Talking Sense Audio Description Services is a company created in 2013 led by co-founders Nadine Beasley and Kate Taylor-Davies. Its aim is to bring visual narration to the arts predominantly through Audio Description and Voice-over.
Its repertoire extends from musicals and farce to improvisational comedy and classics and previous work has included "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical", “The Color Purple” (2022 tour)" One Man Two Guvnors" (National Tour), “A Chorus Line” at Curve Theatre, Leicester, which was featured in The Guardian in January 2022 (link overleaf), and, most recently, “Dear Santa” . They are resident describers for Curve Leicester and Theatre Royal, Haymarket.
Nadine Beasley is both an active performer, voice-artist and director, whose recent work includes "Travels with My Aunt" " Entertaining Angels", “Children of the Wolf” and “ My Mother said I Never Should” at the Little Theatre, Leicester , “ Library of all our Stories” and “Paddington’s Suitcase” for the British Library and Audio Description touch tours talks for Visually Impaired Patrons at Curve . She regularly holds workshops in drama and theatre practice and projects have included Amazon TV, streamed Dance,and installations for Carbon Theatre.
Kate Taylor-Davies is an actor, voiceover artist and singer whose recent work comprises of “A Very British Scandal” BBC, “Boxing Day” WB UK & Ireland, and “The Amazing World of Gumballs”, Cartoon Network . Projects have included work for Amazon TV, Disney, Lionsgate and Fox Searchlight and her voice is featured on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ and Spotify, as a singer. As a voiceover artist, she is represented by Damn Good Voices.
As part of "Talking Sense", they are passionate about Audio Description having been avidly involved in the process since 2010. Having been involved in theatre and arts for over 20 years, they are keen to be part of a process that enables all members of society to share the same experiences.
Digital Audio Description Example - Kate Taylor-Davies, 2021
Image: The Guardian
“One of the hardest things about watching theatre growing up was not being able to tell which character was speaking. When you can’t see people’s lips move, voices hang unaccounted for, detached from physical form. When the pace allows, Beasley says the name of a character before they speak or sing. And this, perhaps more than anything, makes a huge difference for me.
For the first time, I’m able to follow a play. And it’s a revelation. I can enjoy theatre! I feel included. I am part of this shared experience. As I leave the auditorium and hand back my headset, I have joyously entered a new world, one I once felt I didn’t belong in but am now excited to explore.”
Caroline Butterwick, The Guardian
Wednesday, 5th January, 2022