Ghosts of Ripon

David Ault has spent the better part of two decades proving that the distance between a telescope and a stage is shorter than one might think. With 2026 marking a double-decade milestone in both his voice acting career and his work with the Jodcast, David continues to occupy the peculiar, fertile ground where astrophysics meets high drama.

His journey is a bit of a theatrical picaresque: from a degree in maths and astrophysics to the boards of drama school, and a six-month stint performing Shakespeare across India. Since then, he has become a foundational pillar of the audio fiction world. Whether he is lending his voice to the award-winning NoSleep Podcast, navigating the frozen terrors of The White Vault, or co-hosting the atmospheric Shadows at the Door, David’s work is defined by a precision that only a scientific mind—and a childhood spent memorising The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy—could produce.

Based in the cathedral city of Ripon, North Yorkshire, David is as likely to be found leading a candlelit ghost walk through ancient snickets as he is narrating the Sufi wisdom of Idries Shah for Audible. He remains a dedicated science communicator and private tutor, bridging the gap between technical complexity and human connection. As Bahaudin Naqshband once suggested, "Our way is that of companionship, and in company is our prosperity." For David, every story—whether told under a planetarium dome or in a darkened recording booth—is an act of profound connection, transcending the binary of the real and the artificial.

The obelisk is in the Market Square, opposite the Tourist Information Centre