techniques for singing and acting

A set of acting and presentational skills developed particularly for singers, to increase range and confidence on the operatic stage as well as on the concert and audition platforms.

Every singer today knows that he or she is expected to be as good an actor as a singer and how lucky we, as audiences, are that it is so. But are the challenges for singers exactly the same as for actors in the straight theatre? Is it fair to expect all singers also to be natural stage animals? And if they are not, what is the right approach to help the inexperienced or self-conscious performer who has lots of vocal and musical talent but is one twirl short of a pirouette on stage?

My first attempts on stage were made at music college (RNCM) where I was lucky to be given many hours of tutoring by a distinguished teacher, the late Sheila Barlow. What she taught me and others at the RNCM, based on the teachings of the influential French teacher and philosopher Francois DelSarte, gave me a tool kit - and in emergencies a first aid box - in my approach to every role I have performed since and on which I have built my career as an opera singer. In addition, over time, the acting process became natural and spontaneous and hence enjoyable and rewarding too.

As my repertoire broadened and I came into contact with numerous directors and a greater variety of roles I became increasingly convinced of the value of this early work and the need for it to continue and be made available to others. But where to find it?

This approach assumes that we are not necessarily born with the full dramatic range that we may be called upon to interpret and that factors such as physique, background, culture and temperament all play a part in restricting as well as informing us as actors.  The object of A Singer Prepares is to identify and isolate those parts of the performer which are not fully expressive and to make them more eloquent. Perhaps the problem is a habitually awkward stance. Perhaps it is a case of wooden-looking hands or stiff posture. Or maybe it is just a stylistic problem. The aim is that the student learns to articulate his or her body better on stage through exercises, discussion and extensive observation, but in a safe teaching environment far from the glare of the rehearsal room or the stage.

The worlds of opera and music theatre make very specific demands on their interpreters. Women are required to play young men.  Young men have to be able to play old men.  Dramatic timing is heavily dictated to by music, and then there are all the notes to sing.  A Singer Prepares tackles these particular issues and nurtures acting skills which give the performer confidence and freedom on stage.

For further details click here to email.

 © Christine Botes 2005

 design by basic-sites