Testimonials

  • "An absolute gem of a producer: patient, experienced, easygoing, and thorough."

    — Ian Dunt, author, political journalist, broadcaster and podcaster

  • “Chris I just wanted to say again how very grateful I was for your above-and-beyond production of [The Gift of a Radio]!!!”

    — Justin Webb, author, journalist and broadcaster

  • "A huge thank you to @christosbarstos, for his patience, his good humour, and for being such an all-round wonderful producer."

    — Tom Holland, historian, biographer, broadcaster and podcaster

  • “Thank you for steering [the recording of Playing Under the Piano] so well and for being so supportive. It made a potentially gruelling experience really enjoyable!”

    — Hugh Bonneville, actor and author

  • “Thanks so much for guiding me through last week so patiently! It was great fun to work with you on [Hybrid Humans] and you made me feel very comfortable. I thought it was going to be a bit of a nightmare, but thanks to you it wasn’t."

    — Harry Parker, author, art educator and Afghanistan veteran

  • ‘Chris has become a very valued member of our team of directors. He is friendly with – and supportive of – the talent, and knows how to work with them to get a good performance. His attention to detail is just what we need!’

    — Elspeth McPherson, Managing Director, Strathmore Studios

  • “It was an absolute pleasure recording a dark and steamy Nordic thriller with Chris. He’s a terrific producer – bright and knowledgeable, with a warm, friendly manner and a lively sense of humour. A highly enjoyable, collaborative experience.”

    — Richard Attlee, actor/narrator

  • “When you hear that you’ll be working with Chris Barstow, you know that you’ll be supported all the way. Chris is always so well-prepped; he’s eagle-eyed, erudite, experienced, sensitive and sure-footed. He knows and loves the intricacy and musicality of language and guides you with a steady hand, helping you to lift the text off the page to the very best of your potential.”

    — Jot Davies, voice actor

  • “As for me, assisted by a brilliant, frighteningly attentive producer, Chris Barstow, I started quite well. His directions were wonderful – he would suggest leaning in a bit more to this word or that. And he was always right. He missed nothing. Occasionally, I would think I had got away with a little bit of sub-optimal emphasis but, no, within a second or two he was on to me.”

    — Adrian Chiles, author, journalist and broadcaster, on recording
the audiobook version of The Good Drinker – The Guardian, 24 Aug 2022

  • Chris is an exceptionally skilled producer, with a golden ear. He is passionate and enthusiastic, and always ready with helpful thoughts on character and accent, which makes my job of narration a dream. I feel safe in the knowledge that he will always have prepped a book thoroughly in advance, and if I have any questions, he answers them promptly and succinctly. He is simply a joy to work with! 

    — Clare Corbett, actor/narrator

  • “No producer I’ve worked with has a sharper instinct for storytelling or a more sensitive approach to the nuances of language than Chris Barstow. Chris makes friendly and invaluable suggestions with regard to phrasing and pacing, intonation and pronunciation, vocal tone and colour. He helps me not only to guide audiobook listeners through the rhetorical arguments and challenging pronunciations of non-fiction, but also to find the narrative flow of fiction. I always really look forward to working with him because I know his light-touch performance notes and knack for wringing the sense from challenging texts serve both the author and the listener in the best possible way.”

    — Leighton Pugh, actor/narrator