Sue Terry Voices: Voiceovers’ Feminine Force

The inner workings of a voiceover agency is something of a mystery to me; so when I go to visit Sue Terry Voices (STV) for the first time, I have no real idea of what to expect. The office is gorgeous. Floods of light pour in from big windows and computer screen parameters are bordered with colourful sticky-note reminders. Walking through I see walls are dotted with pictures of recognisable faces – all treasured members of the Sue Terry roster. 

“It wasn’t always like this,” Sue tells me after I compliment the space. She thinks back to the '90s when she was first setting up shop, telling me about an old man in a hat who would sit outside of a cafe in Soho with sheets of A4 paper. “Those were year-long leases for office spaces. And they were cheap as chips,” she says. While a step-up from the near windowless, dingy desk space she’d been in before, it still wasn’t exactly luxury. But it was a place for Sue to call her own, and eventually she’d take over the entire floor. What began as Sue and a telephone has grown into a company buzzing with some of the best agents in the business, and stellar talent – what we know today as voiceover agency, Sue Terry Voices. 

"When I first started, everything was done by phone. Everyone in the advertising industry was so friendly and encouraging. Producers in particular are great at making things happen calmly, with good humour – and we all pull together to make sure artists arrive on time at the right place," Sue explains. "There are people I still talk to who were around all those years ago and I have never forgotten how kind they were."

The Reason

It doesn’t take long speaking to Sue before you uncover STV’s raison d’etre. “The reason I do it is this,” she says. “We love performers. Doing voiceover means actors can afford to choose which acting jobs they want to do, and they can afford to go on stage. Comedians and broadcasters can supplement their income and make choices in their career." Sue's adoration for all things theatre, comedy fiction and indie film has been a lifelong affair. She remembers the awe she felt seeing Jane Asher star as Juilet in Romeo and Juliet when she was a teenager living in Bristol. “She was an absolute star.”

This respect for artists – the way they can speak to us about the human condition, and gratitude for the art itself would become Sue’s driving force. It’s what makes her a mother tiger of sorts – fiercely protective of her artists, championing them as individuals with full, multifaceted lives and talents. 

Vicky Hopewell is the company director and runs the operation with Sue. Her understanding of the inner-workings of the industry comes from buckets of up-close experience. Vicky has a nose for comedy, having spent many years seeking out the up-and-coming comedians of the day, before they would become household names. For many years, Vicky was on the ground, attending shows five nights per week, creating relationships with industry figures and performers, while also running a comedy night herself. Her intel is invaluable at STV, "A lot of comedians segue into acting, or have been trained as actors; they bring that ideal 'dry' delivery to ads and narration," Sue tells us.

“A great many people come to London for the shows, the art. It’s good for the country; and it’s the soul of the nation,” Sue tells me. She views the arts as the sheer essence of this place – a thing that unites even the unlikeliest of beings in even more unlikely ways. Artistry will have people from all creeds, backgrounds and clans, sitting shoulder to shoulder in an attempt to bear witness to someone putting their soul on show. 

It was when working in the voiceover department in an acting agency that she realised the best way artists could be serviced would be through being independent. And proudly, all these years later, “No-one owns us,” says Sue, speaking about the business. “We get to make the decisions that are in the best interest of the talent and this team.” 

An Accidental Matriarchy

Trying to get Sue to talk about herself isn’t the easiest of feats. I came away feeling like I’d mostly talked about myself. Sue wanted to know all about me – my favourite book, what I’m reading at the moment; we spoke about love lives and times past. Suddenly I looked at the clock to discover we’d been nattering away for hours. And as I sat there on a little red sofa, totally at ease with a no-longer stranger, I realised this is why the agency has reached its level of success. 

Sue just loves people. She delights in learning about them, and takes a true, deep and genuine interest in each story – seeming to view people as whole books she has yet to read. I think that’s why so many artists cherish working with her and the rest of the team here. 

