The Unlikely Voice of Covid19
Updated: Jul 4, 2021
Nothing shakes you up more than a global pandemic, hey folks?! The world as we know it stopped so suddenly, we were all left reeling and clinging desperately to anyone who seemed to be in charge. And, to my great surprise, that someone sounded like me!
I had the huge & awesome privilege of being cast as the voice of Covid 19 for the QLD Government, thanks to Publicis. Never before has it been more important for people to listen to me, and I felt the pressure.
I channelled my inner Jacinda Adern and aimed for calm, positive reassurance and clear instructions.
Before I could go to work, I had to get dressed. The first outfit I tried was practically a ballgown and I realised that a strict dress codes of elastic-waisted pants makes it difficult to remember how to do a smart casual. And jeans are so judgmental – they point out every crisis biscuit you consumed!
Finally in clothing (even shoes!), I slunk out of my safety bubble to go into a studio and tell people not to leave theirs. Martine and Dave at The Voice Plant were furiously scrubbing, spraying and sanitising every surface to kill off any rogue microbes.
I love being a in a recording booth, it’s a safe little room where you are by yourself – a bit like a burrow. But this campaign had me on a zoom call with several producers, all calling from their various loungerooms, bedrooms and makeshift home offices streaming straight into the booth and it took a lot of concentration to block them out and just focus on communicating the words.
Voice over work is generally anonymous. But not this time! My name was on the ads and people paid attention. I was momentarily, ever so slightly famous!
The Covid campaign has been a most welcome financial injection with fairly regular works from March until June. The trips out of isolation to visit the booth was great sating some of my human connection needs and the regular gigs was wonderful for my self-esteem.
The virus is horrific, so awful and terrifying, but for me, there has been a little bit of a silver lining.