Return to Mecca
There are three places in the world where I consider myself at total peace. The first is the Drama Bookshop in New York, the second is the National Theatre Bookshop in London, and the last is the twin...
View ArticleA Guest Blog from Joanne Thomson with Lenka Silhanova
Apologies for my recent absence, I’ve been away on holiday in the Midlands and I thought I should do my best to have a REAL holiday. I still squeeze a blog out but normal service will resume from here....
View ArticleSome of my favourite acting performances…
Just for fun, I’m coming back from holiday stasis with some of my favourite performances 1) Jim Carey (in The Majestic) 2) Bill Nighy (in The Girl in the Cafe) 3) Sorcha Ronan (anything) 4) Ingrid...
View ArticleEnough with the Kid’s Games
Much of that which goes by the name of actor training is an entire waste of time. It is pointless games and exercises, with little point beyond amusing and bemusing the participants. These are...
View ArticleYou’re either SWAT, or you’re NOT
And so goes the Mantra, you’re either one of the elite chosen ones, or you’re not. About two thousand years ago now, I published an audio blog on YouTube about why I think Method Acting doesn’t work...
View ArticleJust for Fun
Hey folks As we approach our 500th blog (wow!) I’m minded that I’ve been a bit ranty recently. Let’s have a bit of fun with today’s blog and just go through a few fun facts that are good to know, …...
View ArticleReally Doing Stuff – Part 2 – As If
About 800 years ago, my assistant Ian Watt, a teacher in our studio, wrote a blog about really doing stuff. After a lot of pestering, he’s kindly written Part 2 of that blog, focusing on the area of...
View ArticleMy Romantic History
I’m going to tell you a story, stick with me, there is a point! Once upon a time, I fell in love with a lovely Belgian girl named Cathie. She sat next to me in two classes per week, and … Continue...
View ArticleWho Wrote Shakespeare?
I know it seems a tautology, but people such as Freud, Mark Twain, Charlie Chaplin, Mark Rylance, Derek Jacobi and most recently the director Roland Emmerich believe that someone else did. The...
View ArticleBusking
Most of us are buskers, I say this with the greatest love for actors. Our training provided us with nothing of great value more than the experience of learning how to busk it. We’ve been to school,...
View ArticleThe Secret of Acting
Stop! Before you spend a fortune on an expensive acting workshop that will teach you little but compliance and how to feel mugged, I will give away the secret of acting RIGHT NOW: The secret to acting,...
View ArticleThe Literal
The ‘Literal’ is the first question that we use to approach a scene using the tools of text analysis. The question is: What is my character literally doing in the scene? The trouble is that many people...
View ArticleThe Closed Mind
Many actors have a closed mind when it comes to further training. I don’t blame them, they secretly know that the techniques they were taught in the past, didn’t really work, but because of this,...
View ArticleThink for Yourself
The system that currently exists in terms of Western acting is one of dependency. In the conservatory – the acting school, the university, college or studio – they teach you to obey. They also teach...
View Article3 Ways to Get Organised
You know, I’m a fairly busy guy. Running a successful acting studio, building opportunities out in Sydney, Australia, writing the blog, working on two eBooks, starting a full-time doctorate and trying...
View ArticleActing IS Improvisation
I was once told by a world-famous theatre director that Improvisation is really good for making you a better actor. I was fascinated by the advice and asked how that worked and was staggered by the...
View ArticleWhy I hate Inside the Actors Studio
I always used to get excited whenever there was an episode of the show on TV. James Lipton’s smug little face asking the tough questions, it was great. On the surface it’s brilliant, a wonderful way to...
View ArticleThe 500th Blog – Theatre. Is. Rubbish.
Today is the 500th Blog. Wow. How did we get here? I’m amazed. Pleased, but amazed. So what do I have to say for myself after 500 blogs, I have to say that in the words of my old friend … Continue...
View ArticleStanislavski and Mamet: The Core Difference
Often people who already have actor training or teach acting and have read Mamet’s True and False, are curious about how our approach differs to the more traditional Stanislavski approach. Mamet’s...
View ArticleI’m sorry I can’t write your essay for you… But
Once a week (sometimes more), almost every week, I get a very polite email asking for help with an essay, dissertation or thesis. I love getting emails, I like to help, I welcome it but… Some of you...
View Article
