Zoe Wanamaker discusses playing Beatrice in Shakespeares Much Ado About Nothing, in this ebook taken from Shakespeare On Stage: Volume 2 - Twelve Leading Actors on Twelve Key Roles.In each volume of the Shakespeare On Stage series, a leading actor takes us behind the scenes of a landmark Shakespearean production, recreating in detail their memorable performance in a major role. They lead us through the choices they made in rehearsal, and how the character works in performance, shedding new light on some of the most challenging roles in the canon. The result is a series of individual masterclasses that will be invaluable for other actors and directors, as well as students of Shakespeare and fascinating for audiences of the plays.In this volume, Zoe Wanamaker discusses playing the role of Beatrice in Nicholas Hytners production of Much Ado About Nothing at the National Theatre, London, in 2007.This interview, together with the others in the series (with actors such as Ian McKellen, Simon Russell Beale, Alan Rickman and Fiona Shaw), is also available in the collection Shakespeare On Stage: Volume 2 - Twelve Leading Actors on Twelve Key Roles by Julian Curry, with a foreword by Nicholas Hytner.

Packed with insights from a lifetime of directing theatre, Words into Action is a fascinating read and a vital masterclass for actors and directors.Renowned theatre director William Gaskill was one of the founders of the Royal Court, whose ethos, as Christopher Hampton says in his Foreword, this book goes a long way towards defining.Gaskills acclaimed work as a director always began with the words of the playwright, and here, starting with a chapter on Trusting the Writer, he takes the actor through the vital steps needed to find the life of the play and then to articulate it on stage.Drawing instances from his own work in the theatre and from teaching at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he looks at action and intention, stillness and movement, sentences and rhetoric, punctuation and pauses. He pays detailed attention to staging Shakespeares plays, and there are also chapters on masks, on language as character, and on verse and prose. Gaskill was, says Maggie Smith, the best teacher in the world.

A practical investigation of how comedy works, by a well-respected practitioner and teacher. With a Foreword by Toby Jones.Comedy is recognised as one of the most problematic areas of performances. For that reason, it is rarely written about in any systematic way. John Wright, founder of Trestle Theatre and Told by an Idiot, brings a wide range of experience of physical comedy to this unique exploration of comedy and comedic techniques.The book opens with an analysis of the different kinds of laughter that can be provoked by performance. This is followed by the main part of the book: games and exercises devised to demonstrate and investigate the whole range of comic possibilities open to a performer.Why Is That So Funny? is an invaluable book for teachers and performers, and a fascinating read for anyone interested in how comedy works.

Only what is open and searching is active and alive. You, the actor, must learn to find security in insecurity, certainty in uncertainty, to trust that this will lead to discovery and growth.In What Actors Do, revered theatre director Mike Alfreds explores the wellspring of the actors craft, tracing a pathway to creative freedom through the thickets of competing methodologies and confusing paradoxes that you will face throughout your training and career.How do you give life to a character that both is and isnt yourself? How can you be childlike and open in your work without becoming childish? How, when you know whats coming next, can you still be spontaneous?Frank, uncompromising and full of sharply focused insights, this book will help you strip away the inhibitions and habitual thinking that can shackle our imaginations. It will show you how to generate truthful performances by trusting your inner creativity and remaining radically open, responsive and present in every moment.Mike Alfreds has been directing plays for more than seventy years. In the 1970s he founded Shared Experience, and has since worked for the National Theatre, Shakespeares Globe, the Royal Shakespeare Company and also extensively abroad. He is hugely respected within the profession, and is the author of two previous books, Different Every Night and Then What Happens?If I was allowed to train again to be an actor, but I was only allowed one teacher, it would have to be Mike Alfreds. To me he is a genius when it comes to acting and storytellingMark Rylance

Esta es la historia de mi vida desde mis años mozos a la actualidad. De todo se trata en estos retazos de memorias, en los que cuento historias, chascarrillos, anécdotas y vicisitudes que hemos experimentado a lo largo, y tambien a lo ancho, de estos años. Y nos ha pasado de todo: desde actuar en una carcel, a que nos pongan una bomba en un teatro; desde ser cantante en Londres, a luchar contra la guerra de Irak y lo que nos queda.

