TheNeverPress get into it with Felicity Bown - talented and renowned actor of stage, screen and audio. We bypass most of it, and get straight to her journey to becoming one of the most sought after audiobook narrators around. Disclaimer: Felicity recorded the audiobook for The Boxkart Rebel, and totally crushed it. What we're saying is, we found her first. Anyway...let's take our jackets off and get into it...
How did you come into acting - what has been your journey like?
I've always acted and performed since I was little - from school plays and storytelling performances, right through to drama societies and theatre shows at university, short films, commercials and beyond. I've always been passionate about telling stories - I love stepping into a character's shoes and immersing myself in their world.
Acting can be an unreliable career path, we have heard. How have you managed to balance the need to support yourself alongside the need to perform - how have you kept the dream alive?
Yes, you can say that again...! I've always balanced creative passions alongside a 'muggle job' in order to ensure I have financial security, as well as to put less pressure on myself when I'm in an audition room! I chose to go to uni rather than drama school (I studied English Literature at Warwick) but made sure to get involved in lots of theatre shows, musicals and short films whilst I was there to keep my creative itches scratched. When I left uni I got a job in publishing to pay the bills, but at the same time secured an acting agent to enable me to continue pursuing my dreams. I have always been very transparent with my employers about my aspirations in performance and thankfully they have all been very understanding - for example in allowing me to attend auditions around my working days. When I book acting jobs I take annual leave from work and so far I've been able to balance things well by being upfront and open to all parties. It does require a lot of juggling and being organised - and can be quite tiring managing two careers at the same time! - but it gives me a lovely balance of financial stability as well as tapping into my passion on a regular basis!
Bown does the White Lotus
You've made great progress into the world of voiceover work, how did this come about?
My move into the world of voiceover came much later - during the Covid pandemic. The worlds of theatre and film were pretty much shut down and I felt trapped in yet another lockdown, desperate to get my creative juices going. I came across a 3 hour voiceover 101 class hosted on Zoom and signed up. I absolutely loved it - it was so much fun playing with my voice like an instrument! I was (naively) surprised by how technical the world of voiceover is and realised how much I had to learn. Fast forward a few years of hard graft - and hundreds of hours spent with my head tucked in a soundproof box (I really do sound bananas don't I?!) - and I have a fairly regular flow of voiceover work across multiple mediums including audiobooks, commercials, animations, corporate work and more. I should say that I still balance my VO work alongside a full-time office job - at this stage the voiceover work isn't quite steady or lucrative enough to be able to give up the day job! But having the flexibility of working from home in my studio means that I can juggle both, and I feel very lucky for that.
What narrators or audiobook productions do you admire and why?
One of the first narrators I spoke to about their craft (actually through the wonderful Graham Thomas, founder of TheNeverPress) was the illustrious Molly Malcolm. Even if you don't think you've heard of her, you will know her voice - she's narrated many audiobooks, voiced a whole host of animated characters, as well as been the voice of a breathtaking amount of brands. Molly is a real natural in her work - she brings so much depth and range to her performances and she's so captivating to listen to. She's also a very lovely and kind human being - and gave me some invaluable narration tips when I was first starting out that I still use today.
I'd also love to recognise the brilliant work of Small Wardour Studios, who specialise in children's audiobook and podcast production. They are masters at producing engaging, thought-provoking and educational content for a children's and young adult audience. They were also recently shortlisted for The Week Junior's Children's Audiobook of the Year for the brilliant and hilarious 'Stink', authored by Jenny McLachlan and narrated by Caius Nicholas, produced by Lucy Wroe and with music by Tom Berry. Very excited to see what the Small Wardour team produces next!
What would be your dream book to narrate and why?
Oooh good question, it's so hard to pick! I absolutely flew through The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid when I read it - I couldn't get enough! The strength of the two central female characters and all the twists and turns of the story would be really fun to narrate. Or anything by Dolly Alderton - I love the messiness, rawness and vulnerability of her characters.
When you come to a project - what is your routine, or how do you get into the characters and tone?
My first step is to read the book as any normal reader would, with no preconceptions, in order to get a feel for the characters, tone, themes and narrative arc. I then read the book again, this time making notes as I go. I like to take note of each character and any of their characteristics that are mentioned - physical traits, their personality, how they speak, what they say about other characters and what other characters say about them. My English Lit degree comes in handy with this! This helps me to build an image in my mind for each one - so I can then create a voice for them which brings to life the essence of their character, playing around with tempo, pitch and accent until I find something that works. This process is a lot of fun - experimenting with different options until the characters start to emerge and feel right. Another aspect you mentioned was tone - which is super important and has a significant impact on how the book is read, and comes across to the listeners. Some books have a similar tone throughout, whereas others can have gearshifts at pivotal moments in the book. If I am lucky enough to have access to the author, I like to discuss this with them to ensure that our visions are aligned and that I pitch it just right. The final part of my process is to read through the book one last time to pick up on anything else I might not have noticed the first couple of times, as well as to write some notes on the text that will help jog my memory during the recording, to ensure as smooth a read as possible. An example of this is writing who is speaking and how they are saying it in the left-hand column next to any dialogue, so that I can easily slip straight into their character. It can be a bit jarring (and inefficient!) to read out a whole paragraph of dialogue in a loud boom only to read at the end of the sentence: "....he whispered"!
