The Need for Words: Voice and the Text (Performance Books) - Hardcover

Patsy Rodenburg

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0413675009 ISBN 13: 9780413675002

Publisher: Methuen Drama, 1993

Synopsis

Words are power. They are alive and liberating. Yet so many people have lost their connection to spoken language. People fear metaphor, distrust eloquence, undervalue the ability to speak or to read aloud. Patsy Rodenburg takes up how people speak, what is spoken and the impact of spoken words in this companion volume to her "The Right to Speak". Part one sifts through all the blocks that deny people access to language and shows how to release them. Part two contains a series of exercises, "Working with the Text". The language of Shakespeare, Romantic poetry, contemporary prose and numerous other text examples are used to prompt the reader to find his or her own unique need for words. This book reaches out to performers, writers, students teachers, business people, politicians and to everybody who must speak in public.

About this title

About the Author

Patsy Rodenburg is Head of Voice at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and was formerly at the Royal National Theatre. She trained in Voice Studies at the Central School of Speech and Drama and is recognized as one of the world's leading voice and acting coaches. Previously, Patsy was in residence with the Royal Shakespeare Company for nine years and also worked with the Royal Court Theatre, the Donmar Warehouse and the Almeida Theatre, London. She has worked extensively with many of the great world theatres including the Moscow Art Theatre, Complicite, Cheek by Jowl and Comedie-Francaise. Patsy has worked regularly with some of the best-known actors and biggest names in theatre, film and television including: Nicole Kidman, Rachel Weisz, Emily Watson, Jude Law, Tom Wilkinson, Hugh Jackman, Daniel Day-Lewis, Cate Blanchett, Minnie Driver, Kim Cattrall and David Schwimmer.

Review

I know Patsy to be a gifted voice and speech coach. In The Need for Words she provides practical and imaginative means for getting to the heart of the text and making the necessity for the language to be strongly felt by audiences. I do recommend it to anyone who needs to use words with clarity and passion. * Trevor Nunn * Playwrights, a complacent lot, tend to think that their text says it all. Grudgingly conceding the role of the director, they still think the words speak for themselves. They don't, and in this excellent book, Patsy Rodenburg shows why. * Alan Bennett * The Need for Words is an astonishing book. It takes you on an extraordinary voyage of discovery through the worlds of language and texts. Every actor and non-actor should know it and read it. * Declan Donnellan *

Edition details

• Publisher: Methuen Drama
• Publication date: 1993
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0413675009
• ISBN 13: 9780413675002
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 266