JennaVAtion
The oFFICIAL WEBsite of British actress and voice over Jenna Sharpe
Old Ways Audio Book
Old Ways Audio Book reviews
http://pseudopod.org/2009/04/24/pseudopod-139-old-ways/
"Your reading was AMAZING. You totally elevated the story, you nailed the pauses and the accents... really impressive. Once I heard the first few sentences I knew I was in good hands."
(Dan Dworkin, author of Old Ways)
Old Ways (Podcast Subscribers):
"Easily 10/10. Wonderfully imaginative and compelling writing
equally matched by the masterful reading."
"This was one of the more realistic stories I've heard from this podcast."
"Great episode, and a fantastic reading by Ms. Sharpe.
Wow, Pseudopod, once again, you have raised the bar."
"This ep was one of the best in a long time. The twist at the end reminded me of an old EC horror comic, maybe a Bradbury adaptation."
Moving Pictures: Discworld Monthly Review
Discworld Monthly Review |
Kennet Amateur Theatrical Society (KATS) recently performed the World premier of Moving Pictures at the Kennet School in Thatcham from 31st July to the 2nd August. I went on the closing night. I have been to two previous Discworld adaptations at KATS before (Carpe Jugulum and The Truth) and have really enjoyed the performances so was once again expecting a good performance - I wasn't disappointed. The adaptation was made by KATS members John Hicks and Kevin Miller. If John Hicks's name sounds familiar it is because he was immortalised as Dr John Hicks, professor of post mortem communications in Making Money after winning a charity auction at the last Clarecraft event back in 2005. I'll admit that it has been over a decade since I last read Moving Pictures so I only had a vague recollection of the story which meant I needed the adaptation to tell the story to me afresh. The adaptation worked well on the whole but I felt that the UU bits with Ridcully and the Bursar whilst being very funny were unnecessary and never fully concluded. This is a minor aside and otherwise the story flowed well. I had no problem following the story. Victor was played brilliantly by David Richardson who previously made a very believable Vimes in the Truth and co-star Jenna Sharpe made an excellent Ginger. In fact the only bit of miscasting for me was Kevin Miller as CMOT Dibbler. I just didn't feel he was someone who could sell me a sausage in a bun. I loved how the footnotes were handled - with an Elvis impersonator doing the exaggerated film synopses suggested by CMOT Dibbler. After the excellent seating arrangements for the production of The Truth I was disappointed to see that the old raised seating had been used again. I found the seating rather uncomfortable and was glad to have a walk around during the intermission. It was also incredibly hot in the auditorium - I am sure there was nothing that KATS could do about the weather but it did make things rather uncomfortable. That aside the performance was very entertaining and KATS have once again put on an excellent show. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend that you visit KATS when they perform their next Discworld adaptation - whatever that might be. Jason Anthony, August 2008 |
Moving Pictures: Newbury Weekly News Review
'Enough to impress a non-fan’ |
KATS ‘Moving Pictures’ at Kennet School, Thatcham, from Thursday July31st to Saturday August 2nd. ‘Let me confess up front: I’m not a fan of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld fantasy land. To describe it as Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy meets Monty Python and The Goodies may be unfair; but it gives you a starting point. Moving Pictures is a stage adaptation of Terry Pratchett’s book of the same name by KATS director John Hicks and co-director Kevin Miller. When the alchemists realise there isn’t money to be made turning lead into gold, they move to Holy Wood and embark on the invention of movies (or clicks as they call them). The play covers the era of the silent clicks, with the cameras powered by six demons (two to paint the pictures and four to blow them dry) and contains lots of neat allusions to films, especially Gone with the Wind and King Kong. The producer Mr Silverfish gets bulldozed by hot-dog vendor Dibbler, who sweet talks his way into becoming the cigar-toting director, with Ginger and Victor (plus Victor’s dog Gaspode) as his lead actors. Ginger and Victor provide the (platonic) love interest. Dibbler never achieves his dream of a film with 1,000 elephants, before Holy Wood collapses. The most notable thing about this large-cast production (I counted 31 at the curtain call) was the high standard of acting throughout. The main characters Dibbler (Kevin Miller), Ginger (Jenna Sharpe), Victor (David Richardson) and Gaspode (Ruth Gostelow) were all excellent. Among the many other high-class performances were Siouxsie Ashmore as Silverfish, Kieron Turner as the Arthur Mullard-like troll Detritus, Claire Bowden as Soll, and Keith Phillips and (Jon Lovell) as the two wizards (although I never did work out what the Ming vase with the spitting elephants was all about). The costumes, props and make up were splendid, and very effective. The action had a large number of different scenes, which fitted in well with the large stage, but the scene transitions inevitably slowed things down. It would work better as a television production or film and , at nearly three hours, Moving Pictures is an epic in its own right. I’m still not a fan, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying this quality show. Paul Shave, NWN 7th August 2008 |
Brainy Gamer Review
http://www.brainygamer.com/the_brainy_gamer/2008/01/aquaria---all-a.html
"Use actors who understand the vibe you're going for. In the movies, Cate Blanchett does this better than anyone. She can be soft, imperious, seductive, mysterious--whatever the role requires--and she accomplishes much of this through her voice. In Aquaria, Naija is voiced by an actress named Jenna Sharpe whose characterization is entrancing. Maybe I'm a softy for a breathy English accent, but Ms. Sharpe's evocative rendition fits the world of the game perfectly."
