Gabi’s Speech and Drama Podcast

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gabimaddocks.substack.comThis week’s video is designed to support both teachers and students navigating Grade 6 Acting, Verse and Prose, or Speaking in Public, particularly when it comes to breathing techniques and voice production.It comes as the result of a question asked a training session this week: “But how do you actually teach it?”It’s a brilliant question and highlighted an important point - I’ve shared lots of resources and handouts on this question, but I’ve never actually gone through the sequence in which I teach students about the mechanism of breathing. A Simple Three Step Teaching SequenceThis video works best as part of a three-step learning process:STEP 1: Slow, clear explanation. Don’t rush it. Depending on the length of your classes, it might take the whole lesson. During this step, I recommend that your student listens rather than taking notes. They need to hear and understand the concept.STEP 2: Independent consolidation.They go away, think about what they’ve learned in class and deepen that understand through reading and watching videos. STEP 3: Teach it back. At the next class, as them to explain it back to you. This is the real test: if they can teach it clearly, then they understand it. This video can sit at Step One (initial teaching) or Step Two (consolidation) depending on what you need. If you feel confident teaching the mechanism of breathing yourself, then go for it, and ask them to watch the video for homework. If you are slightly shaky on the concepts, then use the video as the initial teaching tool and ask them to go home and look at other materials to consolidate what they’ve learned. You can use the slideshow that I’ve shared at the bottom of this article (the one I use in my own classes) and here’s a link to the now famous video of my lovely husband explaining breathing: What the Video CoversThe focus is on the mechanics of breathing and how this underpins vocal technique. It explains the following key concepts:

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gabimaddocks.substack.comI’m very excited to share this with you because it genuinely exceeded my expectations. I haven’t done any proper work on voice since I was at drama school LAST CENTURY! And so all my vocal warm ups are tired and remembered quite hazily from long ago. I loved learning new exercises and an approach that will really engage our students, young and old. We were joined by voice coach Imogen Read, who brought a rare combination of drama school expertise and real-world LAMDA teaching experience.Below is a summary of what we covered, but you will need to watch (and join in with!) the video in order to really understand the principles, exercises and techniques. The foundations of safe, effective voice workBefore jumping into exercises, we looked at the five building blocks of healthy voice use:* A free body (alignment, not tension)* A free breath (low, responsive—not forced)* Easy phonation (no hard or breathy starts)* Resonance (letting sound carry, not pushing it)* Articulation strength (clarity without strain)One line that stuck with everyone: tension kills vibration. Practical vocal health * Why hydration is a long game (not a pre-exam fix)* The power of “vocal naps” * How to use humming and yawning as reset tools* What to do when there’s pain or coughing A full, teachable warm-upImogen shared a complete warm-up structure built around a “vocal shower” metaphor: playful, memorable and effective.It moved through:* Waking up the body (yawn + stretch)* Breath connection (fricative “steam” sounds)* Resonance activation (gentle vibration work)* Range exploration (sirens without strain)* Articulation (speaking with ease, not effort)Solving the three most common student issuesThis is where things got especially useful for teaching:

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gabimaddocks.substack.comOur March Meet Up focused on teaching LAMDA in various settings, and we discussed different teaching environments and their challenges. We explored: * Teaching Online via Zoom/Google Meet: which subjects work best* The Challenges of Teaching in Students’ Homes: managing behaviour when the parent is in earshot!* School-based Teaching and the various payment models: Admin vs Profit* Profit Margins in Different Settings: don’t forget to factor in indirect costs* A Cost-Profit Breakdown Calculator designed by me, just for Speech and Drama teachersYou can find out all the details by watching the video above OR by listening to the podcast on Spotify (just make sure you link your Substack email address to your Spotify account to get access to the entire episode, and all the previous ones too). If you don’t have an hour spare to watch/listen… then here’s a summary of what we covered, and of course the very helpful spreadsheet - you fill in your income and costs per class, and the spreadsheet will calculate your profit per class and across the whole year. You can see in an instant what the loss/benefit will be if you add or take away a student, increase the teacher’s fee or increase the cost to parents. This is how I double check that every class I’m running stays in profit… and if it isn’t I can see what the easiest fix would be. Teaching Online via Zoom/Google Meet:Some subjects lend themselves more easily to online lessons: Verse and Prose, and Speaking in Public - there are no requirements about effective use of performance space. When teaching Acting/Devising online then make sure the student has a good set up, with a clearly marked performance space that fulfils the requirements of an ROA Exam. You can find these in this guide, which clearly explains the floor space required and how much of the student needs to be visible to the examiner for each exam (e.g. waist up, knees up, feet up). Of course you can teach online and still prepare students for live exams - in which case, my recommendation would definitely be to have the final three or four lessons in person. Parents like not having to leave the house so it makes it easier for them, and it opens up new opportunities like teaching students in other countries. For example, teaching students in China means that you can work online in the morning with overseas students, and after-school doing live or Zoom lessons for UK students.Costs are low, except for a pro Zoom account which is less than £20/month, and you can have students coming back to back without a gap in between for pick ups/drop offs etc - so it is a very economical way of teaching. Teaching in Students’ HomesThe logistical challenge here is covering the costs of public transport/petrol/parking and travel time for what might be quite a short lesson, if it’s 1:1. This can be overcome by teaching for more hours by including siblings (e.g. three siblings for 30 minutes each gives you 1.5 hours teaching time), or charging parents for your travel time as well as your contact time. If you’re lucky you can also find several families within a very short distance of each other, giving you just a few minutes travel time between each one. Another challenge is managing behaviour - this can be more difficult in a student’s home than in a school setting, especially when parents are present and allow behaviours that wouldn’t be tolerated in a classroom (e.g. eating during the lesson or jumping on the sofa). School-based TeachingThere are two main models that I have come across here, and the one that works best depends largely on why the school is offering LAMDA classes to their students:

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gabimaddocks.substack.comI was teaching a Grade 5 Verse and Prose student on Monday, and he was struggling with suspensory pauses… as I was explaining what they are and how they work I found myself getting quite excited! They are my favourite pause, and do work magic in poetry. I wanted to share my enthusiasm for these curious little creatures a bit more widely, and so I’ve created a video for you to watch yourselves, but also to share with your students if you think it would be helpful for them! Other posts that are relevant that you may want to look at: * The Difference Between Verse and Prose: a teaching idea.* Verse and Prose Knowledge: Grade 4 and 5Please note: the syllabus has changed since I wrote this post - students will no longer fail the exam if they get ONE pause wrong, but the rest of the information is still accurate. * Shakespeare Level 2 knowledge: Caesural pauses and enjambment* Pauses and Phrases: Grade 5 Verse and Prose KnowledgeBelow is the screen I shared in the video with a summary of suspensory pauses: * What they are?* How do do a suspensory pause? * Examples.Feel free to print this out and share it with your students!

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gabimaddocks.substack.comThis meet up of Speech and Drama Teachers covers policies for matching LAMDA exam grades to appropriate ages, handling sensitive content in drama classes, and selecting suitable plays for students of different ages and maturity levels.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gabimaddocks.substack.comHi everyone - here’s the video of our October meet up for you to watch at your leisure… unfortunately my internet connection was not as strong as it usually is, so there are a couple of moments where I cut out… but it’s only a few seconds at a couple of points. Did you know that these videos are available as PODCASTS so you can listen on the go! I’ve tried to make it accessible without the slideshow and scripts that I share on the screen, so why not take me along next time you do the washing up or walk the dog? If you go to Spotify and search for Gabi’s Speech and Drama Podcast you’ll find me there - or just click this link. You will need to link your Spotify account to your Substack account (use the same email address) and that way you’ll get access to the full length podcasts. I’ve attached below three useful documents:* The visual handout of Stanislavski’s key principles (shared last week, but I thought it made sense to include it again here).* A reminder of each of the Key Principles, and some practical tasks to connect that Principle to performance. * Four monologues with exercises linked to each that focus on one or more of the Key Principles:* The Long Road by Shelagh Stevenson - using Joe’s opening monologue to explore objectives, emotional truth and circles of attention.* Absurd Person Singular by Alan Ayckbourn - using Geoffrey’s monologue at the start of Act 2 to explore subtext and objectives.* Three Sisters by Chekhov - using Natasha’s monologue in Act 2 to explore the ‘magic if’* Twelfth Night by Shakespeare - using the duologue in Act 3 to explore given circumstances.I can’t share the first two of these pieces as they are in copyright, but below you will find Natasha’s monologue (not the translation I usually use which is in copyright, but it’s pretty good) and the Twelfth Night duologue.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gabimaddocks.substack.comFor those who prefer to read rather than watch, here’s a summary of the meeting:OverviewThe meeting focused on discussing LAMDA's newly released additional set text options for Level 2 exams. We aired concerns about guidelines for original speech content. We had a look at the plays that are now on the ASTL while discussing challenges related to finding …

