Christopher Tester
"There is a world, elsewhere"
Links
With an added non-disclaimer: all links listed below I've personally checked and recommend. If you find any of the below links have become inactive, or you have any suggestions regarding additions, please let me know at chrisgtester@yahoo.co.uk
Picture Links:
CSSD Self-Direct, December 2005
Taken from my year group's first end-of-term self direct showing.
The Big Nickel, NYT, Soho Theatre, August 2005
Rehearsal and 'off work' pictures during my debut at Soho Theatre, courtesy of the National Youth Theatre.
Performing Reference:
Actor Blogs from Shakespeare's Globe
The Globe's 'adopt an actor' scheme has allowed various performers to post about their experiences rehearsing and performing in Globe productions.
Royal Shakespeare Company - Exploring Shakespeare
RSC productions shown in rehearsal and performance, including insightful interviews with cast and crew. Further productions are now being logged in similar fashion here.
Cheek by Jowl - 'The Changeling' Podcast
Cast and crew give interviews concerning the company's Barbican production in mp3 form.
Interviews and rehearsal footage from Trafalgar Studio's production of Martin Sherman's play.
Theatre Companies:
Exciting collective of up-and-coming theatre artists.
New and already critically lauded theatre company that creates work bridging the gap between art and science.
Organisations:
An excellent website full of information, plus a necessary contact for any actor in the profession.
Where performers advertise themselves for work, whether represented by an agency or not.
Offers lots of workshops for professional actors and those in training, covering a huge number of aspects.
Offering in-depth courses in Sanford Meisner's acclaimed technique.
Acting Discussion Forums:
Useful forum for questions both general and specific. Particularly useful for auditionees, drama school students and their recent graduates. Just be prepared to take the majority of opinions with a pinch of salt!
Useful resource in a similar vein to The Stage.
Audio driven forum discussing theatre in London and beyond.
Theatres:
Guardian Link to all major London venues
Actors, Directors and other people's blogs/websites:
Blog from acclaimed playwright David Eldridge (Festen, Seving It Up, Under the Blue Sky).
Blog by Andrew Haydon, theatre editor for culturewars.org.uk, occasional interviewer for theatrevoice.com, and am a regular guest on Culture Clash.
New Terminology for Dramaturgy
Discussing the theory and practise of playwriting.
Great sight for news, reviews, information and opinion on all reaches of the current British theatre scene.
An account - commencing fully from September 2006 - of experiences training at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama by an anonymous student on the school's BA Acting programme.
Director and tutor of acting, with invaluable advice about entering the industry.
Blog from a creative artist and dircetor.
Graduate actor of Bristol Old Vic, including reflections on his training experiences as well as a professional website.
The Reduced Michael Billington
An alternative look at the work of one of Britain's most established theatre critics.
Paul RudelhoffActor-Comedian's website.
Selected articles on performance:
Interviews with various actors, directors and producers from whatsonstage.com.
An interview with Edward Norton
The star of such films as American History X, Fight Club and Primal Fear talking about his career and approach to his craft. Not massively indepth but still worth reading.
Guardian National Film Theatre Interviews
An index of interviews printed in the Guardian and conducted at London's NFT - including actors, directors and many more.
Performers reflections on dealing with long-running productions - mainly Musical Theatre based.
Writing Workshops - "Mine are Rubbish" by Mark Ravenhill
Reflection on the difficulties of 'teaching' dramatic writing by one of Britian's leading playwrights - who attempted to grope me once at the National Student Drama Festival.... I don't bare grudges.
Fail Again, Fail Better - Michael Gambon
Interview with the last active member of Oliver's original National Theatre.
Katie Mitchell reflects on her production of Chekhov's The Seagull.
Is Edinburgh Really Necessary?
An objective (if brief) assessment of the the most notorious fringe festival in the UK.
Guardian Online Current Theatre Articles
Simply because it's the most active British newspaper in keeping tabs on developments in theatre.
Other:
Offers lots of information and links to both shows and artists - worth browsing.
A database of plays - including character listings, play profiles and contact details for performance rights.
In-depth information on the works of Steven Berkoff, Athol Fugard, Sarah Kane and Ken Russell.
Alez Sierz's website devoted to British dramatists of the mid-1990's. Accompanies his book of the same name.
US-based actor training that focuses exclusively on Meisner's technique. Some interesting resources.
