Acting is a wonderful experience
By Alan Badmington

Alan Badmington Photo: Howard Yaffe

I recently attended an intensive summer drama school. It was an amazing experience. Every morning, we would warm up with 10-15 minutes of physical exercises, including creating vocal sounds that were then transmitted to our lips and projected to a focal point across the room.

Each day was filled with an abundance of fun, and there was an enormous amount of interaction and camaraderie among the group members of diverse ages. Sometimes we were the sole focus of attention; on other occasions we sang, crawled around on the floor like wild beasts, told stories, re-lived our life histories, danced, bounced and juggled our voices like imaginary balls, acted out made-up situations etc. There was never a dull moment and, certainly, no place for inhibitions.

We rehearsed selected scenes from Chekhov's play, Uncle Vanja, for a public performance on the final day. I played the part of the retired professor who had lost the affection of his beautiful wife, a great deal younger than himself. We spent considerable time learning ways of 'getting into the minds' of the individual characters that we had to portray, so that it became more realistic. We were left in no doubt that the words in the script were secondary to the goal that we were being asked to fulfil.

Having trodden the boards for the first time, I certainly want to sample more Thespian experiences. I thoroughly recommend it. It wasn't just about acting - it also provided wonderful opportunities for social interaction. One member of the group was recovering from a stroke, while another had learning difficulties. Both derived immense benefit and satisfaction from their involvement.

From the Autumn 2004 edition of Speaking Out

See also: Accustomed as I am... by Alan Badmington, which includes links to further articles by him.