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Gone Gold with Simon Hill
Welcome to Gone Gold with Simon Hill, a show that features fun, insightful interviews with some of the biggest names in video games. From developers, to actors - this show delves in to what makes your favourite video games tick.
Gone Gold with Simon Hill
Charlotte McBurney
BAFTA Nominee, Charlotte McBurney captured the hearts and minds of the video games industry after her award winning performances as Amicia, from A Plague Tale: Innocence and Requiem. She shares moments and memories from bringing Amicia to life at the age of 16, capturing those intense and emotional scenes, recording dialogue for other characters, her love for fellow actor Anna Demetriou and so much more.
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Hello and welcome to Gone Gold with me, Simon Hill, esports host, industry presenter and TV personality. Yes, welcome back to another episode of Gone Gold. Episode 5, would you believe it already? Thank you to everyone who has supported the show so far. It has been a fantastic journey for the first month. And this week alone, I will be recording a further two interviews, both which are very, very special. One with a world-renowned voice actor and the other with a studio who has produced one of the highest-rated games of all time on Metacritic and produced... One of the best sequels in modern gaming history. More information on those episodes soon. Make sure you're following Gone Gold Show across all of social media where I upload video clips from these interviews, news on guests, show updates and fun insights from our guests as well. That's Gone Gold Show across X, Instagram and TikTok. A huge thank you to everyone who tuned in to last week's episode with Two Point Studios. It was heard in over 20 countries and has now become the most downloaded episode so far. And it was just a really fun, insightful interview, wasn't it? To be able to chat to multiple people from the studio, the developers, Jane Webley, the voiceover artist, alongside none other than the two studio heads, Gary Carr and Mark Webley, who are both incredibly decorated and they were happy to go back to that nostalgic era of creating the likes of Theme Park and Theme Hospital to then taking the journey to where they are today, producing arguably their best work in Two Point Museum. So if you haven't checked that episode out just yet, listen to this one because it's incredible and then go back and check out the episode with Two Point Studios. What's this episode all about, Simon? Well, let me tell you. I'm joined by BAFTA-nominated actor Charlotte McBurney, who brought to life Amicia in a play called Innocence and a play Plague Tale Requiem. She delivered an emotional award-winning performance in the first game and a BAFTA and Game Award-nominated performance in the second. From stepping into the shoes of Amicia at the age of 16 to stories behind the script, emotional storytelling, recording lines for other actors and her love for a close friend and fellow actor, Anna Dimitriou. This is an episode packed full of funny stories, nostalgia Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Gone Gold with Charlotte McFernan. A very special moment now that brings a full circle moment here to Gone Gold. The first time I met my next guest, she was 16 years of age and just wrapped up her award-winning performance as Amicia in A Plague Tale, Innocence. Fast forward to 2025 and she has since become a BAFTA-nominated actor and after the breakthrough performance in A Plague Tale, Requiem, her career has gone from strength to strength. Ladies and gentlemen, Charlotte McBurney Welcome to the show.
Charlotte McBurney:Thank you. I'm very excited to be here. This is such a lovely full circle moment. Look at us go, reuniting.
Simon Hill:After six years, and we're going to get into that in a short while. Before we do delve into the rat-infested world of A Plague Tale and the emotional groundbreaking performance you gave us as Amicia, let's go right back. How has Charlotte McBurney been in the last six, seven years since your career skyrocketed?
Charlotte McBurney:Oh my God. You know, it's been a weird time because I think I was obviously, I made Plague Tale Innocence while I was still at school I knew that I didn't want to go to university because I knew that I just wanted to do acting. And I knew at a certain point, I knew that Plague Tale Requiem was going to go ahead. And I knew that that was going to be a big project to do once I'd finished school. But then I didn't even finish school because I was the year of 2020. So the pandemic hit. I was booted out of school, got given my grades, which... was weird. And actually, all of those years of sucking up to teachers set me up very well. And then, yeah, the industry has, I mean, I know people always say this, but it's been weird since then. So, I kind of have done a bunch of other jobs, done a lot of things working with children, which was actually a good background research for Plague Tale Requiem, as I like to think of it. And then, yeah, and then last year I founded a theatre company with my sister and a wonderful director and we're now producing theatre stuff. So it's kind of gone all over the place.
Simon Hill:Yeah, we're going to delve into all of that throughout this interview. Where did your love for the art of acting begin? What was it that prompted you to go, that's what I want to do for the rest of my life?
Charlotte McBurney:It's funny. I think I was always a performer. Like, I grew up... around my dad works in classical music so I grew up around kind of the arts my uncle is an actor and director and he co-founded a theatre company that I also grew up around the rehearsal rooms so it was always very present in my life I've always been impressed by people who find the arts themselves you know their whole family have done kind of you know been in law and they're like I'm going to be an actor I'm like that's very impressive I feel like I was just like, of course, this is what people do. This is a normal job. But I used to want to kind of, I think I just love being on stage. When I was a little kid, I did, I was like an extra in operas and I used to stand on stage with the opera singers and be like a child in the chorus. And that was amazing. But I think I only realized it was acting that I wanted to do when I was like 14 and I joined an afterschool drama class. And I remember like, coming out to my family as an actor, I was like, I want to be an actor. And they were all like, obviously, why, why are you telling us this? Like we all knew this. And I was like, Oh, okay. I thought it was revolutionary, but, um, I think I just, it's, yeah, it's always been something. The playfulness of it has always been something that's, that I've loved. Um, I think there's definitely something about keeping one foot in that kind of childhood imagination world. That's very special. Yeah.
