Geoff Oldham

Yorkshire, Lancashire, Manchester, Leeds: all of them native since I've lived half my life in one area and half in the other. Other accents used professionally: American standard, New York, Italian Brooklyn, Southern American, Native American, Eastern European, Irish (Republican), Derby, London, Cockney. Other accents in repertoire: Glasgow, Edinburgh, English Midlands, Rural South West England. The voice is also an actor's, capable of inhabiting characters both serious and comic. The natural voice (with slight adaptations) has been found useful for judges (I am told by casting directors that I have gravitas, but my doctor says she can do nothing about that), senior army officers, (years ago I was a junior one)clergymen, surgeons, politicians, grandfathers, pensioners, heavy fathers,

After a top management career in industry, I declared myself redundant in middle age and took up acting professionally and have now been at it for a quarter of a century and have 60+ decent film, TV and theatre credits on my cv. For years, I did the odd bit of v/o work when it arose, mainly stuff for museums, educational programmes and the like. I read excepts from the novels of Jilly Cooper for a documentary about her on ITV. About five years ago I obtained a job doing a spoken insert as an Indian Chief in a pop record for the Rednex called The Spirit of the Hawk, which went to number one in the European countries in which it was issued and sold 1.5 million copies. I am the oldest pop artist to have his debut single go triple platinum. Since then, I have been more systematic about finding v/o work instead of expecting it to come along as part of my acting career. I've recently been an Arab granddad for the UAE and an OAP for a pensions firm. BA Hons Class II(i)in English language and Literature from Manchester University. Numerous Actors' Centre workshops on v/o work (as well as a range of acting topics) In 1983 attended a three-week course run by the British Drama League using tutors from the drama schools, the RSC and National Theatre, on voice. None at present, bur expect to be acquiring some soon. I have access to good local studios, but I claim no special technical knowledge. In my industrial career, in which ended as Chief Executive to an Industry Training Board. I did a great deal of public speaking and training. I have also done journalism for trade papers when in industry and some general free-lance stuff since (Guardian, Stage, Yorkshire Life etc). I wrote my own one-man show on John Donne which got me an Equity card, which was essential when I started. I run an on-line book business specialising in the performing arts.