MATTHEW RENSHAW - AUDIO PRODUCER

Hello! I’m Matt, an audio producer.

I’ve spent 16 years turning the written word into performances that connect with listeners from the very first line.

I’ve directed more than 400 audiobooks and 50 audio dramas, delivering thousands of hours of finished audio. The titles I’ve produced have sold millions of copies, reached bestseller lists, and won or been nominated for major audio awards.

For 12 years, I was Senior Audio Producer at Black Library, the publishing imprint of Games Workshop, where I shaped the sound of the sci-fi and fantasy worlds of Warhammer. Before that, I produced fiction, non-fiction and children’s audio for HarperCollins, Little, Brown and Orion.

I’m an expert in end-to-end audio production. I’ve edited scripts, hosted auditions and cast productions. As a bookworm, it’s a joy to dig into novels and prep projects down to the smallest detail.

I’ve directed household names and developed actors new to audio. I adore collaborating, unlocking scenes and chapters, and hearing a story bloom to life in the studio.

I'm a long-form audio editing ninja, ProTools wizard and iZotope RX magician.

I love the craft of it. I'm passionate about great stories and great audio.

Here are 20 of my favourite projects.

Horus Rising / The Horus Heresy & Siege of Terra cover artwork

Horus Rising / The Horus Heresy & Siege of Terra series

Dan Abnett & others • Audiobook series

Hours Rising is the first title in a million-selling series that grew to span 54 novels, dozens of audio dramas, novellas and the climactic Siege of Terra. I managed characters, accent and pronunciation continuity across the entire range, keeping performances consistent over years of recording and different studios. If a character had a voice in book one, the aim was you’d still recognise them in book fifty! Many audiobooks from this series reached the top 10 in the Audible charts.

REALMSLAYER - BRIAN BLESSED

David Guymer • Audio Drama

A four-part, full-cast audio drama starring Brian Blessed as the beloved dwarf Gotrek Gurnisson. I oversaw the whole production, from script editing, auditioning and casting thirteen actors, through to final approval of the box-set artwork. Directing the sessions meant finding the right balance between David Guymer’s frenzied battles and the more reflective, wounded heart of Gotrek’s return. Brian was a joy to work with; Gotrek often furious, funny and larger than life in the same scene, and the rest of the cast more than matched his energy. I also researched ideas for SFX, briefed the composers and sound designers, and together we brought the Age of Sigmar - then a brand-new fantasy setting - blooming to life in audio Technicolour!

Warhammer Adventures - David Tennant

Cavan Scott • Audiobook Series

Narrated by David Tennant, this series aimed to make Warhammer more approachable for younger listeners without watering down what makes the setting unique. David was a total pro in the studio: sharp, brilliantly prepared and able to switch characters in an instant. My role was to keep the performance energetic so new listeners could enjoy the adventures without feeling overwhelmed by the lore.

Warhammer Adventures - Billie Piper

Tom Huddleston • Audiobook Series

I cast and directed Billie Piper for the Realm Quest series, aimed at middle-reader listeners and set in the fantasy world of Warhammer Age of Sigmar. I worked with Billie to give voice to protagonist Kiri and her fellow young adventurers, as well as sinister Skaven, spectral threats, monsters and the other strange characters found across the Mortal Realms.

OUR MARTYRED LADY - CATHERINE TATE

Gav Thorpe • Audio Drama

A full-cast Warhammer 40,000 audio drama with great performances from Catherine Tate as Inquisitor Greyfax and Emma Gregory as Saint Celestine, two of the setting’s most iconic figures. Beneath all the ceremony and holy fire, it was really rewarding to direct characters who felt human and relatable. I worked with the cast to keep the drama grounded - as much as one can with a flying saint!

Dropsite Massacre

John French • Audiobook

Finding a reference audio clip for a character who spoke a single line forty-five books earlier in the series? All part of my process! Triple-checking the pronunciation of a supposedly lost ship against a recording from book eight? Also me. These little prep and performance details matter, and listeners notice. (Even when the galaxy is on fire.) The novel expanded on a key battle in the bestselling Horus Heresy saga, and was narrated with suitable aplomb by audiobook legend, Jonathan Keeble. This title reached number one in the Audible charts.

How Did All This Happen?

John Bishop • Audiobook

I directed John Bishop narrating his first autobiography. He said he found narrating tougher than running a marathon! With good humour and patience I drew out a warm and genuine read that matched the heart and humour found in his book. Really proud of this one!

Shatter the Bones

Stuart MacBride • Audiobook Series

Shatter the Bones was Steve Worsley’s first Logan McRae narration, and one of the first recordings that lit a spark under me in the studio. I stopped thinking of myself as just an engineer and started working like a producer: doing thorough prep, considering voices and characters before anyone stepped into the booth, then working really closely with the actors before and during the sessions, tailoring my directing to get the best out of them.