Simon Hill:I went back and watched that video, which was the first time we met. For context for our listeners, at the time I was working for the company that distributed the Plague Tale game, the first one. We worked closely with the developers, and I went to a recording studio to interview Charlotte for a very special video produced by the company. I watched it back and couldn't believe how confident and inviting you were at such a young age.
Charlotte McBurney:God.
Simon Hill:And you just signed to this new agency. This was your first role. What do you remember about your initial introduction into the world of working in video games?
Charlotte McBurney:I mean, I think I remember being quite cynical about it, which is something that I... Because I just didn't play games, and so I didn't know anything about video games. And so when... I joined this children's agency and the first tape that came through was for a video game. I was like, this really wasn't what I had imagined when I said I wanted to be, you know, I was imagining being on the stage. I wasn't thinking about it. I didn't even realize, you know, people had to sort of audition for these. I didn't know what it involved. And I think because I was so ignorant about that world I think that's kind of one of the lovely things about now being very passionate about video games getting to speak to people who are like oh video games because people say that you know when you say I've mostly worked in video games they go oh I'm sorry you're like no it's a good thing it's a really good thing and so it's something quite nice because I think I was that person um and then I think the the biggest thing for me was how lovely everyone was which I'm sure To be quite honest, I'm sure that isn't everyone's experience, but I think I was very fortunate that because I was a child, they taught me everything on the job. The director and the developers, they were so patient with me. They were so kind. They really made me feel valued and seen and heard. And then when I did this interview with you, I remember you sort of talked me through how, how you do that with kind of repeating the question back a little bit, the start of your answer so that they can just cut it together without having your voice in there. I remember you explaining it to me and I always use that. And I've had several interviews be like, very, uh, you're very good at your interview technique. I'm like, thank you. Simon Hill taught me. Thank you. Take a little bit of commission there, I think. But, um, I think, of course, sometimes when children enter this... I mean, I'm sort of right on the cusp of late teens, but I think sometimes when children enter this world, it can be a very damaging experience and it can be a very troubling one. And I think I was just really lucky that I entered this community of really sweet people who wanted to have my back. Yeah. So, yeah, I think it was quite lucky.
Simon Hill:Wow, what a story. And it was a harsh introduction. Spoiler alert for anyone that hasn't played the first game. One of the first scenes you had to record was the death of Leon. How difficult was it to record those intense emotional scenes at such a young age?
Charlotte McBurney:I think, oddly... not that difficult. I think I was a very emotional teenager, as kind of most teenagers are, I think. And I don't think I had an outlet for that, because we're told so much. I think particularly teenagers, and I see this in my younger family members and things like that, that they feel these huge emotions about their lives and they don't really know how to filter that how to process that where to put it and in a way having a space where someone puts you in front of a microphone and goes scream you're like yeah you know what that's already here i feel that way about my french vocab test so i will just like i'll let it out as if it's about a dog i'll let it you know and i think there's i think there's something i think we've all got that in us and i i always kind of say to people that like voice acting is so cathartic in that way because we never get to emote really in the as an adult like we're never allowed to scream and cry properly we're always told to push that down and it's one of the great privileges of being an actor that people pay you to do that you're
Simon Hill:like great recording scenes like that obviously you know that was a key moment in the game right at the beginning of the game as well
Charlotte McBurney:Was
Simon Hill:there a lot of added pressure for you to deliver those kind of emotions?
Charlotte McBurney:I think I was so nervous when we first started. I was very nervous about getting things right. Just wanted to do the right thing constantly. Was very nervous whenever there would be a kind of conversation. I was like, I can do it better. Just that kind of anxiety and feeling like... I was a bit of an imposter, I think. And I was sort of, how have I ended up here? I'm so desperate not to lose this opportunity. I was so nervous that one of the things that I really remember is there's a glass of water normally by you when you're recording. And I would drink my water, but also gulping down air because I was nervous and it would make my stomach gurgle. all the time which would occasionally ruin takes because at the end of a line there'd be a little like at the end of the tail end of the line they'd be like oh we need to re-record that and I used to think that that was just like I was like oh I don't know why my stomach gurgles a lot and then when I came back in for Requiem I was like oh my god I was drinking weirdly because I was just really nervous because it was my first job so I think there was a lot of I felt pressure they always made sure that I felt relaxed in the session and you know some video games they have a line count and it's like in these two hours we need to hit this many lines it was never like that for me um they just wanted to get it right which was really lovely but I think it took me a while to find you know a little bit of time to figure out actually get in a good dialogue with the director and with the developers um And then by the time you've got into that, you're kind of like, oh, can we go back and re-record all those earlier scenes? Because I actually feel like I've got it now. But, you know, never enough time.
Simon Hill:And now... Being a theatre actor as well with such a great background, you've just mentioned you started your own production company. Incredible work you're doing. You're getting sellouts here, there and everywhere. Wherever you go, Charlotte, you just seem to glow and it's incredible to witness. Is there any similarities between acting for theatre and taking that into the voice world of video games?
