed me to do more voiceover work.

Is that how you got into voiceover work?

I’ve always done voiceover work. I used to do radio commercials and have a lot of voiceover experience. I remember recording a CD-Rom for HMS Ark Royal, it was so technical that I had no idea what some of it meant! But that doesn’t matter when you’re doing voiceover, it’s how you portray the information that counts and the people listening to it will understand it, even if I don’t always.

How do you prepare for reading a PH Audio script?

When I’m recording a PH Audio script, I get a feel for what the company is like and the image they have and I try to portray that with my voice. When I’m recording on-hold messaging I know that I might be the first voice the customer is hearing so it’s vital to create the right impression of the company. I try to add something to every script and always try and understand the type of company’s image by reading the script carefully. I can then convey that image in my style of reading it. I’ve done a lot of radio and voiceover work in the past so I understand how important the voice is in the final production.

When you’re not working, how do you relax?

Having a three year old, I don’t! Running around after him takes up all my time but it’s wonderful. On the odd occasion I’m awake after his bedtime, I’m partial to a drop of red wine, I’ve always been a red wine girl!

What would you do if he wanted to go into acting?

I would support him but he’d be going into it fully aware of how tough it can be. It can be hard and you can have great times and then equally tough times, it’s a fantastic job but it’s also tough. But if it’s what you want to do, you have to try.

If you suddenly lost your voice, what would you do for a living?

I don’t think there’s anything else I can do! I’ve always thought it would be really nice to deliver flowers. Seeing the look on someone’s face when you present them with a huge bunch of flowers that they weren’t expecting would be great! And I wouldn’t need to say anything so it wouldn’t matter if I lost my voice. Otherwise, something creative. Maybe I’d have a go at writing, who knows?

Thanks Martine!