BA Acting and Performance students Richard and Maraya featured as voice actors in an international podcast from Dopplegangster.

Bad Reputation is a joint collaboration between acting and performance students from Sheffield Hallam and Melbourne’s La Trobe University. It tells the tale of three lighthouse keepers stranded on an isolated island when a ship ignores their signal and crashes on the rocks. The show received acclaim for its visionary and psychedelic approach and featured at Australia’s Melbourne Fringe Festival and Sheffield’s own Doc/Fest.

Working remotely, the team had to pioneer experimental recording methods to produce the show.

“It was a really cool experience”, said Richard. “We wouldn’t usually collaborate with overseas students, but it was great to have creative input from people who aren’t on our course—or even in our country.

“Each line of the script was recorded individually in separate locations and put together in production to lend an eerie depth to the audio. The whole thing was put together in just two weeks, so we really had to trust our instincts.”

Both Maraya and Richard applied for the opportunity through Senior lecturer, and Dopplegangster Director, Tom Payne.

“One of the great things about taking part was that it was a professional, extracurricular project,” said Maraya. “So our lecturer became a collaborator and director.

“The opportunity to gain real-world voice acting experience has been invaluable. And it’s shown me I can put myself out there no matter whatever the project is. Because even if it’s wildly innovative and strange, I now know I’m up for the challenge.”

“I’ve worked on a few voiceover projects before. As a performer, it's a great skill to practice”, added Richard. “Being able to focus on your voice and learn to be energetic without shouting is really beneficial. I could definitely get into this kind of work in the future.”

Curious? You can find out more about how Bad Reputation was produced and listen to the podcast series on the SHU Acting and Performance website.