
Many people are drawn to acting because they dream of performing on the stage or screen, but at our acting classes in Liverpool, you’ll also be taught a more overlooked skill: how to act for radio. As demand rises for entertaining podcasts and audiodramas, there’s a growing market for talented voice actors.
Radio can also be a more accessible and manageable way for older actors to break into the industry. Here’s what to know about voice acting.
A growing market
At one time, radio acting was limited to a few drama slots on Radio 4 or commercial voiceover work. However, with the rise of streaming platforms such as Audible and BBC Sounds, audio dramas and ‘talking books’ are finding a new audience. There’s also a growing demand for skilled voice actors for animations, gaming, and advertising.
The challenges and advantages of voice acting
Voice actors rely on their control of tone, rhythm and breathing to communicate feeling and meaning. With no visuals to rely on, they need to make their character so believable and compelling that they come alive in the imagination of the listener. This takes skill, but they are learnable skills that will get better with tuition and practice.
The advantages of voice acting for older actors are also worth considering: it means you can bypass any character stereotyping based on your appearance or age, and this can open up a much wider range of roles and genres.
You don’t need to worry about camera angles, hair, makeup and costumes, so you can pour 100 per cent of your focus into character and storytelling.
Older actors are often rich in life experiences, and they have a voice inside them that is authentic and lived in. That’s definitely something worth sharing.