biogs
Sandy Walsh
Presenter
Sandy started her career as a presenter with Children's TV in the 1980s. She then became a little more serious as a well known voice on the BBC World Service, anchoring many prestigious and popular programmes including World Briefing, Reporting Religion and Meridian Live. She presented, with Robin Lustig, the Sony Award-winning Newstalk. Her series Good Books included interviewees such as the late Baroness Barbara Castle, Terry Waite, Benjamin Zephaniah, Michael Rosen and John Banville
Trainer
Her role as senior presentation consultant for BBC Training has taken her from London to Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Moscow and Nepal. As a bi-media trainer she worked with the presenters on Albanian State Television. For the last two years she has been the lead trainer for the European Parliament in Brussels and Strasbourg on their Interpreting for the Media courses. She has designed and delivered presentation workshops for the UN, Amnesty International, Book Aid, BAA, and senior diplomats in the Thai Government.
Actor
Sandy's work as an actress for over twenty years has ranged from starring as the matriarch Francis Marsden in Emmerdale to Barbara in the iconic series The Peep Show. Her one-woman-shows have won acclaim and awards at the Edinburgh Festival and she starred in her favourite musical Blood Brothers in the West End. Her voice has been used in countless commercials, radio plays and documentaries.
Matthew Perret
Interpreter
Matthew graduated in Modern Languages from Oxford University, and has lived in several European countries. He was trained as a conference interpreter by the European Commission in Brussels, and was on their permanent staff for six years before going freelance to broaden his range of professional activity. He has interpreted for Heads of State and Government, ministers and business leaders, as well as slaughterhouse inspectors and bird-watchers. In recent years he has played an increasing role in training interpreters, specialising in public speaking exercises and role-play for non-native English speakers, and assisting with Interpreting for the Media.
Comedian
Matthew has performed comedy at countless Edinburgh Fringe festivals, on the London Fringe and UK tours, as well as an appearance at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Australia. He filmed sketches as part of the Routes Into Languages on-line initiative, and recently recorded a pilot comedy for radio. He plays Vivian Stanshall in the long-running Fringe tribute The Gonzo 'Dog-Do' Bar Band.
Writer
Matthew has written poetry (published in the Guardian Weekend), articles for various magazines, and numerous sketches and speeches. For the theatre he co-wrote the critical and commercial success Play Wisty For Me- The Life of Peter Cook, nominated for the LWT Comedy Writing Award.