In the audiobook Oracle by Toronto author Andrew Pyper, Patrick Labbé plays a medium endowed with paranormal powers who investigates for the FBI. A complex protagonist, an exciting scenario and, as the actor explains, a whole new way of doing his job.
Audio books are gaining more and more followers, and listening to novels, thrillers and essays now accompanies the daily life of millions of “readers”. It’s impossible to know to what extent the pandemic has popularized this phenomenon, but one thing is certain: the catalog of Quebec and Canadian works is booming, propelled by the participation of writers and actors from here. This is how Patrick Labbé, well known for his roles in numerous television series, ranging from Rock and Throw and count at District 31including English-language productions such as Quantico, Street Legal, The Dead Zone and The Transplant, went from filming to audio recording – and from interpretation to narration. With Oraclewritten exclusively for Audible by Andrew Pyper, this is his third storytelling performance, and this experience has taught him a lot about the evocative powers of the voice.
A captivating suspense, a fascinating character
Oracle combines criminal investigations, supernatural phenomena and suspense. The story revolves around Nate Russo, an investigator with a unique gift that makes him live the moments of horror before the disappearance of the victims he investigates. “What I liked about this book is that it is written in the first person, that the narration takes place in the ‘I’ and that the whole plot unfolds from Nate’s point of view, explains Patrick Labbe. He is confronted with images, he feels things and he hears voices thanks to the energy that the victims leave behind them, or by simply touching their loved ones. This detective novel is full of twists and the character of the asocial medium and never in a good mood is fascinating. He has no pleasure in life, he is an alcoholic who sees ghosts… Me, as a reader, I am attracted by this story, and that is largely why I agreed to embark in this adventure. »
“With an audio interpretation, we concentrate only on the voice, without external artifices such as the decoration, the costumes or the make-up. This is what allows us to subtly qualify our work as actors. »
The power of storytelling
In the privacy of the recording studio, under the direction of an engineer director, the narrator lends his voice to the characters and the action of the book in its entirety. Each session lasts between four and five hours, which means that a detective like Oracle is wrapped up after 30 or 35 hours of work in the studio – and probably double that if you take preparation, corrections and editing into consideration. “I read the book at least three times before starting the recording, specifies Patrick Labbé. I have to know what I’m talking about, that I arrive there with proposals that hold together and that give my interpretation a certain fluidity, a perspective, a very personal color that sticks to the complex personality of the character. »
The voice in the foreground
As the actor explains, the audio interpretation ensures that we focus only on the voice, without external artifice such as the decor, costumes or makeup. “It allows us to subtly nuance our acting work. I’ve always liked doing voice for the precision and the incisive, surgical aspect of the matter. With a microphone and headphones, you can work very intimately on the timbre, gravity and flow of the voice. Recording, listening to yourself, starting over, trying to improve to transpose emotions such as fear, embarrassment, anger, surprise, it’s a great challenge! »
A successful author
Andrew Pyper, who has several bestsellers to his credit, studied English and French literature at McGill University, then turned to law before devoting himself to writing. In 1999, her career was launched with Lost Girls, which won the Arthur-Ellis Award for Best First Mystery Novel and was named one of the New York Times Books of the Year. Over the years, his thrillers have been published around the world, notably in the United States and the United Kingdom, and several have been brought to the screen or produced in audio version. As for Oracle, he is particularly thrilled with Patrick Labbé’s performance.
“I was very, very lucky that he said yes to this project, underlines the writer. Nate Russo is a complex character, both angry and fearful, reserved but vulnerable, and he is a loner who seeks his place among humans. Patrick manages to bring to life all these contradictions that can coexist in the same sentence. He is perfect. »
He adds that a good narrator can take the story and the characters even further. “That voice in our head has great evocative power. It alone can conjure up scenes, atmospheres and actions. » Is Andrew Pyper converted to the audiobook? “I love to read, but if the voice is good, I like it even more to be read to me. The imaginary journey is different because we are accompanied for the duration of the journey. This is what allows us to develop a relationship not only with the narrative framework, but also with the performer. »
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This content was produced by Le Devoir’s special publications team in collaboration with the advertiser. Le Devoir’s editorial team had no role in the production of this content.
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