Charlotte McBurney:Yeah, definitely. I think... I voice acting is an oddly physical thing I think you're I always would leave recording sessions like knackered and kind of think why why am I so tired I'm just speaking but you're putting so much and charging so much energy through your body um I think all of the background of theater acting I mean I do think that there is that is one of the amazing things about sort of British actors particularly, is that we have such a strong ground of theater stuff. Like any British actor you speak to, most likely they will have done a lot of theater training. And theater training kind of teaches you a lot of stuff about how you walk, how you talk, how you use your voice, how you use your breath, all of these things. And actually when you're voice acting, And you're trying to think about the realism of a situation where I'm just stood in a booth, but Amicia is running through a church or something. And you have to think about what can I add to my voice that if I were actually running through a church, that would be there. And what little naturalisms can I put into my voice that... will kind of help immerse everyone in the environment. And I think theatre training definitely helped that because, I mean, you always stood on a stage and you're trying to bring people into this funny little world that's only contained on the stage. But I think one of the big differences is that for theatre acting, it feels like the energy is sort of dissipated through your whole body and you're trying to have just as much energy in your voice as in your eyebrows as in the tips of your fingers and in voice acting you kind of concentrate everything to the voice which particularly because some of the physicality you know cut scenes they have more you've got some of their face you've got some more immersion but when you're the point of view like in Plague Tale is kind of the back of Amicia you have to just heighten the voice a little bit because you're not connecting with her face so you need to just The voice needs to be a little bit more saturated, so everything is a bit more intense.
Simon Hill:Incredible to hear you talk so professionally about it. It shows how much you've grown in this industry. At the time, you weren't old enough to play Playtell Innocence. Have you since had time to go back and appreciate the work that went into the character in all aspects?
Charlotte McBurney:Yeah, I actually had a very special experience playing Innocence. innocence in that so on Plague Tale Requiem one of the actors um is Anna Dimitriou who she plays the role of Sophia who's one of the big characters in Requiem and at the end of Requiem you don't get to record with anyone really so I had only briefly met obviously I knew Logan who plays Hugo but I'd only briefly met um I think just Harry McIntyre, who plays Arno. But I felt very connected with all of the other actors because I've been listening to their voices for like, whatever it was, a year, a year and a half. So I wrote them all little notes and gave little rap gifts. And Anna DM'd me on Instagram and was like, this is really sweet. Can we meet up? I'd really love to meet you. And I was like, yes. And she, alongside being a phenomenal actor, who incidentally is now, Sophia has her own game that's like just been announced, Resonance, which is sort of part of the Playtel world, which is really exciting. But Anna and I met up. She's also a Twitch streamer, very successful Twitch streamer. And so she said, do you want to come on my Twitch stream and play Requiem with me? And I was like, oh my God, yes, please. And then after we played Requiem, which was an amazing experience, her lovely community were like, can you guys play Innocence? And so we did. And that was really funny because that must have been, I don't know, five years after I'd recorded all of that. And very funny to go back and listen to that.
Simon Hill:Yeah, I can imagine. I can imagine. I have seen some of the videos of you in... Anna and incredible. You guys just make the perfect duo. It's absolutely hilarious. Oh my
Charlotte McBurney:God. I mean, I love her so much. I think that's one of the sweetest things is like our friendship has come. from Plague Tale. And Plague Tale is one of the biggest, you know, it's such a big part of my heart. I love that game so much. I love the community so much. And then the fact that I've got one of my best friends out of it as well.
Simon Hill:It's just really nice. Such a beautiful moment to come from that IP. And do you have a favourite moment from the game looking back now? Was there anything in particular that you're most proud of from your introductory into video games?
Charlotte McBurney:I think the moment that I was the most proud of was probably... there was there's one chapter which is the nightmare sequence I think I have a weird memory of it being like chapter 13 but I could have made that up um and it's Amicia has this she hits her head she has a nightmare and there's she really screams and sort of she's walking through these dead bodies that are all kind of trying to grab her and she's kind of angry at them she's shouting at them and then she sort of shrieks as she eventually gets kind of covered in rats and i think the thing is with innocence is the big thing that they actually kept picking me up on is that she has to be strong and because she's the player character and hugo is the one who's like what's happening and amicia has to go i'm gonna push everything down i'm gonna keep going and that's the one chapter in innocence where she really got to let loose and then that was the chapter that I think a lot of people responded to which is interesting because that chapter was added at a later point it was part of a section of expanding the narrative it wasn't part of the original script and so that was a bit that loads of people were like that chapter because the music also in that section is incredible and then that kind of thing of Amicia being really angry and really upset and people really responding to that I do think fed into the script for Requiem which is all exploring this PTSD and this trauma that Amicia has experienced which I was thrilled about because it's more Amicia letting loose which is just more fun to play. And
Simon Hill:you did win an award for your performance as Amicia on the first game. It was the NAV GTR for outstanding performance. How does it feel to get that recognition? And how did it feel, I guess, within your first role in video games? You're out here not just getting nominated, but you also won an award for the performance.