Verdadero y falso es una granada de mano en forma de libro, diseñada para dinamitar el teatro pretencioso y deshonesto que se practica hoy en día. Sunday TimesPublicado en 1998 por primera vez, Verdadero y falso se ha convertido en un titulo de referencia para el actor y el creador actuales, que a menudo, se encuentran atrapados entre su propio oficio y el negocio del espectaculo. Este libro se dirige al actor de una forma tan sincera como irreverente, Arremete contra las vacas sagradas de la interpretacion -especialmente contra los valedores del metodo Stanislavski y los agentes del negocio teatral- y propone en cambio nuevas formas de valorar y acercarse a un personaje, de trabajar un texto, de enfocar los ensayos y las audiciones y de sobrevivir, con la maxima cordura, en el negocio de la interpretacion conservando y protegiendo tanto la dignidad personal como el compromiso actoral.Mamet apela al coraje que requiere mostrarse en escena como acto en si, sin añadidos, y disecciona, con su mordacidad habitual, las razones por las que un actor no debe asistir ni a escuelas ni a cursos de interpretacion. Desbancando los lugares comunes, proporciona a la vez una valiosa orientacion para que el actor pueda sacar lo mejor de su oficio.

En este texto, fruto de más de cuarenta años dedicados a la formación de actores, Uta Hagen define los objetivos que debe perseguir un actor y proporciona las técnicas específicas para lograrlos. Así, plantea ahondar en los sentidos fisicos y en la propia psicologia para ofrecer una buena interpretacion, y propone ejercicios que permiten recrear emociones autenticas en escena. Gran conocedora de las dificultades con que se enfrenta un actor al dar vida a un personaje, ofrece tambien soluciones a dificultades concretas como la forma de recrear el aire libre en la escena, encontrar una ocupacion mientras se espera en el escenario, hablar con el publico, aprender a usar la imaginacion historica y ser capaz de interpretar personajes de epoca con autentica conviccion. En definitiva, Uta Hagen ofrece un sinnumero de ayudas practicas que han hecho de ella una de las pedagogas mas influyentes de Estados Unidos, con alumnos tan destacados como Geraldine Page y Jack Lemmon, y de Un reto para el actor un bestseller en lo que a aprendizaje teatral se refiere.

Three English art students in Paris (Taffy, Laird, and William Bagot alias Little Billee) meet musicians Svengali and Gecko and the artists model and laundress Trilby OFerrall.Trilby is cheerful, kindhearted, bohemian, and completely tone-deaf. Yet despite being off-key, her singing voice nonetheless has an impressive quality. The Englishmen and Trilby become friends. Svengali tries to persuade Trilby to let him train her voice, but she finds him repulsive and even frightening. She and Little Billee fall in love, but his scandalized relatives get her to promise to leave him. She leaves Paris with her little brother, who later dies of scarlet fever. Trilby then falls under Svengalis influence. He hypnotises her and transforms her into a diva, La Svengali. Under his spell, Trilby becomes a talented singer, performing always in an amnesiac trance. Five years later, Little Billee is a famous painter. He, Laird and Taffy recognise Trilby as she performs at a concert. Trilby sings beautifully but does not appear to be in good health. What will happen to Trilby now? Will she and Svengali have a happy ending? Read on!

Tim Pigott-Smith discusses playing Leontes, in this ebook taken from Shakespeare On Stage: Thirteen Leading Actors in Thirteen Key Roles.In each volume of the Shakespeare On Stage series, a leading actor takes us behind the scenes, recreating in detail a memorable performance in one of Shakespeares major roles. They discuss their character, working through the play scene by scene, with refreshing candour and in forensic detail. The result is a masterclass on playing the role, invaluable for other actors and directors, as well as students of Shakespeare and fascinating for audiences of the play. In this volume, Tim Pigott-Smith discusses playing Leontes in Sir Peter Halls production of The Winters Tale at the National Theatre in 1988. This interview, together with the others in the series (with actors such as Judi Dench, Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart), is also available in the collection Shakespeare On Stage: Thirteen Leading Actors on Thirteen Key Roles by Julian Curry, with a foreword by Trevor Nunn.

