And the interview!
Interview with Crimson Bound Audiobook Narrator
Elizabeth Knowelden
The Midnight Garden: I was very taken with your performance of
Rosamund Hodge's first book Cruel Beauty--your interpretation brought the characters
and setting to life in a very vivid way, so I was pleased to see that you are
narrating the author's new bookCrimson Bound as well. What was your favorite scene
and/or character to perform from Crimson Bound? Do you enjoy
the unusual fairy tale mash-ups in these books?
Elizabeth Knowelden: First of all, thank you for your kind words!
I'm so happy you had such a great response to Cruel Beauty -
it was an absolute pleasure narrating it. Yes, I absolutely love working with
Rosamund's books. With Crimson Bound, my favorite sections were the dark,
creeping side-chapters in-between the main tale, where we hear the
story of Zisa and Tyr in the forest and their original journey. It leads us
into the present day while also being full of mystery and danger.
These sections were written so cleverly and, as a narrator, it was delicious
fun delving into an age old, dark and sinister tale and being able to
use my voice in such a malevolent way.
The Midnight Garden: You've made me want to listen to the audiobook
even more! You have extensive theater credits, including work with Kevin Spacey
at The Old Vic in London. Do you find that a dramatic background helps in
interpreting different characters when you're narrating?
Elizabeth Knowelden: One of my favorite parts of acting is the
initial creation of the character. Coming from the theatre, it is the norm for
each character you play to be exclusively different from the last. With
narration, I generally play all of the characters in the book and act them with
only my voice, so having the background of the theatre is a great foundation
for such work.
The Midnight Garden: I would imagine so. How does the experience of
acting for theater differ from acting for audio?
Elizabeth Knowelden: With theatre you have your whole body to
communicate with the audience. So much of what we say on stage is through how
we move - body language says so much - so working in audio, where you only have
your voice to connect with the reader requires a different skill set. You have
to manipulate your voice very specifically. Also, with theatre, you have an
immediate contact with the audience - you can feel the energy of the room -
whereas with narration, you're on your own in a studio! You never really have
that contact, which is why blogs like these are great! I also love being able
to experience another style of acting - while normally on stage I would project
to a large theatre, with audio - like acting in film - you have the joy of
telling a story with an intimacy as if you were sharing a secret with a
friend behind closed doors.
The Midnight Garden: Ah, that description makes so much sense. Your
narration has a very hushed, secretive, wonderful quality, which is perfect for
these books, and hearing you describe your approach makes me appreciate your
performance even more. Take us through a typical audiobook gig. How do you
prepare, and what is the process typically like?
Elizabeth Knowelden: I prepare each book before I record by making
character notes as I go along. As you only have your voice to connect with the
audience, it's important to depict the differences in all the characters very
clearly. As a narrator, you get to use your own imagination to decide what
these characters would sound like. For example, what is the rhythm of the
character? Are they young and excited? Do they speak quickly? Is it a deeper,
husky sound if they are old, or clear, calm and wise? I decide all these things
before stepping into the booth. Some books I will record at my home studio,
others, like Crimson Bound, I will work in the studio of the
company.
Generally, I like to narrate a book within 3 days or so, which provides a
relaxed yet efficient timetable! Naturally, it all depends on scheduling with
other acting projects. Once I start recording, I get lost in the book and have
a great time. I'll often catch myself in a strange physical positions, acting
out how the character would be expressing themselves at that moment. Hidden
cameras would make a hilarious TV show...
The Midnight Garden: What other books have you narrated that you'd
recommend?
Elizabeth Knowelden: I recently worked opposite Alfred Molina in The Starling Project, which is a wonderful Jeffery Deaver
script - a political thriller. Rather than an audio book - it's an audio movie,
(where there are terrific sound effects and it's, effectively, a "movie in
your ears"). We had a large cast and it's a fantastic piece of audio drama
produced by Audiocomics.
I also just co-narrated the drama One Step Too Far, the #1 International Bestseller by Tina
Seskis. This is a fictional tale of a woman at a deeply jarred moment in her
life - I don't want to give the game away, as the plot evolves as we listen -
but it deals with the troubles that can unfold being a mother and issues of
love and guilt. I had a wonderful experience recording it. It is often written
in the first person, so the audience is able to hear the characters most
private thoughts, as if it were a series of secret journal entries. It was
incredible to have the opportunity to play such a role, solely with the voice,
and deliver the performance of this character and express the extreme highs and
lows of her life. It's a wonderful book and it was a joy to perform as an
actor.
The Midnight Garden: Are you working on other projects you can talk
about?
Elizabeth Knowelden: I'm on stage at the moment in "The
English Bride" at the Road Theatre in LA, which is a glorious
piece of writing by Lucile Lichtblau - looking at the complexities of love
within a possible act of terrorism...you know, just a typical Thursday night.
On screen, I play Lindsay Hawthorne in the movie Hot Bot,
directed by Michael Polish, will also be out later this year.
The Midnight Garden: Oh, I'm in Los Angeles! I might have to check
that out. Rosamund Hodge seems to have found her niche in fairy tale-inspired
young adult stories. What fairy tales would you be interested in seeing her
take on next?
Elizabeth Knowelden: All of them! Rosamund uses a basis of
these classic tales that we all love and connect with, but she also develops
the stories into the wonderful imagination of her own new worlds, which are
rich, fresh and exciting. Her stories are brilliant and a joy to narrate so I
can't wait to see what she has in store for us next.
The Midnight Garden: Thanks so much for joining us on the Crimson
Bound blog tour, Elizabeth! And many thanks to Two Chicks on Books for
hosting us as well.
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Elizabeth Knowelden is a critically acclaimed English actress. Hailing from the
theatre, she continues to garner respect in all areas of her career, epitomised
by recognition from BAFTA. She has worked at the Old Vic Theatre and in
London's West End in many notable productions, as well as in national tours and
in Los Angeles. As a voice over actress she works across the board, while as a
singer she has performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London, as well as in
various musicals.
Photograph courtesy of IMDB, by Dana Patrick.
Rosamund
Hodge loves mythology, Hello Kitty, and T. S. Eliot. She writes YA fantasy that
draws on two of those things. In her wild youth, she studied Medieval English
at Oxford; she now lives in Seattle and writes wildly. Visit her on the web athttp://www.rosamundhodge.net or
follow her on Twitter: @rosamundhodge.
Thanks to Harper Teen, we're giving away two prizes! The first
prize is a bundle of Rosamund Hodge books, including hardback copies of CRIMSON
BOUND and CRUEL BEAUTY, and the second prize is a giveaway for the fantastic
audiobook narrated by Elizabeth Knowelden. Let us know in the comments which of
the two you'd prefer, or if you're open to either one.
Open to U.S. and Canadian
residents, see entry form for complete details.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Monday, 4/20 The Midnight Garden
Fairy Tale Inspiration: Little Red Riding Hood & The Girl with No Hands
Make sure you check out all the tour stops! The tour
is designed so that readers may earn extra giveaway points by visiting each
stop.
