Northern Ireland voice actors lend their talents to fundraising audiobook

Oonagh O’Flaherty from Newtownabbey; Trev Fleming, originally from Newry and now living in Liverpool; Surrey-based Nikki McReynolds, originally from Cookstown, and Californian voice actor JD Gibson, who is now based in Islandmagee are joining 170 other actors and celebrities to raise thousands of pounds for Cancer Research UK.

They have each recorded a minute of Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice Through the Looking Glass’ for an audiobook which is being released one chapter at a time as a series of podcasts during December.

Among the celebrities taking part are Phyllis Logan, who starred as Downton Abbey’s head housekeeper Mrs Hughes, along with Pirates of the Caribbean star Kevin McNally.

The project is the brainchild of three-times cancer survivor Brad Shaw from Chiswick, West London. Brad came up with the idea of ‘The Wonderland Challenge’, inviting fellow actors to record an audiobook of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ to raise money for the NHS. Among those taking part were actors Michael Palin, Dame Juliet Stevenson, Ruth Jones and Dame Harriet Walter.

Nearly three years later, Brad, now 59, is about to launch The Wonderland Challenge 2 – the ‘Alice Through the Looking Glass’ audiobook - to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

The project is an important one for Trev, who lost both his parents to cancer. “I was honoured that Brad chose me to narrate a section and I'm in very esteemed company," he said.

JD added: “Brad is good actor and a great friend who gives so much of his time and energy to others. When I heard the news his cancer had returned it was my privilege to join this wonderful group to help rid the planet of such a devastating disease.”

Brad decided to do the Wonderland project again as his way of saying thank you for the treatment he has had, and to everyone who has helped save his life three times. “This time I have split the book into 174 one-minute chunks with each actor, voice actor or celebrity recording one minute each and donating at least £10 to Cancer Research UK. I’m really grateful to Oonagh, Trev, Nikki, and JD, and all the others involved for their time and their support.”

Donations have already reached £4,660, with hopes the total will be boosted further when the first chapter of the audiobook is released as a podcast today (December 4).

A further chapter will be released every two days until December 22.

Cadena Sampson, Relationship Executive for Cancer Research UK, said: “We’re delighted Brad and is putting all this time and energy into the Wonderland 2 project to raise money for Cancer Research UK and our goal of finding better and kinder treatments for all types of cancer.

“We’re also really grateful for people like Oonagh, Trev, Nikki, and JD, who are involved in this project. It’s our supporters like this who will help us make those desperately-needed breakthroughs in the future.”