Tips.

I thought I would give a little time to the actual schools of acting. While my clay dries.

1. Observation.
   This is one of the key tennants of acting; observing. In life we come across many situations and people who we can borrow things from; reactions, twitches, looks, walking faster, looking back, running. All these go to a formidable armoury, building a plethora of reserves with which to delight and surprise your director and your audience. I well remember this advice from Nicholas Parsons, when he was in Midsummer Nights Dream. 'I used this thing I saw a fellow do in a cafe in Gloucester in the fourth act. It was magical.' But enough of him delighting a director with his Bottom.
   Although you can do this with anyone, I have decided to focus in on one particular person, someone who has been 'absorbing' others for years. Brian Cox. This canny Scots Thespian has so many mannerisms observing him is akin to watching a particularly rare bird go about its' business. So far I have picked up tips on paranoia, looking around, pointing, calling out and using a mobile phone. Not to mention the dialect coaching of pronunciation of various terms. I hurriedly made my mental notes, and, should I ever need to audition for a part involving a man finding another man hiding in some bushes in their garden, then I have a good idea of how to emote such a situation.

Of course sometimes it's unwise to 'observe' people blatantly. This is where we actors deviate from the masses; we love to be watched (or listened to). Remember the old saying 'If an actor does a perfect performance of Hamlets' soliloquy in a forrest but there's no one around, does he get a good review?'