Charlotte McBurney:That was really special. I think sort of having something concrete like that award like the sort of recognition because video games are funny you know we didn't have a kind of premiere date where there's lots of people showing up and watching the game and you know like you would have in a movie you don't have the theatre experience of the audience being right there so you don't really unless you deep dive online which I personally think is a terrible idea you don't really have an idea of what the audience thinks and I think getting some of that sort of critical recognition is really lovely. Cause you're like, oh yeah, we did a thing and it's out there and people enjoyed it. I always think there's, it's particularly special from the community. I have had a few interactions with people in real life who've spoken to me about what the game has meant to them. And that's particularly special because you've got a real human being in front of you saying this game impacted me. so that is particularly I mean it's all very very lovely but I also think we have an internal I'm sure you're the same that you have an internal marker of you know when you've done a good job you have your own probably quite high bar that you set yourself very possibly you're your own harshest critic and so it is lovely obviously to receive the recognition but you're also kind of like yeah I am proud of that work. Or, yeah, I could do better. And I will. That's
Simon Hill:usually my go-to. I can do better. Yes. Let's get on to Requiem. When did you get the call about a sequel? And what do you remember being initially told about there being a follow-up game? and now you're going to reprise as Amicia.
Charlotte McBurney:That's really interesting. I didn't actually get a call. What happened was I was at the recording studios for Final Fantasy. I was in for a session to record some of Young Jill and one of the lovely production managers walked past me and went, Playtale 2 is happening. And I was like, oh my God. And I was sort of like, I'm just sat here and now everything is like fizzing and I don't, what is going on? And then she sort of walked back and went, obviously don't tell anyone. And I was like, uh-huh. But I think, I'm trying to think what I was first told. I don't think I was given, because it was all then postponed for a while. I don't think I was given very much information about the actual plot. I came in, for we recorded a trailer um which was really good fun but i was also like what is the story and no one obviously was telling me um and then it was our first recording session where i had a chat with one of the developers who said this is we've made this we've written this with your voice in mind and this is you know this is for you and this is I mean, this role is for you. And, you know, and I was like, okay, now we have to start work and I'm crying. I think, yeah, that was, but they didn't tell me a lot about the plot. And I think for a long time, again, spoiler alert for people who haven't played Requiem, for a long time, I was like, Amicia might die in this game. Like she might die. And you just don't know. You just don't get given the full scope of the plot. And you're kind of like, I really hope someone will let me know. But you don't get that.
Simon Hill:No. I remember having a similar conversation with Samantha Bayart. Oh, yeah. And she was playing Karlak. And it was a similar situation. They weren't really telling her what was going on. But here's a bunch of lines. And then you'll figure out what's going on. Because it's so out of place as well, the way you're recording.
Charlotte McBurney:Yeah.
Simon Hill:that you're trying to piece things together but can't because you're doing this line for this scene and this line for this scene and it's all over the place so
Charlotte McBurney:it is all over the place and you have to trust in your director to hold where you are in the script and to say things like no this is really early on and you don't need to be that stressed out or actually this is right before you have a big breaking point so you need to be we need to be built you need to trust them I will say I would love games and it's tricky because I think they're generating the script at the same time as the recording is happening. And there are rewrites and depending on the, it's such a huge operation. And actually the voice acting is just one part of it. The gameplay is essential. The animation is essential. You know, there's a lot happening. And I think what I would love in an ideal world is to be given a full outline, just the, like loose points so that I can track the arc of kind of where I'm going. And then I can place like a scene somewhere in and around there because I do remember really, really early on in Plague Tale Requiem, we recorded a very short cut scene that they just happened to have already done the graphics for. And so it was ready to have the voice put in. And it's a moment in Requiem. I think it's about... I don't know, it's towards the last part of the game and it's where Amicia's shoulder has kind of been popped out and she has to have it pop back in place by the trusty Lucas and he pops it back in place and she kind of shrieks and sort of breathes and breathes and breathes and then she hops over a wall and that's the whole cutscene. It's just this kind of a lot of pain, breathe, breathe, breathe, hop over a wall while in pain. And I remember doing that completely out of context and being like, no idea what popped her shoulder out of place. And then like, God, months later, I find out where that comes in the game. And I was like, oh, okay. I did not realize that this was like, while she was also going through all of this other stuff. And maybe I would have done it differently. Who knows?
Simon Hill:Yeah. You can understand that. You're able to pick up different emotions knowing what's coming beforehand during a scene.
Charlotte McBurney:Yeah. And I also think, you know, the acting side of video games, I've joined this industry at a time where people are really excited about the acting. And that's something that people are looking for, which is a dream. Yeah. And I think hopefully the more that people are excited about the acting side, the more that they will start to come at it from an actor's point of view. And I know that there are some companies who are starting to do things like a read-through, like getting the cast in a room and sitting through and reading through like you would with a TV or film or play. And I honestly think the more that those things are happening, the more it will benefit later down the line. with
Simon Hill:the performances. There we go, writers. Take note. And developers.
Charlotte McBurney:Yes.
Simon Hill:It's in the world to write. Please. Getting into record, William, did you feel more comfortable going into the studio? Did Asobo give you more freedom to express yourself and get lost in the emotions of Amicia the second time around?