Broken Empire

Mark Lawrence • Audiobook Series

I cast Joe Jameson for Mark Lawrence’s Broken Empire series, one of the first audiobooks he narrated, and the first fantasy title I produced. Joe and I worked to subtly age the voice of Jorg as he grew and the series progressed. We balanced Jorg’s wit and magnetism against the brutal post-apocalyptic setting. I’m delighted this went on to become a success in print and audio, and proud that a bold casting choice gave the series its voice.

Ciaphas Cain

Sandy Mitchell • Audiobook Series

A lighter, sardonic take on the Warhammer 40,000 universe, told in first person by reluctant hero Commissar Cain. The challenge in audio was capturing the unwieldy style of Cain’s breathless prose, while also recording and placing the footnotes and interstitial chapters from Cain’s editor and associates. This was one of several backlist titles I produced that found a huge new audience in audio, turning a much-loved Black Library series into a commercial success.

Eisenhorn

Dan Abnett • Audiobook Series

Dan Abnett’s Eisenhorn books are among Black Library’s most loved stories. I directed Toby Longworth, drawing on his extraordinary vocal range to voice Eisenhorn, his allies, his enemies, and strange and savage characters from every corner of the Imperium. It was crucial we conveyed the tone of the series as it developed from noir-inflected investigation into something weirder and more fractured. The books also reveal a more domestic side of 40K: the daily lives of regular, terrified citizens, their toil, and the barbaric decisions and moral ambiguity of the grimdark far future.

Agent of the Throne

JOHN FRENCH • SCRIBE AWARD WINNING AUDIO DRAMA SERIES

Winner of a Scribe Award for Best Audio Drama, this three-part series stars Colleen Prendergast as Ianthe, an Inquisitorial agent searching for the truth of her past. I edited the script, added FX cues and scene transitions to translate the story to the audio medium. I worked closely with the small cast to convey the claustrophobic atmosphere of Ianthe operating in the shadows as she tries to untangle her flashbacks, her memories and her dreams.

Night Lords

Aaron Dembski-Bowden • Audiobook Series

Aaron Dembski-Bowden’s Night Lords trilogy is regarded as a Black Library classic. Dark, lyrical and mournful, the series follows a group of traitor Space Marines and the remains of their brotherhood. I cast and directed Andrew Wincott, who captured the cruelty and charisma of Talos and his retinue. Long before his BAFTA-winning work brought him wider recognition, Andrew’s narration became one of Black Library’s most acclaimed audio performances.

Angels of Death

Warhammer+ • Animation

The launch animation for the Warhammer+ streaming service. I cast, recorded and edited the voice-overs, then collaborated with the animation studio during its production. I also recorded voiceovers for numerous trailers and animations that feature on the Warhammer Youtube channel.

The Watcher in the Rain

ALEX WORLEY • SCRIBE AWARD NOMINATED AUDIO DRAMA

A Scribe Award-nominated audio drama in the Warhammer Horror range, often cited by listeners as one of Black Library’s finest. This initially required a substantial script edit. I shaped the story and dialogue, making the atmosphere and dread build slowly, so the final reveal was properly chilling. Deeivya Meir and Matthew Hunt gave two of the best performances I worked on at Black Library, drawing out the fear, guilt and distrust found in the text.

Prophets of Waaagh!

Guy Haley • Audio Drama

About the most fun I’ve ever had in the studio! A wonderfully committed cast threw themselves into the comedy and brutality of the orks, with several voice boxes (temporarily) shredded. The brilliant sound design brought the greenskins revving to life, giving the whole production a filthy and anarchic energy.

The Fall of Cadia

Robert Rath • Audiobook

An absolutely epic tale, brilliantly written and performed, conveying the scale and tragedy of one of the most important events in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. David Seddon and I workshopped accents for a cast of around ninety characters, to give each voice a clear identity that sounded rooted in the industrial world of Cadia.

The Infinite and the Divine

Robert Rath • Audiobook

An all-time favourite audiobook of mine, with Richard Reed’s vibrant performance delivering the humour and strange pathos of two ancient rival Necron aliens on a time- and space-spanning grudge match; petty rivalry, deadpan comedy and unexpected melancholy abound. My prep and notes made sure the alien names, dynasties and Necron lexicon stayed consistent from chapter one to the epilogue, so the performance stayed vivid throughout.

Empire of Silver

Conn Iggulden • Audiobook Series

I directed Stephen Thorne for Empire of Silver, the fourth book in Conn Iggulden’s historical Conqueror series. Working with Stephen was a joy. One of the great British radio and audiobook voices, whose career stretched across BBC drama, Doctor Who, The Lord of the Rings, Narnia and hundreds of recorded books, he brought a lifetime of storytelling into the booth. I learned a huge amount from the care and authority he gave to his narration.

Work! Consume! Die!

Frankie Boyle • Audiobook

This was one of the funniest recording experiences I had in the studio. Angus King’s narration caught Frankie Boyle’s wild, unfiltered humour without feeling forced or over-performed. I spent most of the recording sessions trying not to laugh. Which is usually a pretty good sign the audio is working!