Doing Shakespeare: Myth #4
/This is the fourth in our series of why you’re wrong to be afraid of auditioning for As You Like It at Newnan Theatre Company, Jan 26–27.
Myth #4: You have to have a British accent to do Shakespeare.
I mean, look at these:
Such yummy tones, such delicious plummy BBC voices!
Honey, please.
Of course all this sounds rich and luxurious to us, but we are not highly trained British actors and my experience has been that most attempts at Received Pronunciation by those who are not trained in it are mostly a disaster. (And even if you have a Celia who can pull it off, where does that leave Rosalind and Orlando?)
So we don’t need or use British accents. Never have, never will.
The magic of Bill’s language does not reside in its pronunciation—it resides in the energy of the words, the direct emotional outpourings, the tickling of the brain with the imagery and wordplay. Go back and watch those videos again and watch how (particularly in the first two) the actors appear to be… just speaking. No fancy-schmancy “act-ING,” just people.
You can do that with your own voice. Put all your energy into the words, not into how you’re pronouncing them.
This is probably the last of this series. If you want to know more about how Newnan Theatre is going to tackle the Forest of Arden and its denizens, check out the AYLI blog on this website.
LESSON: Do not attempt a British accent, neither at auditions or in rehearsal. You will be told to stop it.