A step-by-step guide to Physical Theatre in both theory and practice - full of detailed exercises and inspiring ideas. In Through the Body, based on twelve years of teaching physical theatre, Dymphna Callery introduces the reader to the principles behind the work of certain key 20th-century theatre practitioners (Artaud, Grotowski, Meyerhold, Brook and Lecoq, among others) and offers exercises by which their theories can be turned into practice and their principles explored in action. The book takes the form of a series of workshops starting with the preparation of the body through Awareness, Articulation, Energy and Neutrality. A section on Mask-work is followed by further work on the body, investigating Presence, Complicite, Play, Audience, Rhythm, Sound and E-motion.The book - and the work - culminates in sections on Devising and on the Physical Text. There is also a thorough bibliography and a contact list of training courses in the UK and abroad.This book offers everything you have ever wanted to know about Physical Theatre. It is very detailed but at the same time very easy to understand. It breaks down every topic to short paragraphs which are informative and simple. A must for any theatre student or lecturer for that matter! Amazon readers review

A practical investigation into story-theatre and the art of telling stories through theatre, by the renowned director who founded Shared Experience Theatre Company.In Then What Happens?, Mike Alfreds makes the case for putting story and storytelling back at the heart of theatre. He explores the whole process of adapting for the stage, and investigates the particular techniques - many of them highly sophisticated - that actors require when performing story-theatre.The book includes over two hundred exercises, improvisations and workshops dealing with the practical aspects of story-theatre, such as building an ensemble, creating a physical vocabulary, and transforming written narrative into drama. It draws on examples ranging from traditional legends and folklore, through the works of Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and Evelyn Waugh, to contemporary fiction. Alfreds shows how each story demands its own particular set of dramatic choices, opening up endless possibilities for performance.Then What Happens? - like the authors tremendously successful first book, Different Every Night - will be invaluable to directors and actors, to dramatists working in the field of adaptation, to those devising and working from improvisation, and to any theatregoer who has been moved by the power of an unfolding story to ask: Then what happens?All theatre directors know that good narrative is the secret of good theatre, but few have as distinctive, rigorous and exceptional a method of exploring that secret as does Mike Alfreds. His system of working, and his thoughts on the making of theatre in our time, are as crucial and illuminating as those of Stanislavsky and Peter Brook have been to generations of theatre enthusiasts and practitioners. Michael Coveney

The vital building blocks of movement training a key sourcebook for actors, directors, students and teachers.In precise detail, Darley sets out the exercises and techniques she developed with her own drama-school students. She deals with the vital building blocks of movement training: awareness, relaxation, tensionparticularly Lecoqs Seven Statesand suspension, before progressing to areas in which she was a pioneer: animal work, contact work, visual spacing, and the relationship between voice and movement.Christian was much more than a teacher, she was an indomitable and extraordinary spirit Anna Maxwell Martin

ACTINGis a vast and relatively unknown subject... for many. And yet millions are fascinated by it. Why? The answer is because this all-encompassing human art form is as fundamental to the self-actualisation of a human being as reading, writing and maths. We sense this. We know it. Surely the possession of such knowledge would be of great advantage in any profession,in any walk of life, and not just the preserve of stage and film?Why are we not taught these playful and transformative skills in school? This book uncovers why, and reveals top acting secrets, techniques and games that will dramatically change the way you see yourself and the world around you. This is a wonderfully helpful book regarding the importance of adults learning to play again, in order to free themselves from the oppressive everyday tramlines we follow... Josephine is a great inspiration to many people and this book will show you why. Peter Richardson- founder of the COMIC STRIP troupeSculptress of the creative spirit, enkindling in even our most timid selves a passion for play, interconnectedness, listening, ritual and generosity on all of lifes stages,Josephine is an indelible force of love and wisdom, at once ready for a fit of laughteror all hell to break loose. For her teachings and humanity, my immeasurable gratitude! Watch out for that fourth wall; you might fall through it reading this book. Seumas F. Sargent, Performer, Blue Man Group, Berlin Youre a rock, an inspiration, a star-I wish to the heavens Id had teachers like you when I was at school! My God, I could have done anything. Richard Down- a player My life changed beyond all recognition during the last four years coming to your classes with many, many challenges. The safe loving environment you created has been a great source of strength-even when I have been unable to attend! It has been a very important part of my liberation. Louise Gough- a player

