YOU ARE WHAT YOU SPEAK

Fiona Ramsay is a dialect coach and consultant for theatre and film; a voice-over artist with many commercials and radio dramas to her name; an expert specializing in voice, speech, accents and dialects, heightened text and also works with clients on accent reduction and acquisition

Starting her career as a dialect coach in 2003 she worked as an expert on South African accents and has subsequently worked in the UK & US and the scope and range of accents she now coaches is broad

Fiona Ramsay is a dialect coach and consultant for theatre and film; a voice-over artist with many commercials and radio dramas to her name; an expert specializing in voice, speech, accents and dialects, heightened text and also works with clients on accent reduction and acquisition. Starting her career as a dialect coach in 2003 she worked as an expert on South African accents and has subsequently worked in the UK & US and the scope and range of accents she now coaches is broad. She formed the Speakeasy Vocal Academy in 2005 and has trained many dialogue coaches in the craft who now do this work in their own vernacular languages.

Film & Television.

Actor and/or Dialogue Coach
YearTitleDirectorActors
2020 ‘REDEEMING LOVE’ D J Caruso Tom Lewis, Nina Dobrev
2019 ‘THE PROFESSIONALS’ Various Elena Anaya
2019 ‘QUEEN SONO’ Kagiso Lediga Pearl Thusi, Loyiso Madinga
2018 ‘LAST DAYS OF AMERICAN CRIME’ Oliver Megaton Edgar Ramirez
2016 ‘THE DARK TOWER’ Nic Arcel Idris Elba, Tom Taylor
2016 ‘MADIBA’ Kevin Hooks Lawrence Fishburne, Orlando Jones,
2016 ‘BRAM FISCHER’ Jean van de Velde Peter Paul Muller, Sello Motlaung
2015 ‘ROOTS’ Phillip Noyce Derek Luke, Malachai Lloyd, Chris Obi
2015 ‘THE JOURNEY IS THE DESTINATION’ Bronwyn Hughes Ben Schnetzler, Maria Bello
2015 ‘SHEPHERDS & BUTCHERS’ Oliver Schmitz Steve Coogan, Andrea Riseborough
2015 ‘MATT JOUBERT’ Peter Ladkani Trond Espen Seim, Boris Kodjoe
2014 ‘THE LAST FACE’ Sean Penn Charlize Theron, Xavier Bardem, Jean Reno
2013 ‘THE GIVER’ Phillip Noyce Odeya Rush, Meryl Streep
2013 ‘CHAPPIE’ Neill Blomkamp Sharlto Copley, Dev Patel, Hugh Jackman
2013 ‘THE SALVATION’ Kristian Levring Mads Mikkelson, Michael Persbrandt
2012 ‘CITY OF VIOLENCE’ Jerome Salle Orlando Bloom
2012 ‘LONG WALK TO FREEDOM’ Justin Chadwick Idris Elba, Naomie Harris
2012 ‘INESCAPABLE’ Ruba Fadda Alexander Sadiq, Marisa Tometei
2012 ‘LAYLA FOURIE’ Pia Marais Rayna Campbell, August Diehl.
2011 ‘SAFEHOUSE’ Daniel Espinoza Denzil Washington, Ryan Reynolds, Fiona Ramsay
2011 ‘TASTE OF RAIN’ Richard Pakleppa
2011 ‘TRACKER’ Ian Sharp Ray Winstone
2011 ‘ZAMBEZIA’ Animated film voices
2010 ‘WINNIE’ Darryl Roodt Jennifer Hudson, Terrence Howard
2010 ‘AFRICA UNITED’ Debs Patterson-Gardner
2009 ‘THE SINKING OF THE LACONIA’ Uwe Berndt (BBC)
2009 ‘BANG BANG CLUB’ Steven Silver Ryan Phillipe, Taylor Kitcsh, Malin Akerman
2009 ‘MRS MANDELA’ Michael Samuels Sophie Okenedo, David Harewood, David Morrissey
2008 ‘SKIN’ Anthony Fabian Sam Neill, Sophie Okenedo, Alice Krige, Fiona Ramsay
2007 ‘NO 1 LADIES DETECTIVE AGENCY’ Anthony Minghella Jill Scott, Anika Anirose
2005 ‘CATCH A FIRE’ (‘HOTSTUFF’) Phillip Noyce Tim Robbins, Derek Luke
2004 ‘HOTEL RWANDA’ Terry George Don Cheadle, Sophie Okenedo, Nick Nolte
2004 ‘RED DUST’ Tim Hooper Hilary Swank, Chewitel Eyifor
2003 ‘COUNTRY OF MY SKULL’ John Boorman Juliette Binoche, Samuel L Jackson, Menzi Ngubane, Fiona Ramsay
2002 ‘STANDER’ Bronwyn Hughes Thomas Jane, Dexter Fletcher
2002 ‘BORDERLINE’ Evelyn Purcell Gina Gershon, Michael Biehn, Fiona Ramsay
2001 ‘BEAT THE DRUM’ David Hickson Junior Singo, Owen Sejake, Mary Twala
2001 ‘CRITICAL ASSIGNMENT’ Jason Xenopoulos Tunde Babalola
2001 SA version of ‘SESAME STREET’ called ‘TAKALANI SESAME’
YearTitle & DirectorActors
2020‘REDEEMING LOVE’