What do you look for in a book to 'unlock' your performance?
Love this question! Hmmmm... A few things, I would say. The first would be, after a read or two, I try to identify what's not on the page - what's the subtext, what's not been said but is lingering and floating off the pages. That helps also in the process of identifying the tone of the book - and whether there are any tonal shifts during the story. Tone plays such an important role in how the book feels and comes across to the reader - so getting this right is fundamental to the performance. Playing into that, I consider: how does the author want the readers to feel in this moment? Imagining a reader sat across from me as I'm speaking really helps to bring my performance alive, as if I'm telling it to them, straight into their ear. Finding opportunities to bring light and shade is another key one - in the dark moments, where are the moments of humour or love, for example - this is where you can really bring out the richness of the text. Ultimately though, I work hard up front to do my preparation and then when I walk into the recording booth I like to let all of that go, safe in the knowledge that the pre-work has been done, and then just flow - and see where the story takes me.
Audiobooks are huge - sometimes 10+ hours of finished content, which is days and days in the studio. It's a marathon. How do you a) keep the energy and focus up (especially when home recording) b) keep track of where you and your characters are?
Yes a marathon is a very fitting description! Audiobook narration is not for the faint-hearted - it requires patience and stamina, and the ability to maintain the same level of energy and commitment to the story from beginning to end. I'd say there are two aspects to this - 1) it goes back to the preparation you've done. If you are really familiar with the text, the narrative arc and the characters, it will pay dividends when you're recording. I like to make little 'cheat sheets' for myself that I can keep by my side when I'm recording, so that if I need a little memory jog on a character's voice, or where we are in the story, I can refer to these quickly before I read the next chapter. And 2) is all about bringing the energy for the record itself - which for me includes: getting a good night's sleep the night before, having a hearty breakfast and lots of snacks on hand throughout the day (this also helps to prevent tummy rumble sounds during the recording - been there, very embarrassing), taking breaks during the session to stretch my legs and, most importantly, picturing a listener sat opposite me whilst I tell the story. That way I can continuously remind myself to keep it fresh and engaging, and reconnect with the feeling of hearing the story play out for the first time.
What is your set-up like - do you prefer recording from home or in a studio?
I have a home studio which is super convenient and means I can work flexibly, which is important to me. So having that as an option is fantastic and I have a lot of fun with it. However where possible my preference is to work in a studio - being in a studio gives me a real buzz. I enjoy the set-up, the collaborative feel with the producer and director, as well as the ritual of being in that space and creating some magic together.
Outside of the audiobook work, do you still perform in film/theatre?
Yes, I do a variety of things including: short films, commercials, theatre shows (when I can balance them alongside my day job!) as well as playing psychiatric patients in medical roleplay scenarios to help NHS student doctors practice for their exams and improve their quality of care.
I also make sure to regularly attend acting classes to keep my creative muscles flexed. It's so important to keep practising and learning, and it is a lot of fun too. I've been to some brilliant classes recently through the likes of Run at it Shouting and Mixing Networks. Typically they will send you a scene in advance of the class and you'll have a couple of days to prepare your interpretation of the scene. You then perform it to camera in front of the group, receive feedback, then perform it again (taking on the notes you've been given). It can be quite daunting(!) but it's a great way to get instant feedback, learn and experiment in a safe space.
Mel Churcher directs Bown in a scene from Succession
What advice would you give to someone looking to pursue their acting dream, both on stage and behind the mic?
- Build your community and network. Attend classes, join forums online, go to workshops and keep in touch with people after. Acting can feel like quite a lonely career sometimes so don't underestimate the power of your network to support you. Share tips with your peers and them for advice on things you're struggling with.
- Consume as much TV, film, theatre and audio content as you can: all different styles, genres, eras etc. Everything you watch/listen to will teach you something. Learn from it and get inspired by it.
- If you can create things of your own, or in collaboration with your creative pals, do! Don't rely on the industry to supply you with opportunities, create some yourself too.
- Keep learning - by attending classes, setting mini challenges for yourself (e.g. recording monologues and giving yourself feedback), reading books out loud to improve your sight reading, watching YouTube videos of brilliant audition tapes etc etc... The more work you put in, the more prepared you will be when an opportunity comes around.
- Believe in yourself and others will too. And remember that everyone's path is unique. Don't worry about what anyone else is doing, just focus on your own journey.
A powerful monologue from Revolutionary Road.
And there we have it - wonderful and generous insights there from a dear friend of TheNeverPress. What a talent and what a future ahead - check out Felicity's site below to find out even more about this goodest of eggs.