Island based actor and voiceover artist Peter Wicks recently won an award for 'Best Human Performance in Gaming' for his performance as Vizargo in Age of Darkness: Final Stand at the VOX Awards, part of VOX Events: The Annual UK Conference for Audio Professionals, Voiceover Artists, Producers and Audio Engineers, Television and Radio production companies, TV & Radio Executives and anyone working in or looking to join the audio sector.
We sat down with Peter to talk about how he got into working as a voiceover artist and any advice he might have for any local creatives looking to get into voice acting.
Tell us a bit about your creative background?
I’m an actor and voiceover artist currently living in glorious Ramsey.
After doing most of my growing up on the Isle of Man, I left to study theatre and linguistics in London. I was really lucky to get my first professional acting job in my second year, and carried on working in theatre and bits of film and TV ever since. In 2022. Since returning to the island in 2018 I've also appeared in various local theatre productions including ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ by Parodos Theatre in 2022.
Nowadays, I’m mostly voicing commercials, characters in video games, and narrating audiobooks. I also work as senior copywriter and director at local marketing agency, 572.
How did you first get into voice acting?
As a kid I loved reading, I loved writing, and I loved mucking about with my mum and dad’s cassette player. We had a load of books on tape that we’d listen to at bedtime, and maybe it started there. I was obsessed with sound and music too, so I’d try and create my own little audio dramas with the tape recorder, a little Casio keyboard and some Doctor Who comics, doing all the voices. I was really shy — still am — and never ever considered performing.
Fast forward, and some brilliant drama teachers at Ballakermeen High School fired me up with a love for theatre. Eventually I was living around London and working as an actor, performing anywhere from theatres above pubs to the Edinburgh Fringe and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. I managed to get one amazing voice job for a video game called World of Tanks: Modern Armor.
But around 2018, I decided I’d had enough. Sometimes, you just need something new. I came back to the Isle of Man, got a ‘proper job’, started saving for a house. And I realised I was fine with the idea of never performing again.
However, after the pandemic, I dug out my old microphone and started auditioning for a few casting calls I’d seen on Twitter. Remote recording was still quite common after becoming the new normal in lockdown. It felt as if there was a chance to dip my toe back into that world. Without commitment, without expectation.
In 2022, I’d somehow landed my first paid voice acting job in years, along with my first audiobook, and TV commercial voiceover. It was work — just as it always had been when I was in London — but it felt like I could really play again. The fun and drive had returned. I wouldn’t have come back to it without quitting forever.
What does winning this award mean to you?
It means a lot, not least because only a few years ago I was convinced I’d never act again. Everyone says it, but I really wasn’t expecting it. You see your name listed alongside actors whose work you’ve heard and you love, and it doesn’t seem real or possible. It’s bonkers.
More importantly, it recognises the amazing work of everyone at PlaySide who created Age of Darkness: Final Stand. When you get a role in a game like this, you’re a small cog in a much larger machine. Writers, artists, designers, developers, audio teams — they’ve put in all the hours, and they’ll still be there long after you’ve done your bit. You’ve got to respect that and bring everything you’ve got. My character might’ve been a few 3 or 4-hour sessions for me, but for them, it was months of graft across multiple disciplines. They’re magic, and they deserve all the recognition and more besides.
What is your favourite VA project that you’ve worked on so far?
This is so tough! I’ve been ridiculously lucky, I’ve honestly enjoyed (nearly) everything!
There’s a recent fun one that blew my mind a bit: I narrated a Halloween-themed video for Pokémon. (https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/celebrate-pokeween-with-scary-pokedex-readings)
Do you record remotely from the island?
Absolutely. I hop across for some projects, but about 90% of my work to date has been recorded in my home studio. It’s taken a lot of time and investment to be able to do that, but I love that it is possible. Connecting from Ramsey to major studios in LA to record AAA video games actually happens.
And I think it’s important that people know that. When I was in London, it felt like I couldn’t be an actor anywhere else. It’s where all the work is, isn’t it? But since coming back, I’ve seen shows at the Gaiety that absolutely meet West End quality. There’s trained, professional talent here still doing their thing, and there are people here who have never worked ‘professionally’ and completely blown me away with their performances.
In fact — bizarrely — I found out the other day that I live a few doors down from another awesome locally-based voiceover artist and creative copywriter, Sarah Hart. She’s utterly brilliant, and another VOX Award winner! (https://voiceoversarahhart.co.uk/)
With accessible education and facilities and strong, consistent investment in the arts, it’s entirely possible to cultivate an environment in which people can carve out successful creative careers on the Isle of Man.
What is your dream VA project for the future?
I don’t really do bucket lists. Work is work. But I’d love to be in a FromSoftware game. Or a Big Finish Doctor Who audio drama. Now I’ve mentioned them, they definitely won’t happen!
What would you tell any young local creatives interested in getting started with VA work?
Keep playing. Don’t ever get bored of playing. Your imagination is your greatest asset. Playing and being creative makes it stronger.
Read your favourite stories aloud and do all the voices. Write your own stories and do all the voices. Grab your phone or a cheap microphone and record your own podcast!
Nervous to join a local theatre group? Do it anyway! We’re so lucky to have a load of great, friendly, welcoming theatre companies right here on the Island, along with incredible venues like the Gaiety, Ballakermeen Studio Theatre, Erin Arts Centre, King’s Court Theatre at King William’s College — as well as organisations like Kensington Arts. The accessibility of arts education and cultural facilities on the Isle of Man is how and why we keep nurturing amazing performers like Sam Barks and Joe Locke, and it’s something to be proud of.
If you’re interested in voiceover and voice acting, taking part in local theatre, doing drama and/or singing lessons, will give you an amazing toolkit to help you make the most of your voice, access a range of emotions, and build characters. It’ll also put you in the best position to hone your talents at uni or drama school if that’s what you want to do.
And never be afraid to ask questions! If you’re stuck and don’t know where to go next or how to get started, there’s an incredible community of performers here on-island, as well as a global community of voiceover/VA talent online, who will always be there to offer advice.
