Advertise on podcast: Not True, But Useful... A Cheek by Jowl Podcast

Time is never the character’s friend - but this makes it useful to the actor. In this episode, Declan chats to Lucie about time in Shakespeare’s texts, and how there is never enough of it. He emphasises the importance of liveness in theatre, and the interconnectedness this creates.

Declan talks to Lucie about a question he can’t stand: can he share the exercises he uses in the rehearsal room? He urges directors to ask not for a technique, but for what they’re trying to achieve, and talks about how he himself is constantly observing in order to become more attentive to the needs of the actor.

Lucie talks to Declan about his favourite word in the rehearsal room: Flow. Flow is like love, like a football match, like a good evening spent with friends. For actors, flow is being a part of the living thing on the stage, and focusing what’s outside and within you.

Declan presents an unusual piece of advice to actors: forget things. He talks to Lucie about how this allows the actor to be truly present as the character on stage, trusting what they need will be there when they need it.

Imposter syndrome is another longstanding problem that most actors face. For Declan, however, it is not unique to actors: the characters of Shakespeare’s plays all go through these same feelings. In this episode, Declan talks to Lucie about how the relationship between the actor and Shakespeare’s texts should be equal, and how those characters also go through their own insecurities 

In this episode, Declan chats to Lucie about the age-old problem actors face of not ‘feeling’ what their character feels, and whether the character themselves might be feeling anything at all. Declan talks about the theatre of feeling in everyday life, and how all the world is indeed a stage.

In this episode, Declan and Lucie discuss the transgression and intensity of Sophocles' classic tragedy, Oedipus. They talk about Declan and Nick's upcoming production of Oedip Rege in Craiova, how ideas can drastically change over a production period, and how even today Oedipus can be truly frightening.

In this episode, Declan and Lucie discuss the subject of love in As You Like It and Romeo and Juliet. They talk about the BBC Open University documentary on Cheek by Jowl's production of As You Like It, which you can watch here (https://www.cheekbyjowl.com/resources/as-you-like-it-documentary-cheek-by-jowl-open-university/). The music in this episode was composed by Sergey Chekryzhov for Cheek by Jowl's 2005-13 production of Three Sisters. Join our mailing list to keep up-to-date with Cheek by Jowl’s news, events and opportunities.

Beginning with a reading of Hamlet, Declan dives deep into the universal themes of (non-)existence, futility, and being driven by the fear of anonymity. This episode contains brief mention of suicide when discussing the text of Hamlet. The music in this episode was composed by Sergey Chekryzhov for Cheek by Jowl's 2005-13 production of Three Sisters. Join our mailing list to keep up-to-date with Cheek by Jowl’s news, events and opportunities.

In this episode, Declan and Lucie talk about the issue of heightened behaviour and the act of being surprised on stage and on screen. The music in this episode was composed by Sergey Chekryzhov for Cheek by Jowl's 2005-13 production of Three Sisters. Join our mailing list to keep up-to-date with Cheek by Jowl’s news, events and opportunities.

This week, Declan joins Lucie to discuss the limitations of language and how the body ought to be prioritised in the rehearsal space. The music in this episode was composed by Sergey Chekryzhov for Cheek by Jowl's 2005-13 production of Three Sisters. Join our mailing list to keep up-to-date with Cheek by Jowl’s news, events and opportunities.

In this first episode of our winter mini-series, Declan revisits 'character', a much discussed subject, and questions how useful it may be in rehearsal to the actor and director exploring a play. The music in this episode was composed by Sergey Chekryzhov for Cheek by Jowl's 2005-13 production of Three Sisters. Join our mailing list to keep up-to-date with Cheek by Jowl’s news, events and opportunities.