Charlotte McBurney:Yeah, I definitely did feel more comfortable. It's lovely. It's an extreme privilege. And again, ridiculous on basically... what had come off the back of my first ever job, to have a role that you don't audition for. You just secure because it's a sequel. It's a lovely situation to be in. There's always those weird nerves where you're like, maybe I've forgotten how to act. Maybe I don't know how to play Amicia. Maybe that's just not going to happen. But once you get into it, that kind of goes away and you're fine. But I definitely think the... focus and I mean Asobo always gave me a lot of freedom uh in the first game and in the second game I think in the second game Amicia just has more freedom because as I said this kind of thing of her being more constrained in the first game and then her really letting loose with her emotions in the second game um I feel like they were always open to what I wanted was thinking, my reactions to things, the directors, both the director that I worked with on the first game, Mark, and Jay, who I worked with on the second game, they were very big on letting me read something just how I interpreted it first, and then they'd sometimes be like, actually, that was in entirely the wrong direction, I'm going to steer you in the right one. Or they'd go, huh, I hadn't thought of that, but I actually really like that, let's chase that, let's run with that. So... I think, again, just very, very privileged with the team I've worked with because I know that that is not everyone's experience. And also, I think normally trust, like that artistic trust, creative trust is earned. And I think it's kind of mad that I was given it sort of straight away as a child and then continually. So it's sort of, yeah, I feel very lucky with that.
Simon Hill:I'm spoiled now. Are there any moments in the game that you can remember where you either ad-libbed or kind of expressed yourself in a different way than what was written down for you that the players will remember too?
Charlotte McBurney:That's really tricky. It all kind of starts to blur into one. I think... I think we definitely discussed lines a fair bit, especially in terms of... Just, yeah, context and specific things to do with being slightly more colloquial or less colloquial. Because Amicia is also quite formal. So I had a few things where I was, my weird neurotic brain could remember the fact that Amicia basically never says yeah. She always says yes. Whereas other characters in the game say yeah. just because she's more, she's from an aristocratic family. It's these like little things that she's a little bit more pronounced and those tiny things I would sometimes pick up on and we would discuss lines. I feel like, I can't think of any specifically that I'm sure, there may well have been some moments. It was more, I would say, the kind of extended things like long bits of crying or You know, all of those moments where... Emotes. Emotes, exactly, where I would kind of... They would sometimes just let me run. And there was definitely one moment, I'm sure people know what it is, towards the end of the game, where they just let me go and they just had me cry in the studio for a long time. And I just stood in front of the microphone and wept. And the poor director and sound engineer were just kind of... sat there listening to that and I think all of the a bunch of the team from Asobo were on Zoom and they all stood around and everyone just stood in silence while I just wept and wept which is quite strange and quite beautiful I
Simon Hill:mean that's testament to your acting as well they're clearly in awe of you being able to really delve into this emotion and just wail
Charlotte McBurney:yeah Very easily. I think, honestly, people are often like, I did a short film recently where I had to cry and so many people were like, is that really difficult? I'm like, no. I find other things really difficult in acting. I find things that are very far from myself, like being really sort of horrible. I find being quite kind of brusque with people, I find really hard because I'm such a sort of... people pleaser that I don't know how to tap into that. But crying, no, I can do that.
Simon Hill:That's fine. We have something in common there. I remember I was in Doctors, if you remember that BBC programme. I was a bit of a thug in that. And although I could play that, I always felt we had a scene where family member of mine had passed away and i had to do the same thing i had to force myself to cry and i was just weeks and weeks just how do i do this how do i figure out got on set and i just went like that and i was like i don't know how i found that so easy but building up to it i was just in my head and i was like i don't know how to cry yeah you do get in your head to do it on the spot
Charlotte McBurney:i also do think there was something about i remember reading the script for for Plague Tale like just reading it at home before I would go into the studio and you know the night before or whatever going through the script and I would cry just at home just reading it rather not even saying it out loud so like I do think that the script is really beautiful I think when you've got a really good script when you've got really understandable context for you know why your character is crying like in Doctors a family member dying the situation is really holds it for you and it's more possible whereas I was working on another short film with a really wonderful actor Markella Kavanagh who's amazing and she did a bunch of different takes of the same couple of scenes of just this like one line of dialogue and she did it a couple of different ways it's a sort of nightmare sequence and one of them she did it where she just sort of looked up said this line and then just had a single tear run down her face and I was like fuck you can i swear it's yes yeah great i was like fuck you like how are you doing that like it's not because i if i'm crying in a scene it is snot it is like i'm building it's just messy it's gross she's there with this beautiful tear just coming down the side of her face i was like god you're good all right
Simon Hill:yeah i'm very envious of that yeah the single tear how how
Charlotte McBurney:how people doing that i think it's it i think some people find like it's technical and it's about like it's like moving an eyebrow up you just move your tear duct to be like one but haven't found that yet we'll see
Simon Hill:That's a tough one. But anyway, back on track.
Charlotte McBurney:Yes.
Simon Hill:Requiem was a very different game. There was still a lot of emotion. It was very intense. The story was on an epic scale compared to the first. It was also very dark and gritty, very physical and action-packed. Were there any differences that stood out for you whilst recording Requiem in comparison to Innocence?
