I wanted to record Shakespeare like I'd record a rock or hip hop band. So rather than having a central omnidirectional stereo mic that the actors would stand around and dip into when they had a line, I set them up with a mic each whose technical qualities would emphasise specific aspects of the actor's performance. Rather than feeling like a radio studio therefore the recording felt like a performance space, with each actor having their own space, their own mic and their own sound to play with. Of course the advantage of recording all the actors on separate mics is that I had great control over their individual sound when it came to mixing the tracks....so I put Ariel's voice through layers of Flanger and Phaser effects - the sort of sound you'd hear on the guitars of The Cure or The Killers - to produce a spooky, other-worldly voice.

 

It was a pleasure to work with such great actors - most of them have performed in BBC Drama productions on the radio, as well as in Film and Theatre with companies like the RSC. All along Ian and I had wanted these scenes to be as clear as possible...with the right casting and the right performance much of the work was done for me... often when mixing I would be tweaking voices only slightly.... and compressing their voices only minimally as the actors were of such quality that they as it were, naturally self-compressed their own dynamic range. Something that your average West London singer in a punk does not do!

 

Ian and I had wanted to do the Shakepod project for a year. Eventually at the start of this year it came about that the right actors were available and that my studio - and me - were free to do the job. We recorded over three Saturdays, persuading our busy actors to come out to Chiswick in West London to Ithalamusic, my studio. Amongst the builder's debris and the dust of this rock n roll studio dungeon complex, we created a rehearsal space (based around a kettle and a couple of very necessary heaters), a Green Room for the actors to relax in, and we cleared out my studio to create the space and dynamic for up to eight actors to deliver a killer performance in a studio environment. Upstairs, The Chiswick Snooker Club's bar and fine green baize tables were at our disposal for rest breaks, as was the garage by the Chiswick Roundabout for vital supplies of Hobnobs and Tortilla Chips.

 

Once the recording was finished it took about 5 days to mix in Bristol during mornings when I wasn't needed on the BBC Upstaged programme which I was editing...I added sound effects, music and even popped up as an extra myself in one of the scenes. This has been one of the most enjoyable audio projects I've ever worked on. And most of it is down to Shakespeare. Working so closely with these texts - and great performances of them - has rekindled my love for him, and fills me with awe at the depth of his poetic imagination. I studied Shakepeare at Durham University with Ian, I even put on my adaption of the Henry plays, and acted in Shakespeare productions; but since I left the world of the theatre for the world of music and audio I'd almost forgotten how fantastic it is. Every monring in Bristol I'd get up at 9, and work on the scenes until 1. It was a great start to the day. Much healthier than jogging.

 

Grant Gordon

Sound Designer and Recorder, Shakepod.com