The Singing and Acting Handbook Games and Exercises for the Performer

This book directly addresses all performers who sing and act, whether in opera, musical theatre or music-theatre. By looking beyond the separate acts of singing and acting the performer builds up a greater awareness of how the two interrelate to form a single powerful expression. Using games, exercises and discussion, this book takes a stimulating approach to the demands made upon today's performers, and will equip both the experienced professional and the student to take full advantage of rehearsal and performance. With advice on approaches to learning music, interpreting scores, and building characters, it provides a long-awaited innovative resource for performers, directors, workshop leaders and teachers.

This book is an unique resource which directly addresses all performers who sing and act, whether in opera, musical theatre or music-theatre. By looking beyond the separate acts of singing and acting the performer builds up a greater awareness of how the two interrelate to form a single powerful expression. Using games, exercises and discussion, The Singing and Acting Handbook takes a stimulating approach to the demands made upon today's performers, and will equip both the experienced professional and the student to take full advantage of rehearsal and performance. With advice on approaches to learning music, interpreting scores, and building characters, it provides a long-awaited innovative resource for performers, directors, workshop leaders and teachers.

Preface -- Acknowledgements -- Part One Introduction -- 1 Singing and acting in performance -- Introduction -- Music and Drama -- The Structure of Sung Theatre -- The Past, the Present and the Challenge -- Terminology -- The Performer -- The Fundamental Disciplines -- The Indivisible Expression -- Using the Exercises -- The Workshop Process -- The Leader and the Workshop Process -- Part Two The Exercises -- 2 The fundamental disciplines -- Preparing the Ground -- Relaxation -- Exercise 1 -- Dissociation -- Exercise 2 -- Visualisation -- Exercises 3–4 -- Warming-up -- Exercises 5–6 -- Energising -- Exercises 7–14 -- Concentration -- Exercises 15–23 -- Awareness -- Exercises 24–39 -- Imagination and Spontaneity -- Exercises 40–47 -- 3 Rhythm, pulse and time -- Rhythm and Time -- Exercise 48 -- Pulse -- Exercises 49–60 -- Musical Structure -- Exercises 61–64 -- Sustaining a Moment -- Exercises 65–69 -- Using Rhythm and Pulse to Create Emotion -- 4 Music, text and the score -- Approaching the Score -- Learning the Score -- Interpreting the Score -- Exercise 70 -- The Relationship between Text and Music -- Exercises 71–75 -- Exploring the Sound and Word Association -- Exercises 76–79 -- Being Present -- Exercises 80–86 -- Dialogue, Recitative and Heightened Text -- Exercises 87–92 -- 5 Character, emotion and sound -- Character -- Music and Character -- Exercises 93–99 -- Acting in Sung Theatre -- Exercises 100–101 -- Gesture -- Exercises 102–106 -- Eye Language and Focus -- Exercises 107–108 -- Emotion -- Exercises 109–119 -- 6 Conclusion -- Appendix: Figures 1–28 -- Bibliography -- Index of games and exercises by title and destination

Thomas de Mallet Burgess works internationally as a freelance director and workshop leader in opera, musicals and spoken theatre. In the UK he has worked for the Royal Opera House, Opera North, Welsh National Opera, the Royal Academy of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Nicholas Skilbeck works internationally as a musical director, composer, vocal coach and pianist. He has worked for Cameron Mackintosh as Musical Director of Cafsand has led workshops in opera and musical theatre for Opera North, the Studio des Varietes in Paris, and the Royal Academy of Music.