The British voice artist formerly known as Marilla Wex
British voice artist Rill Askey (formerly known as Marilla Wex) is a multi-award-winning veteran of all genres of voiceover.
Thanks for dropping by!
With 35 years of professional performance experience, I can be dropped into virtually any medium and not create casualties.
I have a WoVO-approved, broadcast quality recording booth with Source Connect 4.0. A multi-award-winning talent, I hold a Gold Crystal Award for the best Radio Commercial Performance in Canada and have been shortlisted for Best Female Voice Artist of the Year three times at the OneVoice Awards. I won Best Animation Character Performance (Female) at OneVoice for the role I am perhaps most famous for: the bonkers computer M.A.R.I.L.L.A. in the Mojang YouTube series How We Make Minecraft, The Secrets of Minecraft, Around Minecraft in 80 Biomes and Ten Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Minecraft.
My nickname in both recording and tv studios is “The One-Take Wonder” (can we just have an extra one for safety…?)
My nonsensically broad vocal range means I have vast experience in every voice genre from audiobooks to videogames, from medical e-learning to children’s animation. You name it – I’ve done it. Multiple times.
Commercials
My tv and film experience enable me to break down copy quickly and deliver pitch-perfect performances in record time.
Explainers
My Bristol Old Vic classically-trained theatre background brings gravitas, strength, reliability and sophistication to corporate copy.
Gaming
My advanced stage combat skills find their way into my videogame dialogue delivery and MOCAP performances.
Animation
My 15 years of stand-up comedy and improv give me the flexibility and humour needed for commercial reads and animation.
Documentary
I have years of long-form audio narration and storytelling experience which make me a natural for documentary voice-over.
I am hired for my vocal and dialectical flexibility, my professionalism and my ability to nail a cold read immediately. Being a British voice artist my super power is my ability to sell without the hard sell – the accent and delivery do all the heavy lifting. My voice conveys authority and expertise while inspiring confidence and a sense of trust. As a dialect coach for tv, film and television I am also able to perform in a wide variety of UK accents.
But don’t just take my word for it – read some of my client testimonials below.
Working with Rill is a joy, not only because she’s hilarious and makes every recording session something to look forward to, but she can pretty much pull off anything you throw at her (in my personal experience, including but not limited to: sophisticated narration, quirky characters who vacillate between sincerity and menace, a robotic AI voice invoking the most chilling emergency broadcast system, a petulant child, the occasional musical number, and an endless variety of snorts, cackles and accents). When working with us, we often demanded all of this in a single episode. Not only does Rill take our bizarre requests in stride, she actively helps to ideate and shape every episode as a true collaborator, making everything we do better in the process and a huge part of the success of our work. I was so lucky to find Rill when seeking a truly versatile VO artist, and would cast her again and again – in fact, I do!
Below is a list of some of my recent clients. I work with dozens every year so this is by no means exhaustive.
To contact me directly please use the form below. You can expect a response within 48 hours outside of major holidays. I am open to interviews regarding my voice work plus any and all interesting or juicy voice gigs! At the present time I am not accepting private dialect coaching students.
NB – if you’re contacting me regarding a voice over project please see the notes below on what you need to include in your message!
Photo by Zoë Gemelli
If you need to contact me regarding potential voice work please be sure to include the following information:
- what kind of work is it? e.g. explainer video, elearning, videogame, online ad etc.
- will you need a directed session? If so – what time zone are you in? How would you like to connect? e.g. Source Connect, Skype, phone etc.
- what is the usage for the work? e.g. internal pitch, online without paid placement, local radio commercial
- how long is the usage? e.g. 13 week tv campaign, 6 month online ads, 1 year local radio
The more information you can provide about your project, the better since it will avoid an endless back-and-forth of follow-up questions.
Booth set-up
I have a broadcast quality booth comprising a Sennheiser 416 microphone, an Audient iD4 mk2 interface and Reaper is my DAW of choice. My portable booth from Vocal Booths to Go travels with me when I’m working on the road, where live directed sessions are still possible with SourceConnect 4.0.
I travel a lot for work and pleasure so please check here for any extended vacation time that will impact my availability for new jobs and pick-ups.
Please note I do not generally work weekends!
I am currently in the UK on BST but am able to accommodate North American and European timezones for live directed sessions.