Whaddup. I'm a performer (currently in Fawlty Towers in the West End). AND I run a business. Because art and commerce can exist together. Quite successfully, in fact. If you're an audience-facing professional, and you want the tips, tricks and techniques used by theatre performers all over the world, then this is the place for you. This is where you get confident, you get charisma, and you start owning the room in a whole new way. This is Showing Up 2.0. It's a vibe.
Gandalf, Al Pacino and YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH
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๐๐๐ You can listen to this email here: We Must Have Art Jack Nicholson.mp3โ --- There are three major moments in film history that I LOVE. They are POWER. The first is Gandalf in The Fellowship of the Ring. He turns to face the Balrog on the Bridge of Khazad-dรปm in Moria. And he commands, from deep within his soul..."You shall not pass!" It's probably the most iconic moment from all three of the films. โ โ The second is a simple, polysyllabic utterance from Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman, but again, it's iconic-ness reigns supreme. It is merely, 'Hoo-ah!' โ โ And the third is Jack Nicholson's monologue in A Few Good Men. He starts it with 'You can't HANDLE the truth' and then goes on to make cinematic monologue history. โ โ Here's what these moments have in common... They are the epitome of the kind of breath and vocal work that makes audiences stop and lean in and want more. Those sounds coming from those three actors in those films, aren't simply coming from the voice. They are coming from years and years of focused breathwork and robust diaphragmatic strength. Which means that they weren't BORN able to create that kind of power with their voices. They learned how to do it. Which means you can learn how to do it too. If you're someone who has to speak in front of other people, there's a chance that that makes you nervous. When we get nervous, we can lose breath control. And when that happens, we lose vocal control. So, when you get nervous, you HAVE to control your breath. It is vital. It is everything. Stage performers, especially, understand this. We understand that our breath is the most powerful tool we have when performing for an audience. It reduces our nerves. It strengthens our voice. It tightens the diaphragm. And that's when that 'undefinable' thing starts to bubble. Charisma. You'll hear people say that charisma can't be taught. And those people would be right. It can't be taught. But there are things you can PRACTISE that open a pathway for charisma to begin to creep down. And breath is the first thing. So, here's what I want you to do. Right now. And then every single day after right now. โ Stand on your two feet, hip distance apart. Relax your knees (if you lock your knees, you lock your voice) Make sure your pelvis is nice and centred, with your spine stacked over your pelvis and your head bobbing on top of your spine like a balloon. Inhale deeply through your nose - as you inhale, the breath should fill your STOMACH. NOT YOUR CHEST. Inhale on a count of five, exhale on a count of five. Do this five times. The key here is to bring the air into your stomach (it should inflate like a balloon as you inhale, and deflate when you exhale.) โ If you repeat this every single day, you will strengthen your diaphragm and you will increase your lung capacity. And that means your voice will get stronger and your nerves will be controlled. โ Now, because it's the We Must Have Art edition, here is the beauty of a performer entirely connected to this breath, his voice, and the story he is telling. Have a beautiful weekend! โ |
Behind the Curtain
Whaddup. I'm a performer (currently in Fawlty Towers in the West End). AND I run a business. Because art and commerce can exist together. Quite successfully, in fact. If you're an audience-facing professional, and you want the tips, tricks and techniques used by theatre performers all over the world, then this is the place for you. This is where you get confident, you get charisma, and you start owning the room in a whole new way. This is Showing Up 2.0. It's a vibe.
One of the most important things I learned when I was studying voice and performance is this: If your knees are locked, your voice is locked. And it's true. When you stand in front of an audience, take notice of what your knees are doing. If they're locked - I can guarantee you that your voice will be locked too. Here's why: Locking your knees shifts your weight and can lead to shallow breathing. When this happens, it can restrict the proper use of your diaphragm for breath support. And if...
GOOD MORNING, Reader! It's been a couple of weeks! But I am back. I can't say I'm raring to go. That would be a lie and I'd never lie to you. I'm more...in tabletop position to go. Like a horse would be if it wasn't raring. I've been in South Africa for two weeks and it's been absolutely wonderful - but also pretty full-on with family and friends and commitments and dinners and mini-breaks to the bush. Now, I'm back in London, the Fawlty Towers tour has kicked off in Bromley, and I'm planning...
You can listen to this email here: We Must Have Art Apartheid.mp3 I don't have a specific piece of art for you today, Reader. I'm sorry. Rather, I have some musings on why it's so important that we HAVE art. So, I'm going to try and share that with you coherently, on a day, and at a time when I don't feel very coherent at all. I feel quite sad and overwhelmed and helpless. Here we go... I grew up during Apartheid in South Africa. It was a very dark time, the '80s. We really were on the brink...