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gabimaddocks.substack.comMeeting OverviewMany students finish their LAMDA exams weeks before the end of term, leaving a teaching gap. In this meeting we explored ways of keeping sessions purposeful, engaging, and “un-cancellable” during this in-between time — especially for solo students or pairs.OPTION 1: If they’ve taken an exam early in the academic year then they could take a “bonus” exam. I’ve had students complete Grade 5 Solo Acting in March/April, and then take a Grade 4 Speaking in Public exam in June/July. They have already shown themselves to be motivated and hard-working, so if you drop a grade (as it’s a new subject, and they won’t have too long) then they can often manage it! OPTION 2: Start working towards their next exam straight away. OPTION 3: Follow some of the ideas suggested below. Thank you to everyone at the meeting to came up with some of these brilliant ideas! I’ve created a downloadable one page handout of “Post-Exam Activities for Speech & Drama Teachers” for you to carry around with you, as well as my “secret mission park bench” cues.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gabimaddocks.substack.comFor those of you who don’t have 48 minutes spare to watch the whole video, here are the most important points covered at the meeting… Devising Drama: The FundamentalsLearners can take Solo exams or Duologue exams but there is NO COMBINED EXAM for Devising Drama* Learners must devise their own original scenes* Scenes should have a clearly defined structure* They should aim to suspend disbelief* All the technical skills of acting will be required to do well in this exam, as well as an understanding of the devising process* At Entry level, learners devise ONE scene (2-3 mins) using one of the following themes as a stimulus: a day out OR my favourite hobby OR my favourite toy or game* From Grade 1 – 8, learners devise TWO scenes (2-3 mins at Grades 1-3; 3-4 mins at Grades 4-7; 4-5 mins at Grade 8). The basis for each scene is described in the syllabus.* From Grade 6 – 8, learners also perform an improvised scene (1-2 mins) based on a stimulus provided by the examiner at the time of the examination. They have one minute to prepare the scene.* Recorded music and/or sound effects can be used but students must operate their own sound equipment.* There is a Knowledge Section as per all the accredited exams accounting for 20% of the marks at all grades. The questions asked are laid out on the assessment and grading criteria pages in the syllabus. Who are Devising Drama Exams suitable for? Devising Drama exams are great for students who* have vivid imaginations* who love telling and acting out stories* who don’t enjoy learning lines (or aren’t good at learning lines)* who get bored of rehearsing the same scenes over and over again.Some students like the idea of devising, but struggle to come up with ideas… If after two or three weeks of work you feel like you’re trying to get blood out of stone, you may want to steer them back to a scripted exam. After all, there is plenty of wonderful material out there ready to work on. If it’s hard to come up with ideas - use someone else’s and learn the lines! And take an Acting Exam instead… Devising Drama is best for students who have too many rather than too few ideas. Where to begin?

