Team
Get to Know Us
Ben Upson
OWNER & DIRECTOR
After graduating from the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in 2005, Ben trod the boards as an actor living in London and gained experience working in television, theatre and film. His career brought him to Dubai in 2010 where he continued to work in the entertainment industry as a performer, host, singer and voiceover.
From 2014 to 2020 Ben worked extensively in licensed properties helping produce live shows for properties belonging to Warner Brothers, Hasbro, Sony Pictures, Cartoon Network and more.
He gained valuable experience as a sound designer for many shows and worked with voice talent from across the globe to produce soundtracks to be approved by the worlds largest creative powerhouses.
In 2018 Ben was head of production for three live shows at the billion-dollar Warner Brothers World Theme Park in Abu Dhabi for which he and his team won multiple awards.
As a voiceover, Ben has voiced commercials for a number of top brands including Pepsi, Mastercard, Nissan, Toyota, Honda, Porsche (car companies seem to like him) and many more. He was the chosen voice for Dubai’s Expo 2020 campaign and recently completed work on the cult computer game ‘Conquerors Blade’
It was Ben’s passion fueled by a childhood being mesmerized by foreign films and animation that led him to start Mr. Ben’s Voice Box. He has always loved the art of voice acting particularly in Dubbing and animation. He even has such passion for Dubbing that he records dubs for famous Hollywood movies with his own voice in his spare time. Yes, he’s a very passionate geek but that’s another story.
Richard Manson
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Richard is a multi-award-winning writer, producer and director, whose career spanning twenty-five years (so far) has literally taken him all over the world.
He started out as a writer/director/actor in London’s fringe in the mid-nineties and soon climbed the ‘showbiz’ ladder to London’s prestigious West End. He then moved into television, writing/production/acting for various channels such as BBC, SKY, ITV and independent companies including Celador.
In 2006 he was approached to write and produce shows for the Dubai government and tourism industry, predominately to entertain the cities western expat community and introduce licensed character shows to the region. He quickly became one of the leading producers and promotors of live international licensed entertainment in the Middle East, including hugely successful arena tours.
He has conceptualized, written, directed and produced creative content, theatrical shows and live events for some of the world’s biggest brands and franchises, including Warner Bros, DC, Sony Pictures, Cartoon Network, Hasbro, MGM and many more. In 2018 he was commissioned to write and produce the shows and entertainment for ‘Warner Bros World’ theme park in Abu Dhabi.
His work with the major studios has seen him working a great deal in Los Angeles in recent years, where he has collaborated with some of Hollywood’s top voice talent in over fifteen Warner Bros shows, including looney Tunes and The Flintstones.
Wilbur D’Costa
STRATEGIC PARTNER & STUDIO HEAD
On most days, Wil thinks he’s Portuguese. Don’t be fooled by the surname, he’s not.
Wilbur is an avid music buff who consumes all things musical. Before starting his own studio in Dubai, he spent 10 years at Young & Rubicam picking up multiple awards along the way and eventually becoming regional creative director.
The pull of music however proved too strong for him to stay in the agency life and now he ‘sings for his supper’. With his strong experience from years spent battling in the trenches of advertising, Wilbur brings magic and creative spin to sound design and music production.
Wilbur’s Dubai Studio is a multi-award winning audio powerhouse with some of the best engineers and sound designers in the region under its roof. After many years of working with Ben as a client and talent, he is proud to be part of Mr. Ben’s Voice Box.
