Episode 72

Bart Kooiman: The one with the Millennial & the Dragon!

In this episode of “How Do You Say That?!” sponsored by britishvoiceover.co.uk, Dutch voice actor Bart Kooiman joins Sam and Mark to talk about the millennial read (and what that even means), a panto documentary, and how some clients don't give you enough information. There's a boy who comes face-to-face with a dragon and a farmer gets an electric shock!

Our VO question this week is all about the evolution of language, both Dutch and English.

Get involved! Have you got a Wildcard suggestion that we should try or an idea for the show? Send it to us via Mark or Sam's social media or email it directly to podcast@britishvoiceover.co.uk

Script 1

Pantomimes are full of quick changes and transformations. And the dressers, often poised in the wings, are on hand to help with fastenings and complicated costumes.

Zips though can be a nightmare: quick if they run smoothly but disastrous if they stick. There are few things more likely to stress out an actor than the panic of going on stage half dressed.

Quick-change costumes are designed so that they can be removed quickly - and rigged so they can be put on quickly… very quickly!

Script 2

Stressexe is a marketplace where bookings can be bought, sold, and bid on.

Here’s how…

Let’s say a guy - call him Craig – makes a reservation.

It could be for a barber, or membership of a golf club – or maybe it’s for a toy, for his niece.

But what happens if Craig can’t use his reservation anymore?

Maybe he has to work late. Or maybe the sitter has cancelled.

Craig’s place goes to waste.


**Listen to all of our podcasts here - you can also watch on YouTube, or say to your smart speaker "Play How Do You Say That?!"

About our guest:

Bart Kooiman was born and raised in Amsterdam. His voice clients include brands like Citroën, Head & Shoulders, Heineken, Listerine and the Red Cross. He works primarily in Dutch, but with his Dutch-to-neutral European accent he’s booked in English as well.

Bart has had a knack for acting since he was a boy. At 13, he did his first voice-over job for Dutch national television, voicing a group of 16 Moldovian foster children. He continued acting on stage through college in both classical and contemporary plays with an independent Amsterdam theatre group.

As project manager, Bart found out he loved storytelling. He began his voice acting business in 2019 and discovered it’s the best career in the world.

Mostly booked for explainers, he loves it most when he can go all the way with crazy acting roles. As one of his clients put it: Bart is like a speech chameleon. He calls himself Dutch voice nerd, because playing with words is what makes him get up every day. Well, that and his 3 kids.

Bart's Website

@bartkooiman_voiceover on Instagram

Bart on YouTube


Resources: Click here for the Wildcard Generator and don't forget to think of an action your character can be doing!

Here are the pronunciation guides we talked about:

For Howjsay click here

For YouGlish click here


Mark's demos & contact details: https://linktr.ee/britishvoiceovermark

Sam's demos & contact details: https://linktr.ee/samanthaboffin

About the Podcast

Show artwork for How Do You Say That?!
How Do You Say That?!
A fun podcast showing there are unlimited ways to read a script - sponsored by https://www.voxbox.studio/

About your hosts

Profile picture for Mark Ryes

Mark Ryes

With over 40 years representing major international clients such as Google, Emirates and HSBC; Mark has been trusted to be the voice for some of the world’s biggest brands. Beyond the big names, it’s his reputation with clients that truly speaks to his professionalism and work ethic. If your business needs a fresh voice to represent you, then make it a British voice…
Mark's also seen weekly on television across the UK, both on ITV1 and Ideal World.
Profile picture for Samantha Boffin

Samantha Boffin

Elegantly British with an intelligent, warm and seductive voice, Samantha helps creatives and production companies create great audio that really connects with their audience.

BBC-trained and with over 20 years of broadcast experience on both sides of the mic, she's created award-winning promos, narration and commercials for companies all around the globe, including the BBC, Sky, Games Workshop, John Lewis, Audible and Penguin Random House.