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gabimaddocks.substack.comWhether you’re brand new to them or looking to refresh your approach, this session will offer real, practical value. Here’s why you might want to watch the video:1. Never tackled Introductory Exams before?You’ll get a clear breakdown of how they work, what examiners are looking for, and who they’re ideal for.2. Struggling to prep individuals within group settings?I share tips for keeping group sessions manageable — even when they’re working towards solo exams.3. Already an Introductory Exams pro?Inject your teaching with some new ideas, and share your own top tips in the comments! LAMDA Introductory Exams can be a brilliant way to diversify your income and lay foundations for long-term student relationships. Many of my teenage students started with these exams at age 5 or 6. Starting the LAMDA Syllabus at a young age is a great way of building enthusiasm rather than fear of exams that will keep them coming back term after term…Solo Introductory LAMDA exams are aimed at children aged 5 to 8 years old. During the meeting, we discussed the importance of providing a safe and nurturing environment for creativity and I also shared the marking scheme for the exams. We talked about how these exams could be useful for older students, and the situations in which this might be the case. As a group we discussed teaching styles, the challenges of introducing new poems to students, and strategies for teaching children conversation skills and reciting poems. We talked about whether gesture should be used and how to avoid its overuse. Lastly, I led a discussion on choosing appropriate books and objects for the conversation section.I also discussed strategies when working in groups - how to keep the other children occupied when working on individual poems, and I shared a template for our POETRY PROJECT which gives them plenty to get on with for a few minutes to build up a booklet that they can take home at the end of term and is a nice record of their work. Lots of these activities build skills that they’ll need in higher level Verse and Prose exams, and could of course be used for older children as well. You can download the Poetry Project to use with your own students by clicking this link:

It’s just me this time… and it’s come out a bit later than I was hoping because of competition from other important activities! Setting up a new Facebook group with the wonderful Clare and Judi took up the second half of September, and there was also a bit of a hoo-hah about the Knowledge questions in the Grade 6 and 7 acting syllabus to look into… which still hasn’t been satisfactorily resolved.So this podcast will give you a brief overview of a year at The Playing Space, starting in September and going through to July. I hope you enjoy! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gabimaddocks.substack.com/subscribe

In this podcast I have a lovely chat with the marvellous Abi Haberfield, who is a partner at The Playing Space and also teaches independently in schools. She is a hugely experienced LAMDA teacher, having prepared students for exams of all subjects and grades for more than 12 years. We talk about the variety of different set ups we have encountered in the different schools we go into. Areas of discussion include: * Dealing with parents directly, including invoicing.* Invoicing the school and having no contact with parents. * Having to deal with admin including timetabling and exam entries. * Switching from private classes to shared classes or small groups as numbers increase. * Paying rent for the teaching space. * Public versus Private Exam Centres.* Entering students for exams - do it yourself and charge an admin fee, or let the school/parents do the entries themselves.* Taking over from other teachers and making changes. * Turning down work if you don’t think the school is running things in the way you think best serves the students (e.g. too many children in a group).* Negotiating a suitable teaching space.* Benefits of LAMDA exams for students who are falling behind academically.* How to manage preparation for exams in schools with limited funds. * Offering free sessions to students in the run up to exams - generosity or downfall? Building free sessions into your fee structure. * The difficulty of getting into schools. * LAMDA Horror Stories: mistakes we’ve made. Visit Gabi’s Speech and Drama Community for loads more resources - articles, worksheets, meet ups and more! Gabi’s Speech and Drama Community is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gabimaddocks.substack.com/subscribe

This is a fun conversation with a professional working actor, Jennie Eggleton, who also works as a speech and drama teacher, independently and as a partner of The Playing Space. We talk about the pros and cons of combining these two careers, and how everyone listening can enjoy the benefits whether or not they are currently a working actor.We also share some LAMDA Exam stories at the end of the podcast. To join the community go to: gabimaddocks.substack.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gabimaddocks.substack.com/subscribe

Here is the website for the The British and International Federation of Festivals for Music, Dance and Speech (BIFF): https://www.federationoffestivals.org.uk/festivalsClick the link to find your local festival.Get the full episode and all future episodes by becoming a paid subscriber to my substack: www.gabimaddocks.substack.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gabimaddocks.substack.com/subscribe