Acting Notes

Finding the Voice a Book Deserves: getting started with audiobook narration

23 February, 2026
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Actors and Acting, Voice and Text
Posted by Kate Foy

Out of the booth I often find myself listening to other actor’s voices rather than to what they’re saying – a professional hazard for a narrator and voice coach, I suppose. As I do this, I invariably form an image in my mind of what the actor looks like. Usually if I meet them afterwards

Acting Notes, audiobooks, narration, voice

So You Want to be an Actor? We still have a problem.

8 December, 2025
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Actors and Acting
Posted by Kate Foy

Every now and then, and this has happened for decades since I’ve been an actor and in the actor-training game, someone tells me they’re thinking of becoming an actor too. It usually comes with a hopeful look and the slightest wince, as if they’re waiting for me to deliver bad news gently. And yes, the

Acting Notes, Actors and Acting, Collaborative Learning, theatre

Working on text – the early phase of rehearsal

11 March, 2009
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Actors and Acting, Productions, Voice and Text
Posted by Kate Foy

Upfront – this is an out of the archive post reworked a year or so on. If you’re a regular here you may have already read my rehearsal and performance blog posts for the Empire Theatre’s 2008 production of Cabaret directed by Lewis Jones. I played the role of Fraulein Schneider. You can find these

Acting Notes, Cabaret, rehearsal, text analysis

Ben Kingsley: ‘We do our best work when we are happy.’

10 January, 2009
2 Comments
Actors and Acting
Posted by Kate Foy

I couldn’t resist posting Charlie Rose’s recent conversation with Ben Kingsley … for a couple of reasons. Firstly Sir Ben talks about the nuts and bolts differerences between stage and screen acting … something we all like to sift through. But in the second part of the conversation, he opens up in quite an extraordinary

Acting Notes, Ben Kingsley, Charlie Rose, Videos

So you want to be an actor? We have a problem

15 December, 2008
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Actors and Acting
Posted by Kate Foy

A year ago I wrote about American scholar and practitioner Robert Hornby’s ‘The End of Acting’. It’s a book that has a strong point of view about the art of acting and the education of artists. I’ve enjoyed dipping back into it since a first reading in 1993. That an actor needs training is, from

Acting Notes, Actors and Acting, arts education, Asides, Higher education, Old Tote Theatre Company, skills, training

Audition time … a few truths

18 November, 2008
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Actors and Acting
Posted by Kate Foy

The jacaranda trees are starting to go off after a month or more of blooming their lovely hearts out. That means end of year uni exams are over, but it also signals the start of audition season here in Queensland, and indeed, all over the country. As I write, hopefuls are being coached and lining

Acting Notes, Asides, auditioning

The Voice Warmup

19 April, 2008
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Actors and Acting, Voice and Text
Posted by Kate Foy

This is the most popular post on the blog. I continue to add to it with hotlinks and further comment on one of the more important skills for the actor. Scribbles to Myself (April 2008) So the voice is on my mind right now, not only because of my own recent scare in the run

Acting Notes, Asides, training, voice warmup, voice workout

More on that ‘moment’ we’re supposed to be in …

16 April, 2008
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Actors and Acting
Posted by Kate Foy

I’ve written before about one of those phrases tossed round by acting folk: being in the moment. I recall the brilliant Dawn French using it in that sweet comedy series The Vicar of Dibley. ‘Geraldine’ was directing the parish’s nativity play. She’d dropped her vicarly garb, and was dressed in requisite directorial kit. All was

Acting Notes, Actors and Acting, Asides, Cabaret, characterisation, creative process, interior monologue, rehearsal, subtext

Playing notes: Dress 2

16 April, 2008
1 Comment
Actors and Acting, Productions
Posted by Kate Foy

Tonight was a night of fix-ups all round for the Cabaret kinder; there are always final tweaks as the creative team finesse the show: lights, sound, cues, costume. We spent 20 mins or so pre-show reworking the blocking for a couple of exits. There were also acting notes from last night’s run. There are also

Acting Notes, Cabaret, notes, rehearsals

Photo shoot, make-up and corsets!

8 April, 2008
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Actors and Acting, Productions
Posted by Kate Foy

photo credit: fluzwup A night off from rehearsals but valuable nonetheless; the cast were called for the program photo shoot. It was a chance for us to see one another for the first time in costume, and to realise how powerful a role the element of body adornment plays in visual story-telling. Body-masking is the

Acting Notes, Asides, body-masking, Cabaret, Costume, rehearsal

KWF

Tag

Finding the Voice a Book Deserves: getting started with audiobook narration

So You Want to be an Actor? We still have a problem.

Working on text – the early phase of rehearsal

Ben Kingsley: ‘We do our best work when we are happy.’

So you want to be an actor? We have a problem

Audition time … a few truths

The Voice Warmup

More on that ‘moment’ we’re supposed to be in …

Playing notes: Dress 2

Photo shoot, make-up and corsets!