Charlotte McBurney:Yeah, definitely. As you say, it was a lot grittier. The hand-to-hand... combat this sort of new bit of gameplay where she can sneak up behind someone and stab them that was I remember when they first showed me that I was a little part of my heart like tugged a little bit to see Amicia doing that because that's obviously it's so testament to the world that she's been thrown into and the things that she's been pushed to and I think that's basically the reaction that they were hoping for from their players is it's not very nice to see this previously sheltered and non-violent young woman be pushed to these extremes and i think that when she starts to take a tiny bit of relish in the death and kind of there's the barn sequence in like chapter three i think which um We, again, this thing of recording in and out of sequence, we recorded it and we talked a lot about the anger and how far she's been pushed and she's taking out these guys and she's so angry and she's really like, come on, I'm going to take, come on. And she's so angry. And that's the side of her that we haven't really seen. And it's quite early in Requiem and it feels like a turning point of going, something in Amicia is snapping, something is different. And of course it ends up getting her arrested and captured. But that sequence, I do remember we recorded it initially and I really went for it because we've been talking so much about it. And then we ended up having to pick up that whole scene later because when they were playing it in sequence, it suddenly like pops out. It's like, whoa, that is really angry. And it still is very angry if you play that section. But I think obviously the original way we recorded it was like, whoa, that's extreme. Who is this person? Where's the meteor? So yeah, definitely, she's grittier, she's more hurt.
Simon Hill:So she'd grown up, you'd grown up, and you're able to use that within the game itself.
Charlotte McBurney:Yeah, definitely. I think I wouldn't have been able to act Requiem... when I was the age that I was when I did Innocence, I just hadn't lived enough life. And I think that's the, I've still not lived very much life. I think that's the really lovely thing. So I like to tell people, I'm like, I'm still so young. I am a child. No, I'm 23. But you know, it's, I like to, I think that's one of the things that I love about acting is that I'm like, you will, I think if I recorded Requiem now, I also like to think I could probably do it better than I did it, whatever it was, two, three years ago. Because you're growing constantly, and that's something that's really lovely. Because you're like, yeah, I'm going to hopefully keep making better and better work. So, yeah, it was Requiem. I mean, Requiem was just a gift because the script, the fact that I knew the character, the fact that I knew the team, I mean... I sometimes get a bit anxious thinking, will I ever have another job that's as much of a gift as that one was? But I hope yes.
Simon Hill:There's also a really funny story here as well. The final line, one of the final lines that you recorded wasn't actually one of your own, but one of another character in the game. Tell us about that.
Charlotte McBurney:Yeah, so that's really funny. That was... Actually, yeah, quite literally, the last line. I'd come in for pickups for Requiem. We'd already had our little rap party. when we'd finished recording Requiem but then as always happens with games you have to go in and do pickups because they find bits that have gone wrong so I think I went in for like an hour and just did a few pickups of Amicia which is a bit anticlimactic because you're like I thought we'd finished this game and now I'm back in here doing these random like hmm I better check that chest over there and you're like this is this is not how I pictured the end of this project um And then the last, last line was basically, there was one pickup of Logan's that they hadn't got from him. And it was just one line that, I don't know, I don't know what was maybe, I think there was probably a technical thing wrong with the line. I don't know. And it's from chapter one. And I now can't even think what the line is, but he, it's a tiny little line as he's like scurrying along by my side. and they had taken other bits from his what he'd said and patched it together but it sounded weird because it was like you know sort of sections from across the game and they'd kind of made a little stitch of that and they were like listen this is weird could you impersonate logan we'll play you our stitch together version but can you do it in his voice sounding like hugo And try and add in that so that we can cover that line. And I didn't understand what they were talking about for the longest time because in Innocence, there's one bit where I'm missing Hugo. It's when he's kind of gone off to Vitalis, I think. And I'm missing him and I sort of quote something that he would have said. Like I sort of say something like, oh, wow, Lucas. And I kind of, Amicia does a little Hugo voice. And we played around with that line in Innocence a lot because we would, when I initially did it, Mark was like, that's weird. That just sounds like Hugo. You have to sound like Amicia sounding like Hugo. And so I was sort of thought it was a line like that. I was like, oh, I didn't know there was a line in Requiem where Amicia does a Hugo bit. And they were like, no, no, not Amicia doing a Hugo bit, Charlotte doing Hugo. I was like, oh, what? So there is one line in chapter one, which I Yeah, I can't think. I don't know if you know what the line is. I've forgotten.
Simon Hill:I did, and I can't remember now. It's not in my notes. I should have put the actual line in my notes. No, no, no, not at all.
Charlotte McBurney:I did use to know. I will tell you that if you watch the YouTube video of me playing the game with Anna Dimitriou, I definitely point it out. But it's really, because I can hear it so obviously, and it's gone in a flash, and I don't think anyone else picks it up, but I'm like, that's me. LAUGHTER Playing Hugo for one line and one line only.
Simon Hill:Incredible. Yeah. Incredible. Great range. Great range. I try. There's a lot of set pieces in Requiem that are much bigger and every time Amicia was on our screen it seemed like she was getting even more emotional and everything was getting bigger and... Was there any moment in particular that you found more challenging with the set pieces?
