Interpreting Roles

Give the same script to a dozen actors and every single one of them will play the same role differently. That's partly a matter of individual acting style, but there's more to it.

The words on the page don't dictate how a role is played. Rather you, as an actor, make a bunch of decisions about how to create the character in question. In your acting courses, you will learn how to interpret those words on the page and translate the skeleton in the script into a three-dimensional being.

So - what exactly do you have to do? What do the critics mean when they rave about an actor's interpretation of a role (or if they pan it as a misinterpretation)?

The script gives you guidelines to sculpt your character, as well as limits. You'll have a tough time if you try to play Hamlet the ditherer as Hamlet the bold decision-maker - and your director probably won't be happy if you try. Most directors have their own visions that you have to take into account - or ignore at your peril.

Even if your director is a dictator, you still have choices when realising (literally 'making real') your character. Your first step is to have a thorough understanding of the play or film. Then you can figure out how best to use your voice and body to give your character a physical presence, personality and inner life.

The best actors find ways to bring out new dimensions of a character or to breathe new life into a familiar one. You may have a gut feeling about how to proceed but it takes effort too. It's an exercise in imagination and lateral thinking - plus good judgement and taking feedback on board.

Acting courses in london can help you to develop the skills you need to interpret roles intelligently. Method acting is a technique that will help you visualise those possibilities and enter into the character. Amongst the acting courses on offer, method acting classes will be especially helpful in giving you many of the tools you need to take your interpretation of the character and give it form, texture and soul.