John Beschizza and Annie Tyson discuss Doreen Cannon.

The History of Actor Training in the British Drama School.

In which we talk about Doreen Cannon. One of the most important figures in the history of British Actor training. With very special guests Annie Tyson and John Bechizza.
John Beschizza
John is the Lead Acting Tutor at Rada and teaches Acting Technique and Scene Study on the BA (Hons). RADA.

He trained at The Drama Centre under co-founders Christopher Fettes, Yat Malmgren and the legendary Acting Tutor and first Head of Acting, Doreen Cannon – three of the most innovative and rigorous theatre practitioners and teachers of the 20th century. The challenges of training at the Drama Centre were immense; the rewards were life-changing. It was here that some of the greatest discoveries were made under the guidance of Doreen, who as Head of Acting at RADA in 1994 offered John the opportunity to teach Acting at RADA.

The techniques he provides are simple, clear and specific and when fully engaged evoke a visceral gut, heart and head understanding of the acting process. He works for one goal: to guide the actor-trainee into transforming their raw, instinctive talent into real, dependable skill.

John maintains a standard of excellence in his work, evident through the specificity and rigour of his teaching. Over 27 years, this has developed into a highly practical way of working that serves the ever-changing requirements and challenges of today’s industry.

Annie Tyson
ANNIE TYSON

Annie read Drama and Theatre Arts at Birmingham University before training at Drama Centre London where Doreen Cannon was amongst her teachers. She worked as an actor in regional theatre, in London and in TV and radio. Recent acting work has included work at the Octagon Theatre Bolton in Arthur Miller’s The Last Yankee, the White Bear Theatre in An Honourable Man and the Park Theatre in Hell Yes, I’m Tough Enough.

At Drama Centre London she was Course Director of the BA Honours Acting Course 2002-2010. Her public productions there included All’s Well That Ends Well, Wild Oats, Mary Stuart, A Laughing Matter, Love’s Labours Lost, Richard III, The Winter’s Tale, The Second Mrs Tanqueray, Mother Courage. She continued as an acting tutor and director there until Spring 2018 while also working at RADA. She directed Love For Love in the Vanbrugh theatre in 2013and Strange Orchestra in 2017. She directed Macbeth February 2020. She was part of the core team for the Royal Shakespeare Company’s project Open Stages, running acting workshops for Dream 16 – A Play For the Nation. She has given masterclasses in Restoration Comedy at the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama where she directed The Rivals in 2012. She has contributed to the book Approaches to Actor Training and her book for the Crowood Press, Successful Auditions will be published next spring. She is writing for the next series of Arden Performance Handbooks for Bloomsbury Methuen: Shakespeare and Stanislavsky. She regularly gives both classical and contemporary audition workshops for The Mono Box of which she is a Patronand is an Open Door mentor.

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