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Training

Tag Archive

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More apprenticeships please

In Features, London theatre, Opinion, Regional theatre by Susan Elkin25th November 2019Leave a Comment

If more resources are not put into more apprenticeships, it will be a great pity for both for the creative industries & the many young people who simply don’t get the opportunity to make the best of their talents.

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Reviewing Proms & other theatre

In Classical music, Concerts, Features, London theatre, Opinion by Susan Elkin18th September 2019Leave a Comment

I have been attending classical music concerts since my early teens. And as this year’s Proms season ends I’m struck that I’ve been here, as it were, for a very long time. The Royal Albert Hall feels almost as familiar as my own sitting room.

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Do we really need quotas to achieve casting inclusivity?

In Features, London theatre, Musicals, Opinion, Plays by Susan Elkin13th August 2019Leave a Comment

The point – and it’s a major one – is that the actor, irrespective of all other considerations, must be the best possible interpreter of the role for the work in question.

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Lots of writing careers in theatre

In Books, Features, Opinion, Plays by Susan Elkin1st August 2019Leave a Comment

Why aren’t we telling young people about the writing and writing-related careers which drive our industry?

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‘You have the information. Just get on with it’: Play writing books

In Books, Features, Opinion, Plays, Reviews by Susan Elkin2nd July 2019Leave a Comment

I am gradually amassing quite a pile of books about writing plays. Collecting and reading them is probably a displacement/procrastination activity. One of these days I really am (or so I keep telling myself) going to write a play. Just don’t ask me when.

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Work on your weaknesses to become that complete package

In Dance, Features, London theatre, Musicals, Opinion, Regional theatre by Andrew Wright24th June 2019Leave a Comment

My advice to the next generation of men and women applying for colleges is perhaps avoid the college that excels in your strength.

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‘We’re relaxed but not that relaxed’: Hearing the show

In Children's theatre, London theatre, Musicals, Opinion, Plays, Regional theatre by Susan Elkin17th June 2019Leave a Comment

So by all means let’s go on running relaxed performances for people who need them but at the same time we shouldn’t lose sight of the need to promote co-operative, compliant, appropriate behaviour from most audience members at most performances, please.

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Honoured to watch the build up of careers

In Features, London theatre, Musicals, Opinion, Plays, Regional theatre, Touring by Susan Elkin3rd June 2019Leave a Comment

One of the greatest pleasures of being an education journalist with a foot in the performing arts camp is meeting young actors at the start of their careers and then watching them develop.

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‘Cheerful, unpatronising kindness’: Disability access in a brave new world

In Features, London theatre, Musicals, Opinion, Plays, Regional theatre by Susan Elkin26th May 2019Leave a Comment

I’ve always known that theatres are nice places and that most theatre people are wonderful but I’m currently seeing that confirmed in a completely new way.

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When the programme is also the playtext

In Books, Features, London theatre, Opinion, Plays, Regional theatre, Reviews by Susan Elkin20th May 2019Leave a Comment

As a theatre critic/interested person, I really like it when the theatre programme I’m issued with is also the text of the new play I’m seeing.

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Suspension of the Guildford Two

In Features, Opinion by Susan Elkin13th May 2019Leave a Comment

Guildford School of Acting has just axed (“not recruiting for 2019/20”) two courses: BA Hons Theatre and Performance and BA Hons Dance. Many students and alumni who think highly of these courses have expressed dismay.

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‘Can you have too much of a good thing?’: Sex, plays and casting

In Features, London theatre, Opinion, Plays, Regional theatre by Susan Elkin7th May 2019Leave a Comment

Anything which makes me think about these plays in a new way is a bonus. I also want actors – irrespective of their sex – to have maximum opportunities.

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Make student loans more inclusive

In Features, London theatre, Musicals, Opinion, Quotes by Susan Elkin29th April 2019Leave a Comment

Why can’t independent training providers, who can show that they deliver the goods, be registered as bona fide organisations whose students are entitled to student loans?

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‘It’s probably a case of nothing ventured nothing gained’: How about Susan Elkin as playwright?

In Features, Opinion, Plays by Susan Elkin15th April 2019Leave a Comment

For a start you need dramatic talent, flair and an ear for dialogue as well as ideas and a good vocabulary to write a play. And I’m still not sure. But, as always it’s probably a case of nothing ventured nothing gained. Perhaps later this year…

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The diversity of diversity

In Features, London theatre, Opinion, Regional theatre by Susan Elkin8th April 2019Leave a Comment

Making theatre as diverse as possible is, I think, a work in progress. And progress is the operative word. I’m not advocating complacency. Of course there’s still much to be done but don’t let’s belittle the enormous amount which has already happened.

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No queue: The loos at Above the Stag are a thing of a beauty

In Features, London theatre, Opinion by Susan Elkin2nd April 2019Leave a Comment

Above The Stag – which began as a pub theatre – is now housed in a new purpose-built venue in a railway arch. It moved into its new home last year. And when I got to the intelligent loos I was both amazed and delighted.

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Audition fees: it’s scandalous discrimination

In Features, London theatre, Opinion, Quotes, Regional theatre by Susan Elkin25th March 2019Leave a Comment

Drama school audition fees are a scandal. They are immoral and unfair. Drama aspirants should not be punished for their passion.

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Open air theatre: mad but delightful

In Features, London theatre, Opinion, Plays, Regional theatre, Ticket recommendations, Touring by Susan Elkin19th March 2019Leave a Comment

The open air season will soon be upon us. “If winter comes, can spring be far behind? as Shelley puts it. And no one does open air theatre with more hopeful enthusiasm than the lovably daft British.

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Let’s be clear about foundation courses

In Features, Opinion by Susan Elkin11th March 2019Leave a Comment

I’ve thought and written a lot about performing arts foundation courses lately. It’s the time of year when students are looking at possible options for September and course providers are trying to sell their wares.

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BOOK REVIEW: 100 Acting Exercises For 8-18 Year Olds

In Books, Children's theatre, Features, Opinion, Reviews by Susan Elkin5th March 2019Leave a Comment

If you work with under-18s developing performance skills (along with confidence and all those other useful transferables) then Samantha Marsden’s new book is likely to be very helpful.

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