WEEK ONE, Day Five: HOW TO TALK

Reuben Sandwich. NYC classic.

Speak in you best American accent, the voice coach is in and his American accent is amazing. Wonder if he actually is American, wish that you had spent more time watching American TV last night rather than researching what is in a Reuben sandwich and then preceding to buy the ingredients to make one. Pastrami and gherkins at midnight was not such a good idea. Learn that by definition speech is short, broken and intense and that Americans generally use loudness to emphasise words. If you want someone to hear it shout it. Also note that Americans generally speak on the opposite rhythm to the British. Emphasis comes at the beginning of the sentence and will often trail off at the end. Practise playing with your pitch: 'Up like the skyscrapers, down like the road' you will begin to sound like you are from across the pond.

Speak like you are from Brooklyn, speak like you are from New Jersey, speak like you are from New Jersey but have lived in Manhattan for the last 2 years. Get a little confused, but realise this will help distinguish your different characters in the play. Make different lists of all the words that have similar vowel sounds, and listen to the CD the voice coach has given you. Every single day. Look forward to speaking like you are from Brooklyn the most, pretend later on at home in the mirror you are Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver 'YOU talkin' to me, I don't see anybody else here, YOU TALKIN TO ME!!'.

Who are you talking to?