A lot of Nick’s life as an actor has been caught up in the world of Doctor Who since its return in 2005. He’s worked on set alongside Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi as the voice of the Daleks, the Cybermen and the Judoon. His Judoon duties also took him onto The Sarah Jane Adventures and he appeared on screen as ruthless government crisis advisor Rick Yates in Torchwood: Children of Earth. He featured on stage as Winston Churchill (and many other characters) in the UK arena tour of Doctor Who Live.
Since 1998, Nick has worked as writer, director, producer, sound designer and composer for Big Finish Productions (who produce audiobooks/drama based on Doctor Who, The Prisoner, Torchwood, Blake’s 7, Sherlock Holmes, Survivors, Terrahawks, The Omega Factor and other IPs) which releases well over 200 productions every year. Since 2006, he’s been co-executive producer of the company, overseeing a rapid expansion of production. He also wrote and directed the acclaimed Doctor Who: Dark Eyes which won the BBC Audio Drama Award for best online drama.
Nick has acted and directed in theatres throughout the UK, on tour, in panto and in rep. Favourite roles he’s played include Larry in Closer, Count Dracula and Sherlock Holmes (which he also plays for Big Finish’s highly acclaimed Sherlock Holmes audio range).
He directed and created the sound design and music for all three series of the BBC Radio 4 Baby Cow comedy sci-fi series Nebulous (featuring Mark Gatiss, David Warner, Steve Coogan and many others) and is currently a presenter for BBC Radio 4 Extra’s Seventh Dimension. Nick also appeared in the BBC Radio 4 dramatization of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s Good Omens, in which he played Metatron (the Voice of God) directed by his old friend Dirk Maggs. Screen credits include Lewis, Torchwood and An Adventure In Space and Time on TV and the movies Adulthood and 4,3,2,1.
This year, along with his various script editing, directing and producing duties, Nick will be writing and directing the third audio drama series of The Prisoner. He also wrote and directed a stage adaptation of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde for the Theatre Royal Nottingham and national tour — and he’ll be adapting this for audio drama in the coming months.
As part of the new Big Finish Originals range, Nick is creating a brand new science fiction audio drama series entitled The Human Frontier, scheduled for release in Autumn 2019. He’s also creating the political, post-Brexit science fiction thriller Alien England to be made by his own production company, Red Raygun Ltd.
@BriggsNicholas
What was the last book you read?
Homo Sapiens.
What’s next on your reading list?
Trafalgar: Biography of a Battle.
Which writer would you have loved to have met and why?
H.G. Wells. He invented everything about science fiction that I love.
You’re stranded on a desert island. What three books would you want with you?
The War of the Worlds, The Day of the Triffids, Any Human Heart.
Tell us what you do in 20 words.
I tell stories, mostly by acting, writing, directing, sound designing and composing. Largely but not exclusively in the audio medium.
What is the single biggest challenge facing the publishing industry right now?
Finding and communicating with the right audience.
What is the one piece of advice you’d give to someone starting out in publishing today?
Make sure you love it.
Go on, let us know your musical guilty pleasure.
Gary Numan.
And your one from the world of fiction?
War Against the Rull by A.E. Van Vogt.
What would be the title of your autobiography?
The Monster Man.
What is the silliest thing you have on your desk?
One of my late father’s old, smelly pipes.
Who has been your greatest inspiration and why?
Probably Dirk Maggs, because he demonstrated that audio drama could be like a movie.
What is your prediction for the year ahead in the publishing industry?
Amazon will get bigger and bigger and bigger…
What is the one essential item you bring to the Fair?
My brain, hopefully.
What piece of advice would you give first-timers at the Fair?
I am a first timer, so no idea about advice! Should be fun!
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Nick Briggs will be discussing Creating Compelling Audiobooks: the Unique Potential for Audio at Quantum: Inspiration Informed by Data on Monday 9 April 2018