Charlotte McBurney:Yeah, definitely. I think in Requiem, there was one section where they're going through this maze of time. I can't now think what that section is called, but she's been hit in the head and she's tracking. There's this stealth bit and it's when they unlock this new bit of gameplay. for Hugo with his kind of rat sense thing, which is a very cool bit of gameplay. And they're going through... And it's a massive stealth moment because it's a moment of basically going, ha-ha, we've hit Amicia on the head very hard. She can't fight. You have to play stealth. And it's one of those very, very difficult things because she's in an extreme amount of pain. And I think when we initially... this is another section where when we initially recorded the section I was trying to keep in my head because we were all talking about this in the room that she's been hit on the head really hard so every line I was going like Hugo we have to and it's all like the extreme pain and obviously it's quite a tricky section of gameplay because it's stealth and if you're playing that and you keep getting put back to a checkpoint, and you keep repeating that, and this is the thing that I've really learned working on games that I didn't know because I wasn't a gamer, is yeah, if you keep getting put back to a checkpoint, and you're having to play that and hear that over and over again, and you keep getting put back, and maybe the first time you hear it, you go, wow, what a convincing portrayal of pain. Charlotte McBurney is doing well done, her. Brilliant acting. The second time, you're like, okay. And by the fifth, you're like, shut up. No one cares. Like, no one cares. Because it's so irritating to hear someone be like, like over and over again. So that was, that was, there were a couple of things with video games where you just, especially during gameplay moments, like in cut scenes, people are only going to see that one time. You can put all of the truth and all of the emotion into it. In gameplay sections, you have to pull it back a bit because people are going to be hearing that same line over and over and I'm sure you've had moments as a gamer where you've heard the same and you're like oh my god I'm going to throw my console at the wall so yeah that was tough
Simon Hill:you earned yourself a BAFTA nomination for Best Performer in a leading role alongside the Game Awards nominating you for Best Performer. Again, it seems as though everything you do receives some form of honour. How did it feel to receive a BAFTA nomination?
Charlotte McBurney:I mean, it's just stupid, isn't it? It's just ridiculous. BAFTA is one of those things, especially as a British actor, it's got such a weight to it. It's a pretty powerful institution it's something we kind of dream of and um yeah it was I think just completely surreal I think the best part about the BAFTA was that um I got to go like when we went to the game awards it was out in LA I was with all of the Asobo guys which was really lovely but it's like out in LA you're really jet-lagged Animal the Muppet was there. Lea Seydoux was there. I was like, I think I'm tripping. Like, I think something's like, I don't know what, it's so huge. Al Pacino walked out to present the award. I was like, I'm going to be violently sick. Like, it was all really overstimulating. Whereas sort of, I mean, it was an amazing experience, but it was nuts. And then for BAFTA, the lovely thing was, of course, being in my hometown of being in London so so many of my lovely friends were there um because so many of my lovely friends work in games and also um Focus the publisher arranged for me to bring my mum as well and they got her a ticket and I got to bring my mum and really that was the best thing because when you're sort of nominated for these things it's just kind of overwhelming you're a bit like i don't really know what to do with this this is so lovely this is kind of insane i don't know how to process all of this information for my mum best thing because my mum loves nothing more than people coming up and telling her that her children are brilliant to bring her and we got dressed you know we got all dressed up we we went along together and we danced the night away together and it was i think to share it with her It was just magical because she had the best time. So that was really nice.
Simon Hill:And on top of that, you also got a nomination. Yeah, exactly. I'll take that too. Yeah, exactly. And we've mentioned your friendship with Anna Dimitriou, obviously play Sophia. We've mentioned... Have you managed to see the trailer for the new A Plague Tale Legacy Resonance?
Charlotte McBurney:Yes,
Simon Hill:I have seen the trailer. You must be super proud of her.
Charlotte McBurney:I'd say I'm like a good... you know, a good percentage of the views on that YouTube video, which is saying something because it's been watched a lot. But I am so proud of her. I also just, I haven't really posted about it because I don't want people to get the wrong end of the stick. And I think this is Anna's moment. And she is such an extraordinary performer and she is such an extraordinary person. And I think to watch someone you love and care about have... the moment that they deserve and to be a lead player and the fact that she loves games and that's I think there's something very special when someone who loves games plays a player character because they pour something very different a kind of a very particular kind of kinship with the people who will go on and play the game and from what I've seen and what I've heard about this game it is going to be incredible and sort of will you know it It has parts of the Plague Tale world that we love, but also completely different elements and opens up a whole other world in terms of storytelling, I'm sure, in terms of gameplay. And I think I just know that people like people who loved Plague Tale, Innocence and Requiem are going to love it. And I also know that it's going to connect to a whole other audience. And, yeah, honestly, it's just really, really exciting. I'm so excited for her. I'm very excited to play it
Simon Hill:as well. Very, very exciting. Oh, yeah. It looks completely different, but I think in a good way. I think it's going to be really cool to see Anna doing her thing on the big stage. Let's talk about you and video games in terms of you've not just done... you know, played Amicia and brought that character to life as now probably one of the most iconic characters in video games. You've also done Final Fantasy as young Jill in the English dub. But do you intend to continue to pursue a career in video games voiceover work?
Charlotte McBurney:Yeah, absolutely. I completely adore games and I love working on them. I've actually... It's funny, people are always like, oh, you must be booked and busy. I'm like, no, not really. And I think... One of the big things is that Amicia has, which is extraordinary and kind of madness, she's become quite iconic, and she's up there with lead female characters in games, and that has slightly done the thing of my voice has become very associated with her, which has... meant it's been really difficult to book roles in other games. I'm hoping now that we're a good few years from Requiem that the tide will start to change and I'll start to book some roles again in games. But yeah, I would happily, happily do more games. They're so inventive. They're kind of playful in a way that really excites me. I've really enjoyed getting to kind of connect with the communities. And I think I'd love to do a game that's very, very different. Like I think just as, you know, Asobo are making Resonance now, I think Amicia, I was really scared when we started recording Requiem that I was going to have to say goodbye to Amicia, that this was going to be the last time I'd ever play her. And I don't know, we never know with these things, but... At the end of Requiem, I was like, actually, she's done. She needs to have her space. I feel like we've explored so many sides of her personality and her character. I want her to be free a bit. And even though I love her and would happily play her again, I think it would be a sort of disservice to the previous game's to make a sort of third one about her right now. And so I would love, just as they're making Resonance, I would love to go and do something that's quite different and sort of feels like a world away from Amicia to kind of explore, yeah, the other things I can do, like apparently voicing a six-year-old boy.