The book all actors need a vital manual to help you stay balanced in an increasingly demanding industry Miranda HartThe Jobbing Actor is an innovative six-week coaching programme designed by accredited coaches to help you achieve your acting ambitions. Its not just another how to guide telling you what you already know; its a professional self-development programme thats high on impact and low on bullshit.Week by week, it will guide you through a structured series of industry-focused and holistic exercises and challenges. Full of uplifting advice and practical hints and tips, it covers every aspect of building and sustaining a career from auditions and self-taping, through dealing with rejection and other trip-ups, to networking, branding and diversifying. Also included are daily journal pages in which youll set your targets and goals, and track your progress.Inspiring, empowering and fun! The Jobbing Actor is your own personal coach in handy paperback form. Itll empower you to take stock of where you are personally and professionally, instigate long-term, positive change, and reclaim ownership of your career.Anita Gilbert and Letty Butler (aka Bert & Butler) have between them over forty years experience in the business. Anita has worked as a professional actor, as well as a theatrical agent, and is now a full-time voice and accent coach. Letty is a jobbing actor and comedienne, with extensive credits for stage and screen. Shes also an award-winning writer and professional life coach.Brilliant. A godsend to actors! Eleanor TomlinsonNo-nonsense, practical advice delivered with humour, warmth and a real desire to help actors succeed Peter Hunt (Head of Casting, Lime Pictures)

A practical guide to conducting improvisation sessions, for teachers, directors and workshop leaders.***Comes with a full set of improvisation cards to use in any improvisation sessionThe Improvisation Book takes you step-by-step, session-by-session through a graded series of improvisation exercises. Starting with the very first class, it adds a new element at each stage until even the most inhibited students have gained a full vocabulary of improvisational techniques.

An engaging, upbeat guide for any student thinking of applying to drama school. If youre thinking of applying to drama school, The Excellent Audition Guide will give you everything you need to prepare well and perform your audition to the best of your ability. Experienced actor, director and drama teacher Andy Johnson leads you through every step of the application process: Researching drama schools Writing personal statements and CVs Choosing and working on your speeches and songs Brushing up technical and vocal skills And, of course: How to tackle the auditions themselves by being true to yourself and making fear your friend A reassuring, encouraging how to book that demystifies an often scary-looking process, The Excellent Audition Guide is ideal not just for applicants themselves, but also for parents, teachers and careers advisors looking to help them fulfill their acting ambitions.Smart, dynamic and inspiring, this is an invaluable book for anyone thinking of trying for drama school Michael SimkinsTheres only one book in the world I would read about getting into drama school and doing good auditions. Its this one. Vanessa Kirby (Great Expectations, Labyrinth, Three Sisters, Jupiter Ascending)This book is accurate and beautifully concise. I wish Andys written wisdom had been with me when I was applying to drama school. Freddie Fox (Guildhall School of Music and Drama, The Judas Kiss, Hay Fever, The Mystery of Edwin Drood)

We are all a complex mixture of the elemental energies identified by many different cultures throughout history: Earth, Air, Fire, Water and a fifth element called Quintessence or Spirit. As an actor, you need to be able to access each of them, so that you can draw on whichever element you need to bring your role fully into life.In The Elemental Actor, Mel Churcher explores these deep, primal drives, and gives you practical tools to harness them to make your work more powerful and alive. Her unique approach combines elements of actor training, voice work and movement to increase your range and help you bring depth, specificity and intensity to your performance.The book includes over one hundred games and exercises to help you explore each of the elements, incorporate this work into your practice, and apply it to the world of your role. There are also tips for preparing for auditions and dealing with performance anxiety, as well as advice on how to stay healthy in body, voice and mind.Offering an everlasting palette that will enrich any performance, whether on stage or screen, The Elemental Actor will help you release the wellspring of your imagination, and put elemental power into your work.Mel Churcher is an international acting, dialogue and voice coach who has worked with companies including the Royal National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, Regents Park Open Air Theatre, Shakespeares Globe, Young Vic, Royal Court Theatre and Graeae Theatre Company. She is one of the top acting and dialogue coaches in TV and movies, and has worked with some of the biggest stars of stage and screen.