Naija voiceacting reviews
What the fans are saying on You Tube and the Aquaria Forums
"Jenna's performance in Aquaria is the best I've ever heard in a video game, indie or commercial. It's the honest truth. Alec and I are extremely lucky to be able to work with her!" (Derek Yu, one half of the Aquaria development team)
"Jenna Sharpe is an amazing voice actor for the role. Fell in love with the voice instantly."
"I really love the British accent. It gives Naija that air of wisdom & experience, despite her youth. It also make sense to the fantasy milieu of Aquaria, as her accent makes her at once familiar & something we can relate with, yet reminds us that Naija is otherwise an otherworldly being."
"The performance in the trailer is among the best I've heard. It feels natural and not forced and corky as in most cases."
"Her voice is so damn crystal clear. It is incredible consoling and soothing"
"Her voice is so pretty though! I think it's pretty damn amazing"
"one thing that grabbed my attention was Jenna's voice acting. Rather then seeing myself looking almost boredly at the screen seeing a demonstartion of a game that was I thought came from companies like Shockwave, my eyes widened a little, and something told me that the game was going to be more than my first impression."
"the magical voice acting of Jenna finally convinced me to visit your site"
"the song Jenna sang is truly heart-wrenching. I managed okay in the game, but when I listened to it at work the other day it was all I could do not to cry like a damned baby."
"I too felt an immediate emotional connection with Jenna's voice. That awesome personality (and accent) that totally gave Naija that personality that drew me in so quickly. If Aquaria had been a completely text-based game I don't think I would have taken enough away from the demo to actually purchase the game. Her importance cannot be emphasized enough."
Aquaria is game tunnel's game of the year!
http://www.gametunnel.com/articles.php?id=661
"Aquaria is a masterful stroke of vision in its appearance, sound and play. It's a game that no one should miss. After walking away with our awards for best graphics and best sound as well as the 2007 Adventure game of the year award, we're happy to add one final jewel to Aquaria's crown, the 2007 Independent Game of the Year."
The crown jewel of indie
Gamer Girl gives Aquaria 9/10!
http://www.gamer-girl.org/reviews/aquaria.html
"The attention to detail further adds to the undersea world created. Little fishes and jellyfish swim around Najia, attracted to her haunting voice."
Best Old-School Games of 2007
Racket Boy lists Aquaria as a hidden gem of 2007!
http://www.racketboy.com/retro/2007/12/best-retro-games-of-2007.html
"Aquaria is unique in its own right and is innovative in its storytelling and gameplay. I especially enjoyed the exquisite voice narration that still allows you to play as the story unfolds (no more scrolling through text boxes)"
Gamer.co.il 14th best game of 2007
Gamer.co.il (Israel's largest gaming site) ranked Aqauria as the 14th best game of 2007 (above Assassin's Creed, Guitar Hero 3, World in Conflict, Halo 3).
http://www.gamer.co.il/gamer2/php/doc.php?id=110085&page=2
My Israeli is a little rusty!
Aquaria on Jay Games
http://jayisgames.com/archives/2007/12/aquaria_bit_blot.php
"Just about every inch of the in-game world is screenshot worthy, making this quite possibly the best-looking independent game ever released."
"When it comes down to it, there really are no major faults in Aquaria."
Eurogamer Review
http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=89548
"enough character and atmosphere bubbling through it to fill many a dreamy evening."
Overwritten Review
http://www.theflyingmonkeyapparatus.com/aquariareview.html
"Jenna Sharpe, a previously amateur British voice actress, plays the role of Naija with great conviction, and her performance rivals and even exceeds many you’ve heard in higher-budget titles. It could be raw talent that affords her the quiet, subtle delivery she excels at, or it could be that her lovely voice simply fits the character as well as it does, but the net result is fantastic no matter the steps taken to get there. It isn’t just in her reading of the lines, either, for it manifests itself in small ways that help players feel empathy for the plight of their avatar. Hearing Naija narrate her experience can indeed be moving, but it’s virtually impossible to avoid a connection with her when she gasps slightly or utters a quiet “wow” of awe after running into a particularly magnificent creature. There’s even a surprisingly powerful theme sung by the same actress within the game, a tune just dark enough to be taken seriously. A couple of other actors round out the cast, and they too succeed in delivering their lines in a consistent, believable (and heavily effected) manner, and it all adds up to a convincing vocal experience that runs from start to finish without ever needing to ask the game to make up for its very few mistakes."