Simon Hill:What sort of game would you want to do? You know, now you've had an insight into video games. You came into this industry not knowing anything about it. You weren't a gamer, but now you've had that insight. You've been around the awards. You've been around, obviously, your really close friend now who's an avid gamer and very talented actor. Are there any genres or games or IPs that you look at and go, I'd just love to do one of those?
Charlotte McBurney:Oh, yeah. I mean... I think I'll always be interested in narrative driven because that's the nicest thing as an actor to do. I would really love to do a game where I get to do the mocap as well as the voice. That's a big thing. I'd love to do something. I mean, there are, you know, of course there are games up there that are like very, very sort of inspirational touchstones in terms of narrative and creative narrative like Hellblade. Obviously, you know, Baldur's Gate 3 had a has this very, very particular narrative style and has reached so many people through that. I think it'd be really
Simon Hill:fun. Two games that Anna was also in.
Charlotte McBurney:Yeah, I know. She's pretty
Simon Hill:prolific.
Charlotte McBurney:I think I would also... I'd love to do some more... I think it'd be really fun to do something... I was about to say horror, but... Which is funny because I don't really like horror, but then actually a lot of people do talk about Plague Tale being quite like, sort of quite horrific at times. So maybe there's another, I mean, I don't know. There are also, there are definitely games, I played Stray with Anna, loved that. It Takes Two has a really sort of unusual and fun and that's a other world. I mean, I do like playing the dramatic things because they're just fun to play. I think anything that's, I'd love to do something where there's more branching so that you as, which I think Baldur's Gate definitely has, where you get to explore as an actor chasing down this entire what if with your character and then coming back to this checkpoint and exploring a totally different, like, I mean, that just sounds like so much fun. Yeah. But definitely when I was doing the whole sort of nomination thing for Game Awards and BAFTA, I got to spend some time with Christopher Judge, which is obviously kind of the dream. Icon. making God of War and the process of it really I was like oh my god I want to do that with the mocap and everything and then Manon Gage who did Immortality which again super unusual narrative style the way she spoke about her process it's like getting to do something where it's a little bit different a little bit unusual and emotionally interesting which is a slightly vague answer but yeah we'll see a new IP would be really fun as well Just doing it, you know, building a totally new concept.
Simon Hill:So basically everything, ladies and gentlemen, give Charlotte
Charlotte McBurney:McFernan everything. Call me. I'm around.
Simon Hill:Charlotte, this has been incredible. And whilst I was doing my research for this, I because we've been in touch again recently um yeah we almost I almost came to see your play and I couldn't make it for other reasons I can't discuss on this podcast but it's been amazing to see your journey from that 16 year old girl that I met in a recording studio filming something for Innocence to see where you are now I think it's just such an incredible full circle moment so I am so proud of you and what I want to do what I love to do on this episode is give my guest's final word so whatever you choose to do with that i just want to say thank you from myself and it's been great to chat with you again
Charlotte McBurney:thank you simon it's been really lovely to chat with you as well it's just been really lovely um i guess my final my final words are i will definitely be doing more games at some point that will happen and um i will forever be grateful Amicia and to the community who love her because that's where I started and I think she's always going to be a huge part of who I am and I think it's really beautiful to get to share that with other people and hopefully in the future and through doing this play that I'm doing that we're hoping to tour internationally which will be really fun I'm hoping to get to meet more of the fans in person and have those conversations because that's just really particularly special to me So lots of love to everyone.
Simon Hill:You know, it's conversations like these where I sit back and realize how fortunate I am and how privileged I am to do what I do for a living. To not only interview, meet, and connect with some of the world's greatest talent, but to also reconnect with people like Charlotte, who are very passionate about what they do, care about what they produce, and are also very genuine and just want to be the best that they can be in whatever they choose to do. So, incredible interview there with Charlotte. So many amazing moments and memories shared. And you can tell that Amicia, means so much to her but also working as a voice actor and a theatre actor this is her love this is her passion this is what she wants to do and she wants to do more of it so can't wait to see where the future lies for Charlotte McBurney and I'm sure wherever that is it will be a huge success thank you to everyone who has tuned into this episode absolutely incredible and very insightful really fun can't wait to bring you the next one and trust me the next episode is going to be well worth your time is with a very well respected studio who has produced one of the highest rated games on Metacritic. They've also produced arguably one of the greatest sequels of all time in video games. That's going to be coming next week. Don't forget to leave this show a little rating on your chosen platform, whether that be Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps me be able to claim those charts and it works with the algorithm really well. It also helps me be able to go to other guests, people that you want to hear from and go come on my show because the community to want to hear from you. So make sure you go and do that. Leave a comment, leave a review. Can't wait for the next episode. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you. This has been Gone Gold with Charlotte McBurney.
