VOCAL WARM UP:

All lessons are tailored to each student's needs. However, all students will start the session with a vocal warm up. This helps students begin to use their voice as an instrument to enhance their performance. It also allows students to relax and perform with more freedom. My lessons are one hour long and I work with students of all levels.

ACTING LESSONS:

At it’s heart, acting is storytelling. As a graduate of LAMDA, my tutoring process begins with finding the truth of the script through analysis. First and foremost, I encourage my students to think about what their character wants and why they are speaking these words.

Once children and teenagers have a clear understanding of the script they’re working with they are able to get creative and deliver powerful performances. As someone with a background in improvisation and comedy, I always push my students to try out new things and play with their script with different ways.

I specialise in LAMDA exams, drama school audition preparation and GCSE/A Level drama preparations.

ACTING: "WHAT TO EXPECT?"

After the vocal warm up, we would then move onto working on either a short scene or a monologue. This includes analysis of the text, building characterisation, short improvisations and movement work.

Having auditioned for drama school for several years, I know how daunting the process can be. The competition for drama school auditions can be intense and it’s key to have a mentor who can act as a helping hand along the way.

I am a believer that storytelling is one of the most important skills for an actor. You need to show your panel that you can play for your objective whilst creating the key shifts in the text. Drama schools are ultimately looking for unique actors who have distinct, grounded voices. You have to be ready for the training ahead. I help students to find mature and sophisticated performance styles to show panels that they are ready for the rigorous training.

The process of preparation begins with choosing the right speech. We would test drive several speeches and find one that feels right for your voice. Once we have found your speeches, we would break down the ‘story’. What does your character want? How does their conflict with the other character/s manifest? When are they closest to getting what they want? When are they furthest away? All this can seem quite complicated at first, but once you understand your character’s internal mechanisms, you can begin to play.

Once we understand the text, you can have fun with it. We will work on exercises (some of which are used in auditions) as well as developing skills such as spontaneity, freedom of movement and vocal skills.

Many actors are now being encouraged to create their own work and we are seeing this more and more as being a viable career path. With the likes of Phoebe Waller Bridge (Fleabag), Daisy May Cooper (This Country) and Jamie Demetriou (Stath Lets Flats) paving the way, we are seeing the rise of a different kind of actor, the actor-writer.

In these sessions, we will work on finding your voice as a writer. Every actor has something they want to say and a story they want to tell, our job is to work out what your story is. What are you passionate about? What do you want to say?

Once you have that, I will guide you in taking those first steps towards making your project. We will begin with simple scene building exercises and free writing to unblock that creativity that is ready to be unleashed.

Soon, ideas for your project will begin to build. We will work on structure, narrative archs and creating complex characters. One of the most important things for an actor-writer is having a sounding board, someone to bounce ideas off. Each week, you can slowly but surely build your project with notes to work on for the following week.

I have also been self-producing for the last few years and I am more than happy to answer any questions on producing your own work and getting your work seen by audiences.

My playwriting lessons vary depending on the needs of the specific student.

BEGINNERS

If you are right at the beginning of your playwriting journey, we will start with simple exercises that help put pen to paper and start writing. I will teach you how to structure a short scene and I will encourage you to bring new material each week.

ADVANCED LEARNERS

For those who are more advanced and have bigger projects they are already working on, the session would be tailored towards writing realistic dialogue, creating an overall structure that is engaging and any individual goals the writer has.

THE "INNER CRITIC"

Often, the biggest barrier to writing is the 'inner critic'. Almost every writer hears the internal voice telling them their idea is silly or not good enough. We will combat overcoming any beliefs that may be blocking you as writer.

CREATIVE WRITING FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS

I also do tutoring for children and teenagers who want to explore creative writing. This is a rewarding is skill that is often left out of English Literature education (especially for teenagers). These sessions consist of exploring creative writing through different genres with an introduction to literary devices, dialogue writing, poetry writing and structure.

I also offer tutoring for performance of Verse and Prose. This involves building an awareness of rhythm, shape, tone as well as performance skills such as vocal clarity and body language. This LAMDA exam can also be incredibly transferable for students interested in English Language or Literature as it furthers their knowledge of literary devices.

VERSE AND PROSE: "WHAT TO EXPECT?"

Verse and Prose also begins with a vocal warm up. We would then work in depth on two pieces of verse/ prose where the student will receive feedback and get opportunity to apply it within the session.

LAMDA EXAMS:

As a graduate of LAMDA, I have a thorough knowledge of the LAMDA examinations and what the process is like. I also have tutoring experience with students at varying levels from Entry Level to Grade 8.

Many of my students choose to take the Speaking in Public LAMDA exams. This involves writing and performing a speech or multiple speeches based on a brief and, in the later exams, delivering an impromptu speech that has been prepared in 15 minutes. The LAMDA exam Public Speaking exam is great for building confidence and honing skills for performing, presenting and debating. Not only does LAMDA exams offer UCAs points but they also give students skills that they can help them throughout their lives.

Other students prefer a more tailored lesson. This could focus in on a specific skill they would like to hone. For example, confidence building, debating, improvising or mental agility. All my lessons involve developing vocal/ performance skills such as articulation, tone and pitch, learning how to structure arguments, dealing with pressure, working within time restrictions and developing listening skills.

PUBLIC SPEAKING: "WHAT TO EXPECT?"

All these sessions include a vocal warm up. We would then do some short mental agility exercises where students argue for or against a given statement. Finally, we move onto long form public speaking speeches. These vary between impromptu speeches written the day before to long term speeches where students are asked to research the topic.