Becoming Amicia – Charlotte McBurney on A Plague Tale, Final Fantasy and more

After a childhood spent backstage at the opera, what’s it like to find yourself voicing one of gaming’s most unforgettable heroines?This episode, ReadyAimFire welcomes Charlotte McBurney, the BAFTA-nominated actor behind Amicia de Rune in A Plague Tale: Innocence and A Plague Tale: Requiem, and young Jill in Final Fantasy XVI. From a whirlwind of a creative upbringing to stepping into roles that challenge heart and soul, Charlotte takes us through her journey so far, with some hilarious anecdotes and revealing insights.You’ll hear:&nbsp;How Charlotte grew up backstage at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and once ‘kidnapped’ a lollipop lady off the street to perform her own version of The NutcrackerHow the Requiem script was written with Charlotte in mind, after the devs saw what she could do in the first gameWhat Charlotte really thinks about Amicia’s signature slingshot killsWhy she believes actors who truly love games change the medium from within.“I feel very, very deeply connected to Amicia. It's my first character that I ever got to play professionally. We sort of grew up together.” Charlotte McBurneyIf you’re curious as to how a theatrical family pedigree, late-night dinner debates with Yo-Yo Ma, and sheer creative audacity combine to shape one of gaming’s most unforgettable heroines, this episode is for you.🧭 Timestamps:00:00:00 – Introduction to acting: enchanted by the opera stage00:05:05 –&nbsp;Theatre's timeless influence on gaming00:06:36 –&nbsp;Voice acting: the craft of amplifying expressions00:10:12 –&nbsp;Charlotte’s first experience: learning on the job00:15:44 –&nbsp;The emotional toll of voice acting&nbsp;00:17:09 –&nbsp;A script that brought her to tears: A Plague Tale’s incredible writing&nbsp;00:21:56 –&nbsp;Surprising similarities: narrative and design in gaming and opera00:25:44 – Discovering gaming through friendship00:28:45 –&nbsp;Charlotte’s favourite game scene in A Plague Tale00:32:30 –&nbsp;Recording Requiem, insights into the process00:35:20 –&nbsp;Amicia de Rune’s journey ends00:37:19 –&nbsp;Siblings vs the Inquisition – and rats!00:39:41 –&nbsp;Why Charlotte loves rats00:44:28 –&nbsp;The power of character: the bond between Charlotte and Amicia00:47:29 –&nbsp;Respected in the room: R&amp;D and game development00:51:27 –&nbsp;The process of performance00:55:27 –&nbsp;Charlotte’s (surprising!) musical instrument of choice58:09 – Solo show: The City for Incurable Women&nbsp;👤 Guest Info:Charlotte McBurney is known for A Plague Tale: Requiem, A Plague Tale: Innocence, Final Fantasy XVI and podcast series Abridgd... Too Far! She is also part of theatre collective fish in a dress, and is currently appearing at the Edinburgh Fringe in The City for Incurable Women at the Pleasance Courtyard.&nbsp;🌐IMDb&nbsp; 📸 Instagram🔗 Resources &amp; Mentions:(chronological order of appearance)Chicago Symphony OrchestraLyric Opera of ChicagoThe Nutcracker&nbsp;Complicité (theatre company)Plague Tale series&nbsp;Final Fantasy XVIBAFTA&nbsp;The Last of UsNeil Druckmann&nbsp;God of War&nbsp;Chris JudgeYo-Yo Ma (cellist)Anna Karenina&nbsp;Wes Anderson&nbsp;Opera: Libretto&nbsp;Puccini&nbsp;Alien&nbsp;Doom&nbsp;Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2002 game)EGX&nbsp;Edinburgh Fringe&nbsp;The City for Incurable Women (Charlotte’s show at the Edinburgh Fringe)💬 Quotes:“I think people who love games should work in games… I mean that's how Plague Tale came about, right? It was basically these guys loved the Last of Us and that was where a lot of the inspiration came for Plague Tale.”– Charlotte McBurney“Growing up, being in the opera, where you get your hair and makeup done, you get a fabulous costume and you go on stage and the music is so loud that my teeny tiny body would just vibrate. And once you've heard that, you're like, yeah, I want to do this.”– Charlotte McBurneyEnjoyed the episode? Don’t forget to:Follow the podcast on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTube for full episodes and clipsLeave a review and let us know who you want featured next!🎧 Check Out More ReadyAimFire Episodes:Episode 1: Devora Wilde on Lae’zel and Performance in Baldur’s Gate 3Episode 2: Michael Geary on Warhammer, Magic, and Mushroom WarriorsEpisode 3: Damien Goodwin on directing Returnal, Helldivers 2 and moreEpisode 4: Doug Cockle on D&amp;D love and voicing Geralt in the Witcher&nbsp;Episode 5: Tom McKay &amp; Luke Dale on Kingdom Come Deliverance 2Episode 6: Kirsty Gillmore on directing for games including Baldur’s Gate 3Episode 7: Hannah Price, Oli Chance, Morgan Rushton &amp; Martin Vaughan on Final Fantasy XVIEpisode 9: Anthony Howell &amp; Will Porter revisit Alien: Isolation🔗 Listen &amp; Subscribe:🎧 Spotify: https://readyaimfire.tv/spotify🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://readyaimfire.tv/apple▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadyAimFireStudio🌍 Website &amp; Email Sign-Up: <a...