Nicholas Vince played The Chatterer Cenobite in Clive Barker’s Hellraiser & Hellbound: Hellraiser II and Kinski in Barker’s Nightbreed. In 2016 he was awarded the London Horror Society Award for Outstanding Contribution to UK Independent Horror and in 2018 a Lifetime of Torment Award at Texas Frightmare. He is Patron of the London Horror Festival.
He’s written and directed three short films: The Night Whispered screened in the UK, USA and France and is available on Reelhouse, Your Appraisal is on a festival run and Necessary Evils will be included as a DVD extra on For We Are Many from Hex Media. In a addition he’s created two music videos; and a short film for this year’s Soska Sisters Blood Drive.
He stars in the independent feature film, Hollower (dir. MJ Dixon) and The Offer, with others from the Hellraiser films; and features in The Black Gloves (dir. Lawrie Brewster), Book of Monsters (dir. Stewart Sparke), Fuck You Immortality (dir. Federico Scargiali) and Heckle (dir Martyn Pick). He’s worked on numerous short films including the award winning Mindless (dir. Katie Bonham).
His two collections of short stories, What Monsters Do and Other People’s Darkness are both available on amazon sites; and his short story ‘Prayers of Desire‘, a new origin story for The Chatterer was recently published as part of Hellraiser: Anthology – Volume 2 published by Seraphim Inc.
On the popular YouTube show, Chattering With Nicholas Vince, he interviews independent film makers, actor, writers and artists.
KR: Coffee?
KR: What do you like to do when not writing?
I enjoy doing research for my weekly Youtube show, which involves watching films or reading books chosen by the guests. I also do all the promotional graphics, so have fun working on those.
KR: What is your favourite childhood book?
Ladybird Book of Henry V, Ladybird Book of the Weather and various books on the Greek Myths – which I’ll have borrowed from the local library.
KR: What is your favourite album, and does music play any role in your writing?
War of the Worlds by Rick Wakeman.
I don’t listen to music when I’m writing as I find it too distracting, with one exception. When I wrote for the Hellraiser comics in the 1990’s and recently for Hellraiser: Anthology – Volume 2; I played the score to Hellraiser by Christopher Young. Listening to the theme puts me into Clive Barker’s world.
KR: Do you have a favourite horror movie/director?
Roger Corman and the Vincent Price/Edgar Allan Poe movies. Of those, The Masque of the Red Death. I love how it combines the title story and Poe’s ‘Hopfrog‘ and really asks some big questions about human suffering and God’s role in it.
KR: What are you reading now?
I’m just about to start ‘Ghost Stories by E F Benson‘. This is for an upcoming Chattering show.
KR: Who were the authors that inspired you to write?
HH Munro/Saki for his witty pithy prose and Clive Barker, who’s writing is wonderful and who told me I should.
KR: Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer to just see where an idea takes you?
I make lots of notes which I might put into a mind mapping software, to shift incidents around.
When I was writing comics I had an A4 sheet which showed the pages and those which had adverts on them. I’d write in notes on the action for each page, sometimes working backwards from the end page, which was usually a cliff hanger, then the opening page which was often only one panel with a line or two of dialogue in speech bubbles plus some narrator text in boxes. Then it was a question of working out the reveals, which should always be on a left hand page, so readers didn’t see it when turning a page.
KR: What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
I haven’t tackled a novel yet, so for short stories, it may be a single historical reference book – or a lots of googling of facts.
KR: Describe your usual writing day?
Long periods thinking, “I really should be writing.” Followed by guilt, occasional inspiration, fevered typing, walk dog, disbelief in ability to write, re-writes, go to bed, turn light off, more inspiration, typing on iPad in bed …
KR: Do you have a favourite story/short that you’ve written (published or not)?
Hmmm. That’s like asking me to choose between my mythical children. My favourite one is probably one I’ve yet to write.
KR: Do you read your book reviews?
I’d prefer not to, but as a self published author, I have no choice as I need to find reader or reviewer quotes for press releases.
KR: Any advice for a fledgling author?
I like the advice “Writing is easy. It’s just bum to chair and pen to paper.”
KR: What scares you?
Deadlines.
KR: E-Book, Paperback or Hardback?
E-book for studying as I recoil from highlighting books. Paperback for portability when travelling. Hardback for art books and the sheer joy of gazing at on shelves.
KR: Can you tell me about your latest release please?
A short story on the origin of The Chatterer, ‘Prayers of Desire‘ for Hellraiser: Anthology – Volume 2.
KR: What are you working on now?
It’s a secret. Then no-one can demand that I finish it.
KR: You find yourself on a desert island, which three people would you wish to be deserted with you and why?
You can choose…
a) One fictional character from your writing.
b) One fictional character from any other book.
c) One real life person that is not a family member or friend.
My characters don’t really have a good time in life, so won’t be great company. Besides, I’d probably feel guilty for being so mean to them. Gabriel Ernest from Gabriel Ernest by Saki – he’d be good at catching animals for the pot. Clive Barker for the conversation and inspiration.
KR: Thank you very much Nicholas.
Portrait by Claire Grogan Photography
You can find out more about Nicholas by visiting www.nicholasvince.com
Please check out the Chattering with Nicholas Vince Youtube channel here
You can follow Nicholas on Facebook here and on Twitter @nicholas_vince
The Night Whispered (Directed by Nicholas) page is here
Seven erudite, charming and brutal tales.
~ A long lost brother asks a dark and desperate favour.
~ Forbidden love threatens the happiness of a Victorian family, and their loving ghost.
~ Justinian sits with his cat watching snow fall. Poor cat.
~ Harry was dead, but how did he die?
~ “I’m tied naked and there are rats here.”
~ Howard and his wife argue over the cooling body of their son.
~ Mikey likes the hunt for love, unaware of the what is watching him.
You can read the What Monsters Do Kendall Review here
You can buy What Monsters Do from Amazon US & Amazon UK
Five more chilling tales of the macabre from the actor behind the Chatterer mask in Clive Barker’s Hellraiser and Hellbound.
~ The world didn’t end on 21st December 2012, but Scott was given a gift—a terrible gift.
~ Red strawberry jam reminds Gregory he is about to murder love.
~ A visitor to a mansion brings deadly news.
~ Tanya is Caroline’s best friend, and Caroline hates her. She enters the poison garden …
~ London 1883. Eight year old Cassie wants the police to tell her what will happen to her, now her family are dead. Perhaps if they believed her story they would?
You can buy Other People’s Darkness from Amazon US & Amazon UK
Leave a Reply