When you ask Sue what it is about all these years she’s most proud of, she’s keen to let you know that the business would be nothing without its wonderful agents. “We have the same driving force and we focus on that together, which means we have a great team,” Sue tells me. “We stick together, and we support each other.” 

The work environment itself is unlike anything I can compare it to. Maybe that’s because it’s the first all-women business that I’ve had the joy of getting to know. To be clear: they haven’t intentionally set it up this way. But this accidental matriarchy is exactly how you might imagine a business run by women to be. It feels safe and caring – and by God, do they get shit done. “It’s just fantastic being all women,” Sue beams.

At the time I visited, a couple of agents were out on maternity leave or about to go. But this wasn’t viewed as burdensome in any way, rather, it was something for everyone to be excited about and proud of. A few days before they had all the women and children from maternity leave come into the office for a little lunch party. Sue describes the scenes of children galore, babies being fed – helping hands flying all over. It’s difficult to imagine this kind of sequence unfolding in any other office place. 

It’s this resolute thread of care that stitches the whole thing together. This trickle-down effect of knowing why you're here, why you’re doing it, who with and who for, breeds an environment that’s nothing short of brilliant. There’s also a thriving social scene – every week the agents will be out attending the theatre, comedy shows, gigs and premieres, all in support of their impeccable talent. 

The Work 

From audiobooks, podcasts, to documentary narration, animation and video games, there are few mediums that the agency doesn’t touch. Comedy is one particular forte for many of the STV artists. Their knack for timing and delivery can turn an ordinary script into a laugh-out -loud moment, making them invaluable for advertising. 

The agency is equally adept at delivering powerful performances for more serious genres. In the domain of audiobooks, STV’s narrators have a way of drawing listeners into the story; it’s about bringing the text to life. This applies also to video games where actors will craft an immersive world with their performances, adding depth and authenticity to otherwise virtual characters. Documentaries and radio also benefit from the expertise that STV's artists bring.

“We are really pleased that this industry is sending over more briefs asking for female voices and are more inclusive in terms of background, ethnicity and disability,” Sue explains. "For instance we have just received a brief as follows:

'For this brief, diversity is key: I am looking for 12 voices that cover a breadth of different accents both regionally (within the UK) and also internationally. We want a mix of genders, ages and ethnicities.'

And we were proud to play a part in casting some of those voices."

‘Just Us’ is Oxfam’s first major hero brand campaign in over a decade, with a mission to invite UK citizens to unite and take action in creating a fairer world. Speaking to House of Oddities CEO, Sachini Imbuldeniya, she tells us, “It couldn’t have aired at a more poignant time, with the significant rise in hate crimes over the past month.”

“The TVC centred around a spoken word poem about the power of diversity, inclusion and unity, and as its director I wanted to reflect that wherever possible – from the cast to the crew and everything in between. The voices that read out each line of the poem were key to ensuring that this message felt relatable to people all across the nation. We needed a mixture of genders, ethnicities, accents (both regional and international) and ages – Sue Terry went above and beyond to fulfil this request, exceeding our expectations,” Sach says.

Sue Terry Voices also meticulously record and direct voice reels for artists in house. It’s a process that isn’t only about showcasing the artist’s abilities, but a collaborative effort to explore and expand their range. It's about finding that perfect pitch, or that distinctive tone that sets an artist apart. Personalised approaches like this ensure each voice actor is matched with roles that highlight their strengths, allowing them to shine in every project they undertake. “If you are committed to a job, you should be properly treated,” says Sue, simply.

But Aren’t You Worried?

When I asked about their thoughts on AI; whether or not they were worried about it, Sue said, “Yes, this is a clear threat but there are copyright laws in place to protect our artists from having their voices copied without permission.  I also insert a paragraph into contracts so production companies can assure us that they will not use the material (ie sound of our voices) to reproduce via AI.  We are a founding member of AVA (The Association of Voice Agents) who have engaged lawyers to advise us and help us deal with this problem."