Picture: a 10-year-old Aussie schoolgirl, decked out in a big old floral dress with a couple of pillows tucked underneath, possibly a floppy hat atop, and her trusty black school shoes. The stage? The greyish blue carpet of a Kindy classroom. The audience? It might as well have been the Academy Awards; it was that kind of fabulous.
Amid the soft murmurs and encouraging smiles (or were they smirks from cringing classmates…), little Sumara performed a whimsical ditty called The Skipping-Rope Hornpipe. And… munched on a Mars Bar while hopping and skipping with the rope. (What even…?) It was a scene straight out of a heartwarming tale, one of those ugly-duckling-to-beautiful-swan coming of age movies…
From school stages to the studio mics…
That little escapade of overindulgence and skipping ropes was the beginning of a teeny little obsession with drama, acting, and eventually, the world of voiceover. Over the 30-ish fabulous years since that humble debut, the stage expanded, the audience grew, but the essence remained untouched… a daggy, fun-loving weirdo who just adores performing.
I studied with Roy Maxwell and Constance Vayne as a very lucky teen, drove several high school drama teachers crazy, and then completed a drama degree before I even turned 21, with amazing teachers like Mariette Rups-Donnelly and Deborah Wells. I played investigators and lovers, secretaries and sluts, even a rhinoceros once. (As you do.) A stage management phase saw me working on productions in very cool Sydney theatres and learning first-hand just how ridiculous musical theatre performers are. (I love you guys!)
The glorious feeling of breathing life into a script, the challenge and joy of connecting with an audience through my voice, and the endless possibilities of character creation, have been my companions through stages, theatres, classrooms, and studios.
Holy holy holy…I am gobsmacked and like a child!! You read that so brilliantly. I could feel your wish for it…like me…like so many of us. Goosebumps…total goosebumps. It’s like you are in my soul.
~ Asta Lander, Scottish Australian Artist, Poet & Animal friend.
A life of storytelling and human connection
Now, from my professional home studio, in my big house in a tiny town, I send my voice all over the place via commercials, corporate videos, audiobooks, social media campaigns, eLearning courses, telephone messaging, and all kinds of characters in animations and video games.
Based in Central West NSW, I can travel easily anywhere from Sydney to Canberra (and anywhere else, if you want to fly me!) for extra, TVC and acting roles, presenting, or in-studio VO recordings.
Whether you seek the excitement of The Skipping-Rope Hornpipe, or the authority of a seasoned narrator, the fun of a quirky character, or the warmth of a comforting voice, I’m here to help.
You are amazing – you sound like sixteen different people!
~ Emma Burns, Author.
Let’s create human magic…
The chocolate bars might not make a comeback during today’s sessions, but the fun, creativity, and a dash of fabulousness are ever-present. Let’s tell your story.
Female Australian voiceover for advertising, commercials, medical narration, online video, eLearning, explainers, corporate events, audiobooks, phone IVR and voicemail. Aussie voice actress for characters and accent work for video games, visual novels, animation & audio drama.