Sir Ian McKellen has shared the difficulties he faced while lip syncing the voice of celebrated English artist LS Lowry in a new immersive BBC documentary. The 86-year-old actor took on the role of Lowry, nearly fifty years after the artist’s passing, in the film LS Lowry: The Unheard Tapes, where he brings to life previously unheard recordings of Lowry recounting his life story.
Bringing LS Lowry’s Voice and Persona to Screen
In the documentary, Sir Ian McKellen performs lip syncing to the original voice recordings of Lowry, captured during conversations between the artist and Angela Barratt, a young admirer who interviewed him. The film aims to merge Lowry’s voice with McKellen’s physical portrayal to create a complete representation of the painter.
McKellen described this process as particularly demanding, explaining that making his mouth movements perfectly match the recorded words was one of the hardest parts.
“It ain’t easy. I don’t find it easy,”
he admitted, expressing surprise about this technical challenge in his performance.
The Art of Lip Syncing and New Skills
To ensure precision, the recordings were tackled sentence by sentence to capture an exact match. McKellen praised his co-star Annabel Smith for her skill in this technique, noting the meticulous nature of the work. He reflected on his own performance, questioning whether he conveyed enough emotion through his facial expressions or whether he was too restrained.
“It’s a skill which I don’t think you conquer just on one attempt,”
McKellen said.
“But I wanted to do it not just because of my interest in Lowry, but because I thought it would be fun, rather late in my career to have a new ability.”
Insights Into LS Lowry’s Voice and Personality
Sir Ian noted something surprising about the original recordings: Lowry often misplaces the emphasis on certain words, which contrasts with an actor’s effort to deliver clear meaning through proper inflection. This unpredictability allowed McKellen to explore nuances beyond the voice itself, such as fleeting expressions and subtle glances that the sound alone could not convey.
“There’s more going on in these tapes than just the words, I think,”
he observed.
“You can tell an awful lot from someone’s voice. Well, when the actor adds the body and the face, then the presentation is complete.”
Reflections on Voice and Memory
McKellen also spoke on the emotional value of hearing a person’s voice, especially when that person is no longer alive. He shared his wish to have recordings of his deceased parents, to understand more about them through their voices.
“Not just to take me back, but because a voice reveals an awful lot about a person and would tell me things that I didn’t get a chance to understand while they were alive. I think the same’s true with hearing these tapes,”
he said.
Lowry’s Character Revealed Through Tapes and Performance
The actor expressed a personal connection to Lowry, highlighting the painter’s love for theatre, ballet, and pantomime, which is reflected in his artistic work. This insight offers a deeper dimension to Lowry beyond his famous industrial landscapes and distinctive style.
“And I think that’s reflected more than people perhaps realise in the paintings and drawings,”
McKellen stated. He also praised Lowry’s dedication to his craft, emphasizing,
“I think what’s revealed from these tapes is that he did very much to his work, his paintings. He was a great artist.”
Documentary Explores Lowry’s Impact and Environment
The one-hour Arts Arena documentary also delves into the evolving industrial settings of Salford and Greater Manchester, areas extensively depicted in Lowry’s artwork. These landscapes provide historical context that enhances viewers’ understanding of the artist’s environment and influences.
The film is scheduled to air on BBC Two and be available on iPlayer at 9 pm on February 25, offering audiences an intimate look at both the man and the region that shaped his legacy.
