The Actor and the Text

The Actor and the Text by Cicely Berry is the definitive guide to the actor's relationship with heightened language, written by the woman who served as Voice Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company for over four decades and worked with virtually every major British actor of the late twentieth century. Published as a companion to her earlier groundbreaking book Voice and the Actor, The Actor and the Text moves beyond vocal technique into the deeper territory of how actors can truly connect with the language of great dramatic literature, particularly Shakespeare. Berry's approach is rooted in the conviction that an actor's voice and the playwright's text are not separate elements to be coordinated but are parts of a single organic process of communication.

The book's central argument is that actors must find the language of a play not in their heads but in their bodies — that heightened text, particularly verse, has a physical reality that can only be released through full physical and vocal engagement. Berry provides a wealth of practical exercises designed to help actors break through the intellectual barrier that often prevents them from connecting viscerally with difficult or unfamiliar language. These exercises, developed and refined through decades of work with RSC actors on Shakespeare and other classical texts, are the heart of the book and represent one of the most valuable collections of practical text work available in print.

Berry's approach to Shakespeare's language treats meter, rhythm, imagery, and sound not as literary features to be analyzed intellectually but as acting tools that provide the actor with specific, usable information about character, emotion, and intention. She demonstrates how the structure of a verse line — its regularity or irregularity, its caesuras and enjambments, its vowel and consonant patterns — communicates dramatic meaning as powerfully as the semantic content of the words. This perspective transforms the actor's relationship with classical text from one of intimidation and academic analysis to one of physical discovery and creative play.

The exercises in the book are designed to be used in rehearsal as well as in training, and Berry includes detailed guidance on how to apply them to specific texts and specific performance challenges. She addresses common problems such as actors who intellectualize Shakespeare's language rather than living through it, actors who impose a general emotional tone rather than discovering the specific shifts and surprises within each speech, and actors who sacrifice clarity of thought for vocal beauty or vice versa. The practical, problem-solving orientation of the exercises makes them immediately applicable to the challenges actors face in production work as well as classroom settings.

Berry's influence on classical theatre performance is immeasurable — she has shaped how multiple generations of actors approach Shakespeare and other heightened texts, and her methods have been adopted by training programs worldwide. Her work at the RSC gave her an unparalleled laboratory for testing and refining her ideas with actors working at the highest level of classical theatre performance. The actors she has worked with — including Ian McKellen, Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes, and Mark Rylance — have consistently credited her with transforming their relationship with language. Her approach has also influenced directors, voice teachers, and text coaches well beyond the RSC.

The Actor and the Text is available in paperback from Applause Theatre and Cinema Books, typically priced between $15 and $20 for a new copy. Used copies are widely available at lower prices. Digital editions are available for Kindle and other e-readers. The book represents an exceptional value for any actor who works with or aspires to work with classical text, as it provides access to the distilled wisdom of the most influential voice and text practitioner in the English-speaking theatre. Berry's other books, including Voice and the Actor and Text in Action, complement and extend the work presented here.

The Actor and the Text is essential reading for any actor who works with Shakespeare or other heightened text, and it should be a required text in every classical acting and voice training program. It is particularly valuable for actors who feel intimidated by verse or who tend to default to intellectual analysis rather than physical engagement when working with difficult language. Voice teachers and text coaches will find Berry's exercises an invaluable addition to their teaching toolkit. Even actors who primarily work in contemporary naturalistic contexts will benefit from Berry's insights into the physical reality of language, as the principles of clarity, specificity, and embodied communication apply to all text, not just verse.

Begin with the exercises rather than reading the book as a theoretical text — Berry's ideas come alive through practice, and you will understand her principles far more deeply by doing the exercises than by reading about them. Work through the exercises with a partner or group whenever possible, as the social dimension of language — speaking to and with another person — is central to Berry's approach. Apply the exercises to a specific Shakespeare speech or scene you are currently working on, as the connection to actual performance material will make the work feel urgent and purposeful rather than abstract. Record yourself before and after working through the exercises on a particular text to hear the difference in your engagement, specificity, and freedom. Return to the book regularly throughout your career, especially when beginning work on a new classical role, as the exercises will continue to yield new discoveries with each application.