This empowering and accessible guide offers dyslexic actors a range of techniques to tackle common challenges, improve your creative practice, and fulfil your ambitions.Inside, youll find loads of practical information and advice on:Understanding your dyslexic identity so you can learn and perform at your best, and unlock your full potential. Developing the key skills you need as an actor with tools to help you master each of them, such as text work, line-learning, movement, voice, Shakespeare and more. Managing your acting career including preparing for auditions, thriving in rehearsals, taking care of your emotional wellbeing, and organising your time and finances. Each section sets out clear goals and strategies to help you progress, and many of the tools are supported by online video content. Theres also guidance for anyone who works with and supports dyslexic actors such as teachers, directors, parents and fellow creatives.The Dyslexic Actors Toolkit will show you how to harness your own strengths and abilities to overcome obstacles, build your confidence, and achieve lasting success in your career.Ive been working with Deborah for over ten years and her strategies for dyslexic actors are just great. This book is brilliant she takes the complicated and makes it simple. Kara Tointon (EastEnders, Mr Selfridge, The Teacher)Deborah Groves is an acting and arts accessibility coach, and a creative enabler, who works primarily with neurodiverse stage and screen actors, writers and dancers. She has worked with leading organisations such as the Royal Court Theatre, Shakespeares Globe, Almeida Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, Paramount Pictures and Netflix, as well as with many UK drama schools.

This carefully crafted ebook: "The Complete Speeches of Mark Twain" is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents. In addition to being a great novelist, Mark Twain was one of the most popular public speakers of his day. This collection brings together in a single volume the complete collected speeches of Mark Twain which was first published in 1871. Table of Contents: The Story Of A Speech; Plymouth Rock And The Pilgrims; Compliments And Degrees; Books, Authors, And Hats; Dedication Speech; Die Schrecken Der Deutschen Sprache [The Horrors Of The German Language]; German For The Hungarians; A New German Word; Unconscious Plagiarism; The Weather; The Babies; Our Children And Great Discoveries; Educating Theatre-Goers; The Educational Theatre; Poets As Policemen; Puddnhead Wilson Dramatized; Daly Theatre; The Dress Of Civilized Woman; Dress Reform And Copyright; College Girls; Girls; The Ladies; Womans Press Club; Votes For Women; Woman-An Opinion; Advice To Girls; Taxes And Morals; Tammany And Croker; Municipal Corruption; Municipal Government; China And The Philippines; Theoretical Morals; Laymans Sermon; University Settlement Society; Public Education Association; Education And Citizenship; Courage; The Dinner To Mr. Choate; On Stanley And Livingstone; Henry M. Stanley; Dinner To Mr. Jerome; Henry Irving; Dinner To Hamilton W. Mabie; Introducing Nye And Riley; Dinner To Whitelaw Reid; Rogers And Railroads; The Old-Fashioned Printer; Society Of American Authors; Reading-Room Opening; Literature; Disappearance Of Literature; The New York Press Club Dinner; The Alphabet And Simplified Spelling; Spelling And Pictures; Books And Burglars; Authors Club; Booksellers; "Mark Twains First Appearance"; Morals And Memory; Queen Victoria; Joan Of Arc; Accident Insurance Etc.

A practical, hands-on guide - for actors, directors, teachers and students - to Brechts theory and practice of theatre, with a full set of exercises to help put theory into practice.The Complete Brecht Toolkit examines, one by one, Brechts many, sometimes contradictory ideas about theatre - and how he put them into practice. Here are explanations of all the famous key terms, such as Alienation Effect, Epic Theatre and Gestus, as well as many others which go to make up what we think of as Brechtian theatre.The book also explores the practical application of these theories in Acting, Language, Music, Design and Direction.Also included are fifty exercises contributed by Julian Jones, to help student actors investigate Brechts ideas for themselves, becoming thoroughly familiar with the tools in the Brecht toolkit.