Beyond the Broom Cupboard

Episode 14: Ben Whitehead Voices WallaceDescription:This week I talk to actor and comedian Ben Whitehead about voicing the iconic character of Wallace in the new Wallace & Gromit film. Ben talks about stepping into the role following the passing of Peter Sallis, what it’s like to work with Aardman Animations, and how he finds the voice of Wallace.Timestamps:●0:00 - Introduction●1:00 - Ben's outdoor theatre work●12:00 - How Ben got involved in voice acting●20:00 - Finding the voice of Wallace●26:00 - Visiting the Aardman Animations studios●30:00 - The making of the new Wallace & Gromit filmLinks:●https://www.benwhiteheadvoice.com/●https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/articles/2024/wallace-and-gromit-vengeance-most-fowl●https://www.aardman.com/Guest Information:Ben Whitehead is an actor and comedian who has voiced the iconic character of Wallace in the new Wallace & Gromit film, Vengeance Most Foul. He has worked on several Wallace & Gromit projects in the past. This film will be Ben’s first time voicing Wallace for a full-length film. Ben has also appeared in several theatrical productions, including a recent outdoor theatre production called Theatre in the Bin. He developed this project five years ago, and it was performed in Edinburgh in 2019.If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and tell a friend!

This episode of Beyond the Broom Cupboard, we speak to Maddie Moate. BBC’s Do you know:https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b09yn3ly/maddies-do-you-knowMaddie’s Youtube Channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@maddiemoateA very curious Christmas west end showhttps://nimaxtheatres.com/shows/maddies-curious-christmas-live-on-stage/ About Maddie Moate:Maddie Moate is a presenter known for her work on CBeebies, YouTube and in live theatre.She started her presenting career online with a comedy sketch series about smartphones and apps, sponsored by Nokia.This led to her presenting for various tech brands and becoming a YouTube tech presenter and journalist.Maddie was then hired by BBC Earth for their YouTube channel as a scientist familiar with the YouTube format.CBeebies then approached her to host a new tech science engineering show as they wanted a real person, not an actor, to host.Maddie's Approach to Science Communication:Maddie believes in finding the extraordinary in the ordinary and making science accessible to everyone.She focuses on simplifying complex scientific concepts using relatable examples and language that children can understand.For example, she explains weight in terms of small elephants and uses familiar objects like forks and fences to spark children's interest.Maddie prioritises family viewing and avoids patronising language, ensuring her content is engaging for both children and adults."Do You Know?" Show:The show features two segments: "How is it made?" and "How does it work?".Finding factories in the UK for the "How is it made?" segment became increasingly difficult as the series progressed.The show's topics were chosen through crowd research, with school children providing ideas, as well as Maddie's own curation of ideas and identifying products made in the UK.The random nature of the episode topics was partly due to the availability of factory locations.Maddie's YouTube Content:Maddie's YouTube content often focuses on finding extraordinary stories within ordinary objects and themes, like paper made from elephant poo and bread baked in geothermal hot springs.She sees these as opportunities to teach children about topics like sustainability and geothermal energy in engaging ways."A Very Curious Christmas" Book and Stage Show:The book explores the science behind Christmas traditions and cultures, like why we have Christmas stockings and how Christmas crackers work.The book was inspired by Maddie's difficulty finding resources that collated fun Christmas-themed science questions.The stage show adaptation is set in Santa's workshop, where Maddie works alongside two elves to fix the chaotic workshop using science.The show incorporates audience interaction, jokes, music and visual elements to keep audiences of all ages engaged.Navigating YouTube with Children:Maddie acknowledges the challenges of YouTube's algorithm-driven content, which can lead to children repeatedly seeing similar content.She recommends using the YouTube Kids app and curating a list of trusted channels to provide a safer and more enriching experience.Maddie encourages parents to watch YouTube content with their children to discover family-friendly creators and ensure a shared experience

Keith Wickham has voiced many many different characters from the Fat controller and Edward on Thomas the Tank Engine to Shellington on Octonauts.Hear about how voice acting wasn't the career he expected but its been one he has loved.

Margot Wilson presented Hart Beat between 1984 and 1992 teaching a nation of kids to make amazing things from cardboardHart beat was an evolution of the BBC's children's art programmes that started with Vision On, continued through Take Hart and evolved into Hart BeatHart Beat - Pipes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIQJGOn4Fr8Artifax - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5fsjcEIEIo

Join me as I chat to Andrew James Spooner: Professional Muppet.Andrew trained with Hensons and created the character of Elmo's Uncle Fergus,https://andrewjamesspooner.com/Watch Jim Henson run lines with Frank Ozhttps://www.instagram.com/muppethistory/reel/C_PgpShOHB2/?hl=en

The best voice director in the business according to man people. Find out how Dave got started, how his job works and what the future holds for the industryhttps://www.peacocksound.co.uk/p9bec89x

Marc Silk is a voice actor who has created some fantastic characters like Grand Master Glitch in Go Jettser and Aks Moe In Star Wars the Phantom Menace. He has also voices some very well established faces like Shaggy, Scooby Doo and Jonny Bravo.Marc's websitehttps://www.marcsilk.com/

https://www.banksandwag.com/Banks & Wags work:Zingzillashttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfoKDlCoBo0Go-Jettershttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REBUEe3mtXoBlue Peterhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nyzvf_afs8MTop 3 theme tunes - CorinThundecatshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcGNqrAtsggWombleshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kib7ZDsTgz0Stingray - extendedhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfYPN5Hf0wgWagThundercatsPole positionhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQXqHNHPLHIThe Trap Doorhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9dbAQJIu1oMonkeyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-SUoHmpRdMBanks - RetroPigeon Streethttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XdgHiF4uiIGalloping Galaxieshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WspM4jwq7lcSpiderman and his amazing friendshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgN0g4vqYMgBanks - ModernDuck Tales - New Versionhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKSU82afy1wSophia the firsthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XDG75LPXqEBen 10 original themehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iIUGEOreiw