Directed by: D J Caruso
Tom Lewis, Nina Dobrev
2019‘THE PROFESSIONALS’
Directed by: Various
Elena Anaya
2019‘QUEEN SONO’
Directed by: Kagiso Lediga
Pearl Thusi, Loyiso Madinga
2018‘LAST DAYS OF AMERICAN CRIME’
Directed by: Oliver Megaton
Edgar Ramirez
2016‘THE DARK TOWER’
Directed by: Nic Arcel
Idris Elba, Tom Taylor
2016‘MADIBA’
Directed by: Kevin Hooks
Lawrence Fishburne, Orlando Jones,
2016‘BRAM FISCHER’
Directed by: Jean van de Velde
Peter Paul Muller, Sello Motlaung
2015‘ROOTS’
Directed by: Phillip Noyce
Derek Luke, Malachai Lloyd, Chris Obi
2015‘THE JOURNEY IS THE DESTINATION’
Directed by: Bronwyn Hughes
Ben Schnetzler, Maria Bello
2015‘SHEPHERDS & BUTCHERS’
Directed by: Oliver Schmitz
Steve Coogan, Andrea Riseborough
2015‘MATT JOUBERT’
Directed by: Peter Ladkani
Trond Espen Seim, Boris Kodjoe
2014‘THE LAST FACE’
Directed by: Sean Penn
Charlize Theron, Xavier Bardem, Jean Reno
2013‘THE GIVER’
Directed by: Phillip Noyce
Odeya Rush, Meryl Streep
2013‘CHAPPIE’
Directed by: Neill Blomkamp
Sharlto Copley, Dev Patel, Hugh Jackman
2013‘THE SALVATION’
Directed by: Kristian Levring
Mads Mikkelson, Michael Persbrandt
2012‘CITY OF VIOLENCE’
Directed by: Jerome Salle
Orlando Bloom
2012‘LONG WALK TO FREEDOM’
Directed by: Justin Chadwick
Idris Elba, Naomie Harris
2012‘INESCAPABLE’
Directed by: Ruba Fadda
Alexander Sadiq, Marisa Tometei
2012‘LAYLA FOURIE’
Directed by: Pia Marais
Rayna Campbell, August Diehl.
2011‘SAFEHOUSE’
Directed by: Daniel Espinoza
Denzil Washington, Ryan Reynolds, Fiona Ramsay
2011‘TASTE OF RAIN’
Directed by: Richard Pakleppa
2011‘TRACKER’
Directed by: Ian Sharp
Ray Winstone
2011‘ZAMBEZIA’ Animated film voices
2010‘WINNIE’
Directed by: Darryl Roodt
Jennifer Hudson, Terrence Howard
2010‘AFRICA UNITED’
Directed by: Debs Patterson-Gardner
2009‘THE SINKING OF THE LACONIA’
Directed by: Uwe Berndt (BBC)
2009‘BANG BANG CLUB’
Directed by: Steven Silver
Ryan Phillipe, Taylor Kitcsh, Malin Akerman
2009‘MRS MANDELA’
Directed by: Michael Samuels
Sophie Okenedo, David Harewood, David Morrissey
2008‘SKIN’
Directed by: Anthony Fabian
Sam Neill, Sophie Okenedo, Alice Krige, Fiona Ramsay
2007‘NO 1 LADIES DETECTIVE AGENCY’
Directed by: Anthony Minghella
Jill Scott, Anika Anirose
2005‘CATCH A FIRE’ (‘HOTSTUFF’)
Directed by: Phillip Noyce
Tim Robbins, Derek Luke
2004‘HOTEL RWANDA’
Directed by: Terry George
Don Cheadle, Sophie Okenedo, Nick Nolte
2004‘RED DUST’
Directed by: Tim Hooper
Hilary Swank, Chewitel Eyifor
2003‘COUNTRY OF MY SKULL’
Directed by: John Boorman
Juliette Binoche, Samuel L Jackson, Menzi Ngubane, Fiona Ramsay
2002‘STANDER’
Directed by: Bronwyn Hughes
Thomas Jane, Dexter Fletcher
2002‘BORDERLINE’
Directed by: Evelyn Purcell
Gina Gershon, Michael Biehn, Fiona Ramsay
2001‘BEAT THE DRUM’
Directed by: David Hickson
Junior Singo, Owen Sejake, Mary Twala
2001‘CRITICAL ASSIGNMENT’
Directed by: Jason Xenopoulos
Tunde Babalola
2001SA version of ‘SESAME STREET’ called ‘TAKALANI SESAME’

Theatre

Voice and Dialect Coach
YearTitleAccent
2019 ROCKY HORROR SHOW US & UK
2014 EMOTIONAL CREATURES Various
2012 ABBA – THE MUSICAL Swedish
2012 DIRTY DANCING US Various
2010 BOYS IN THE PHOTOGRAPH Northern Irish
2009 BROTHERS IN BLOOD Somalie
2009 FINGS AIN’T WOT THEY USED TO’BE Cockney
2008 THE LION KING Various
2008 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Various
2008 THE FULL MONTY US Standard
2007 HAIRSPRAY US Baltimore
2007 HAIR US Standard
2006 SNOOPY US Standard
2003 FAME (SA) US Standard, Bronx, Hispanic, NY Afro-American, Southern
2003 NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH (SA, USA) UK – Camden Town, London
2002 TALE OF ALLERGIST’S WIFE US
2001 THE SNAKE (SA) SA (regional)
2001 THE PEN (SA) SA
2000 DEATH OF A SALESMAN (SA) US generic
1990 HAPGOOD (SA) UK (RP & regional), US