I came to train as a voice coach due to my own insecurities in my vocal abilities as an actor: Was my voice powerful enough to fill the big theatres of the West End? Could my breath support carry my words through to their completion when tackling the long poetic thoughts of a Shakespeare script? Was I annunciating clearly enough for my work to be understood in radio and film? Did my voice reflect the truth of my character or was it hindering it?

As a teacher it is my intention to support every young actor as they develop their voice to fulfil the technical demands expected of them as professional actors. But as a coach I also enjoy working with business professionals who are required to stand in front of others to speak with expertise and confidence, with those who have vocal challenges such as stuttering (childhood – onset fluency disorder) or aphasia after a debilitating illness such as a stroke, or others who simply wish to reduce or strengthen an accent for personal reasons.

With regular vocal and physical exercises the student learns to free the sound, range and strength of the voice – thereby connecting to something greater: The Spirit of Truth. To communicate with authenticity the words of great writers such as Shakespeare or Shaw, enables the individual to connect to the geniuses of our time; channeling the thought and language to communicate ideas, brilliance and truth.

As one masters the technicalities of the voice one becomes the master of storytelling – the personal story and the story of others. Breath, thought, body and voice align and the professional actor emerges with presence and confidence.

Mastering my breath and voice was the key to stepping into my power as an actor.