I began coaching dialect, acting and working with poets and other writers in presentation of their own work a few years after I completed my two-year postgraduate training at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, where I had been lucky enough to study with noted speech teacher Francis Thomas, among many other excellent instructors there. Previously, I trained in dialect, voice and speech at Northwestern University School of Communication (then called School of Speech) in Evanston, Illinois under Dr. Bonnie Raphael. She worked predominantly with Kristin Linklater's techniques. I also studied Acting with Bud Beyer and Interpretation with Dr. Frank Galati.
Additionally, I studied acting, voice and Shakespeare for two years with the late Stella Adler at her studio in New York. Stella’s emphasis on sociology and it’s role in script analysis and interpretation has continued to be one of my key influences, and is of direct relevance to my work with dialect, acting coaching and performance coaching for writers.
Further private singing training was taken for several years with David Ralph, a protégé of noted New York singing teacher Felix Knight. Other influences include three years part-time study at the Michael Chekhov Studio in New York, classes in the Feldenkrais Method, workshops with director Anne Bogart and classes in verse speaking at Riverside Shakespeare. I have also attended numerous workshops in speech and movement here in London on an ongoing basis.
In addition to my work coaching dialect, acting and presentation, I am a professional actress with credits in feature and short films, television, radio, voiceovers and theatre including West End. This helps me to understand the pressures of time and process facing many of my students, and aids me in giving them the tools they need.
The 2013 edition of "Contacts" published by Spotlight carries a brief article I wrote on dialect for their information pages.
(My link on Spotlight http://www.spotlight.com/2010-5643-2269 )
Additionally, I studied acting, voice and Shakespeare for two years with the late Stella Adler at her studio in New York. Stella’s emphasis on sociology and it’s role in script analysis and interpretation has continued to be one of my key influences, and is of direct relevance to my work with dialect, acting coaching and performance coaching for writers.
Further private singing training was taken for several years with David Ralph, a protégé of noted New York singing teacher Felix Knight. Other influences include three years part-time study at the Michael Chekhov Studio in New York, classes in the Feldenkrais Method, workshops with director Anne Bogart and classes in verse speaking at Riverside Shakespeare. I have also attended numerous workshops in speech and movement here in London on an ongoing basis.
In addition to my work coaching dialect, acting and presentation, I am a professional actress with credits in feature and short films, television, radio, voiceovers and theatre including West End. This helps me to understand the pressures of time and process facing many of my students, and aids me in giving them the tools they need.
The 2013 edition of "Contacts" published by Spotlight carries a brief article I wrote on dialect for their information pages.
(My link on Spotlight http://www.spotlight.com/2010-5643-2269 )