March 2025

Workshop Updates

Manchester

Our American accent intensive with Rosemary Berkon and George introduced actors to the General American accent, with sessions focusing on oral posture, prosody (rhythm, stress, intonation - now you know) and pronunciation. Rosemary sent over vocal references to listen to and provided a fantastic handout with all the relevant information. Actors tackled scripts from US classic series The Wire and worked with George and Sam Bottomley on playing actions for the screen.

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In April, George will be leading The Art of Simplicity - an intimate weekend of acting process, guiding participants through an Actor’s Toolkit for stage and screen. Places were snapped up quickly so this is now waiting list only. Please only get in touch if you are available for the dates.

*12th/13th April 2025 - SOLD OUT - WAITING LIST ONLY*

Join the Waiting List

London

Vocal specialist Megan Burns joined me in London for our American accent intensive there. Vocal warmups, placement, consonants, vowels, rhythm, intonation (PROSODY!), you name it, Megan covered it. She chose scripts from Frances Ha, Queen & Slim and A Real Pain.On the acting technique side of things I focused on ‘hooking’, a listen/response technique in which you decide what it is your character is responding to with each line.

You can watch the highlight reel here.

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April in London will be Authentic Performance on Stage & Screen, lead by RSC actor and star of The Chelsea Detective Lucy Phelps. She will focus on finding the humanity and truth in Shakespeare, whilst I will cover sessions on British social realism on screen - Shane Meadows, Mike Leigh, Andrea Arnold - those beautifully gritty kitchen sink type dramas. Discovering characters through intense connection and improvisation.

*12th/13th April 2025 -  SPACES AVAILABLE*

Book Here

Online

Our first ever 4-week online course The Screen Actor’s Toolkit came to an end last Wednesday with a business and branding seminar from me and George. Actors were challenged to draft emails to industry professionals and work out their USP. Which parts do you want to play on screen and more importantly, which parts are you right for? New dates have now been announced if you would like to join us on Zoom - 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th April.

7:15pm-9:00pm, every Wednesday.

Full details can be found here.

There is still a pay-what-you can place available for this too. Just let us know (confidentially) if you would like it.

*9th/16th/23rd/30th April 2025 -  FINAL SPACES*

Book Here

My Ideas

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There is nothing wrong with extricating yourself from the ‘noise’ of the outside world. I have a setting on my phone called ‘WIFE ONLY!’ that has now become my default. The only notifications that can come through are from my wife. If someone rings me twice in two minutes, that shows up too. So I decide when I want to check my phone. Try it, and then focus on one task. See how much more productive you are.

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One of the greatest skills you can cultivate as an actor is patience. Something will come.

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Adolescence on Netflix is one of the most vital pieces of television ever made. We all have a responsibility to raise our young men in the best way possible. Watch it and then make a difference. Our future depends on it.

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Insights

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William Maxwell on memory (from So Long, See You Tomorrow):

“What we, or at any rate what I, refer to confidently as memory - meaning a moment, a scene, a fact that has been subject to a fixative and thereby rescued from oblivion - is really a form of storytelling that goes on continually in the mind and often changes with the telling. Too many conflicting emotional interests are involved for life ever to be wholly acceptable, and possibly it is the work of the storyteller to rearrange things so that they conform to this end. In any case, in talking about the past we lie with every breath we draw.”

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“Worrying about things that are beyond our control accomplishes nothing.”

Source: Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Hector Garcia and Frances Miralles

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Michael Chekhov on practice:

“The technique of acting can never be properly understood without practicing it.”

Book Highlights

When I read a book, I tend to highlight sections that I find really valuable. Would you be interested in reading these on our website?

Book Highlights Survey

CMA Actor Spotlight

Manchester regular Tahir Shah will be joining the cast of A Thousand Splendid Suns, touring in Birmingham, Nottingham and Leeds. If any of our Manchester actors want to attend, Tahir has sent on the ticket link: https://www.leedsplayhouse.org.uk/event/a-thousand-splendid-suns/

Becky Kershaw (Manchester) has written, produced and performed in an indie short comedy film. It is called Mel’s Mascots. Watch here: https://youtu.be/3v1XDXsI-iQ?si=39iN9OXyJHDrZ0Ut

Huge congratulations to London regular Kerri Jacobs, who successfully pitched a personal play to a panel of 50 people from The Space UK and Edinburgh Fringe. She will be taking her play to the fringe this year. Well done Kerri!

Please do keep us updated with what you are up to - we would love to shout about your work in the newsletter.

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Thanks for reading,

— Majid