Karen Cass: Audiobook Narrator
Featuring Karen Cass: Audiobook Narrator
Click here for a list of 10 books narrated by Karen Cass
Bio:
Karen performed with the “Footlights” while studying for a French and Spanish degree at Cambridge University and had a weekly slot on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire before training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art where she won the Evelyn Laye Award for Best Actress in a Musical and was Runner-Up in the BBC Carleton Hobbs Radio Competition. Her professional career began in the theatre. She made her debut in Newcastle with the Northern Stage Company in C P Taylor’s ‘Good’ and following that worked in theatres all over the UK, both in repertory and touring productions. Her career has since encompassed tv, film and radio. She is an Audiofile Earphones award winner and enjoys recognition as a voice artist worldwide having recorded numerous solo and multi-voice audiobooks for all age-groups.
How did you prepare to narrate Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend by Jenny Colgan?
I love Jenny Colgan's writing and was chuffed to be asked to record “Diamonds Are a Girls Best Friend”. After first reading it through and making a list of all the characters, noting any particular voice or personality traits for each as indicated by Jenny, I went on to focus on Sophie because as the book is narrated from her perspective it’s important to maintain the feel of her all the way through and make her relatable. Not that easy to begin with as she behaves in such a spoilt way! I then moved on to finding voices for her friends (some of whom are deliciously well written!) and the boys whose flat she ends up sharing. It was great fun voicing the glamour model characters and Julian the fashion photographer too! I get a very strong visual image of each character as I am recording - they come to life in my mind as I read and my hope is that the voices I create bring similar pictures into the listener’s imagination too. It’s a bit of a morality tale and Sophie’s journey, although sad in many ways, follows an enlightened path, and her character grows in depth and stature as the story progresses. It was a very satisfying book to work on.
What are your top three books that you’ve narrated?
Examples of other work you've done?
A fun side of my voice-work is playing the zany and fantastical characters in computer games. Never a dull moment! I have also featured on BBC Radio 5 Live and Radio Wimbledon reporting on various sporting events, especially tennis which has always been a huge part of my life - I represented GB in my youth and still play competitively both home and abroad. My most recent and satisfying tennis success was a European Club Championships Gold Medal won in Spain. It was almost too hot to play but we did it!
More places to find Karen Cass:
My twitter handle is @KarenCassAudio
My website (awaiting completion) is karencass.co.uk