Why do words and voices matter?   

I'm a passionate WordPlayer. I love words, and their endless capacity to inform, persuade, amuse, amaze, excite and inspire.

In a society where words are being squeezed from every direction - re-spelled so that they can be texted more quickly; edited into over-simplifications so that they can be tweeted; mangled and abused by politicians and the media to confuse and mislead us - I am, more than ever, convinced of the need for us to keep rediscovering, exploring and playing with the power, precision and pleasure of words.

Where words prevail not, violence prevails. Thomas Kyd

Voices

The human voice is a fantastically flexible, responsive, dynamic instrument. It is capable of an almost infinite variety of expression. It's so sad that many of us get shut off from the joy of using our voices freely, whether because of our own physical or mental tensions, or because of external pressures. Developing the voice can involve a very personal, sensitive journey, so I try to work always from a place of positive, playful curiosity, without judgement, to share the journey.

We can work to release the full potential of your voice; to discover deep, calming, easy breathing; to give you confidence in your vocal presence in the world; and free you to speak with clarity and strength straight from the heart.

Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning. Maya Angelou

Text

With a dozen years as a performer, nearly eight years full time working as a Text and Voice Coach with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and another decade as a freelance theatre practitioner, my greatest joy lies in bringing words to life as they are spoken. We can be fearful of complex language, or poetical thoughts, but in a society where 'soundbite'-size statements reduce everything to limited, black-or-white simplifications we need, more than ever, to try to express ourselves fully and clearly.

We can work on specific text you need to deliver (for work presentations; speeches or poems for weddings or other events; or - for actors - preparation for a role), or you might wish to build your confidence as a speaker by working with a range of texts - poetry, soliloquies or great political speeches - to explore the joy of brilliant writing in a whole new way... out loud.

Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony. Mahatma Gandhi

Bookings

I offer both group workshops and one-to-one sessions. The work will always be tailored to your specific requirements, so do get in touch to discuss what you are looking for.