Autumn Showcase / Standouts and Feedback

At Fishpond, we understand how important it is for actors to hone their craft, sharpen their audition skills, and be seen by industry professionals. 

That’s why we were proud to have Paul Fegan (voice expert and founder of Bitsixteen) lead our third showcase of 2025, focused on voice work. Paul carefully selected passages from A Christmas Carol and Winnie the Pooh, and challenged actors to submit a recording that showcased their interpretation, as well as their vocal skill for narration and character. 

From a wealth of high-quality recordings, Paul selected nine standout performances that most inspired and impressed him. Congratulations to all for your dedication, creativity, and bringing something unique to your piece. We can’t wait to see where your talent takes you next.

Plus
Click here to join us for a live chat with Paul at 3pm on Friday 19th of December, where he'll offer further feedback, and tips for making the most of your next voiceover opportunity.

Listen to all nine standouts and read Paul's expert feedback below.

UNDER 16s (WINNIE THE POOH)


Naoise
"I loved how bright your voice was from the outset, which is really important for storytelling and engaging your listener. Your pauses were also excellent: just the right length to keep the story moving, but long enough so that it didn't feel rushed. I could imagine children listening to you tell this wonderful story."
Listen


Kate
"This is a lovely, expressive read.  I like the way we get a sense of Kanga's preoccupation with trying to get Roo home while Pooh bothers her with his poetry.  Great read and excellent diction."
Listen


Anne
"I could really see the characters in this. There was good distinction between each one and the expression was very good. I could hear that you'd really taken the time to decide how you were going to voice them. Pacing was very good, too and it all moved along nicely."
Listen 

ADULTS (A CHRISTMAS CAROL)


Nicola Devine
"I'm right in that house at Christmas with this read; it's really animated with a great sense of drama. The narration is also wonderfully supportive of the dialogue and reels us in, giving us a clear sense of the emotion throughout. While the accents weren't required, they sound great and are obviously faithful to the original setting, which is a nice bonus."
Listen


Sean Ahern
"This is a lovely, heartwarming read and the voice has a soft quality to it that's easy on the ears. Good characterisation, too and the narration really pulls us into Bob's little house on Christmas Day.  Just great storytelling overall."
Listen


Aoife Kavanagh
"Really strong sense of drama in this and I thought the pacing was generally good. This is also a great example of storytelling without doing accents/impressions.  The narration hugged the ever-changing emotions throughout and made for a very engaging read."
Listen


Emily Swain
"I loved this read; it's full of bounce from the get-go. I can sense the busyness in that house on Christmas Day with beloved family members arriving out of the cold. I was impressed, too, by how you conveyed the dynamics of the emotions in this warm and touching scene."
Listen


Gráinne Gallagher
"Great interpretation of the script. Good pauses between lines, especially the he-saids/she-saids. Lovely pace overall — plenty of energy at the beginning and great use of voice projection. Also a lovely change of gear at the end as Bob speaks about Tiny Tim."
Listen


Jacqueline Milne
"There are times when you listen to a read and you forget the narrator and are just engrossed in the story. And this is what's happened to me here. This is a great read because I feel I'm just picking everything up from watching the scene, rather than by it being read to me. The pacing, the voice dynamics, the emotions are all just right. Really loved this."
Listen
 

Join us in the New Year for our Winter Showcase - something to make the dark evenings a little brighter.