Welcome to the feature where we sit down with hosts of podcasts and find out more about them!Today we speak to Kate and Brendan of the new podcast series Welcome To Hole. The has only recently launched and it omes out every Wednesday. Today we find out all about the podcast!

Hello, nice to meet you! How did the idea of your podcast come around?

BW: During lockdown, Kate ran a tabletop campaign set in modern day Nevada where we all played a gang of monster hunters. It wrapped up after twenty-one sessions and was a lot of fun, but then we thought no more about it. Cut to December 2023 and Kate surprises us with a script version of our first game!

KO: I felt so attached to this story and the characters that we created in the TTRPG playthrough that when we finished the game it didn’t feel over. And because the Monster of the Week format follows traditional TV show structures, I could look back at our game and see clear episodes and a series arc. So initially I felt it would be a really fun writing exercise to script it and then thought about what we could realistically achieve on our own production wise. There’s so much talent in our group, I thought why not? I tentatively got the ball rolling and everyone else’s enthusiasm built up the momentum. Next thing we know, the ball is speeding off and we’re running to keep up!

Tell us about the team behind the show!

KO: We have a vast array of experience and skills from our day jobs – I come from a writing and video production background –  but I suppose bonded over a collective interest in storytelling, role playing and nerd stuff. Most importantly, we make each other laugh. Consistently. I think over the years of improv and D&D we’ve developed this fantastic language with each other where we collectively follow the funny thing and build on it. It made the game playing and the writing process an absolute joy. One person will put an idea out and someone else adds to it and everyone jumps on. This happened again with the production of the podcast, and with everyone on board supporting each other, we ended up creating something we really love.

BW: We’re an international quintet who met through improv, started playing a bunch of tabletop games together, and now we’re a dynamic writing – acting – editing podcast team. Who knows what we’ll do next – take over the world?

There are so many podcasts out there, how do you stand out from the rest?

BW: While there are LOADS of Actual Play podcasts where people play RPGs in real time, ours is a scripted show inspired by our sessions. We took what happened on the table, tidied it up and streamlined it, then added some extra gags and heart. As far as we are aware, the only other people to have adapted their tabletop game into a series is Critical Role!

KO: Yes, I think it’s the production and the discipline that we brought to the writing that sets us apart. We put – and I can’t stress this enough – so much work into making something that will feel like a Monster of the Week TV show from the 90s / early 2000s that we love and miss so much from the current media-sphere (<is this a new wanky word I’ve just made up? I dunno, let me know in the comments). We wanted each episode to feel immersive and rich. To be action-packed and funny. And to really draw listeners into this world. We wanted to transport you to this weird desert town crawling with monsters and be a part of our hero gang who rarely get it right but still manage to prevail (sometimes). It’s pure fun escapism. 

Who have been some of your favourite guests?

BW: Between the five of us, we do sixty voices in the show, but we did invite some more people into the mix!

KO: I’m so glad Brendan came with the stats on this one. We really did push ourselves to the limits of our accents. I felt invigorated by all our guest stars! It was great to have people bring fresh voices and fresh takes on the characters we’d spent so much time with. We were all completely blown away by Cristiano Benfenati’s take on one of the monsters in episodes 8 and 9. The depth and power he brought to that performance was electrifying.

BW: I also really appreciated Liz Kent. We repeatedly gave her more parts and she kept on finding new voices!

Do you use any specialised equipment to record your show?

BW: Yes and in one session it created an irritating sporadic chirp across an entire recording so we had to redo a full episode!

KO: We were very fortunate to get some time in a recording studio for all of our episodes so that was a real blessing but also brought some pressure. We had twelve 40 minute episodes to record in limited time so we really needed to bring our best on the day. We were sometimes writing and rehearsing up the wire, but I’m so impressed how everyone stepped up and brought their full energy day after day. 

What are the challenges of running a podcast?

BW: We recorded most of the show during a heatwave. Which meant we had to shut all the windows and turn off the air conditioning. It was NOT FUN. But, on the plus side, it did make it really easy for us to imagine we were in the Nevada desert.

KO: This was a hugely ambitious project for all of us to undertake whilst having day jobs and in some cases simultaneously travelling the world. So it was the time commitment for me, and asking that of everyone else. This wasn’t a ‘record people chatting, quick edit, then release’ kind of situation. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that, it’s a very sensible way to make a podcast). We spent months in the scripting phase. And more months on the edits. So to have everyone stay interested and excited about seeing this through to the end – it’s been an honour to be a part of.

What are the highlights?

BW: Watching your talented friends nail a line makes my heart sing. It’s a great shame we can’t laugh on mic! They are HILARIOUS.

KO: I second what Brendan said, there was magic happening in those records. And then I had the joy of getting home and listening back, laughing, putting the edit together, laughing again. Honestly, it was the gift that kept on giving.  

BW: I’m also really happy that we can share these characters with the world! We hope you love them all as much as we do.

What other shows are you a fan of and why?

BW: ‘OIL (Omelette Improv London)’ is great and run by a buddy of mine. It’s an improvised show with two wonderful formats – both in-character interviews. You’re either his passenger in a rideshare cab or an animal of your choice! I also like ‘Gumshoes and Dragons’, a DnD show where they try to solve a murder every ep!

Three words why people should check out your show!

BW: Heart and farts.

KO: Buffy meets Tremors.

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