Kevin Dowsett, Epping (2026)

08/06/2026

A Weekend Blast

Last weekend, I gave a three-day adult acting workshop in Ireland. I’ve been giving such workshops for about 30 years, and I always enjoy them. This was set in a lovely old converted farmhouse in the middle of rural Tipperary.

You start with a group, and most of them don’t know each other. You also don't know what they can do, so I always begin in the same way. I throw a lot of movement-based improv at them and mix in some sense memory exercises like “smell a rose” and “remember a sunset.” This is because people should start from where they are, and how they think and feel. If they start in their own heads, they can connect with what others are thinking and feeling. They could be crossing an icy pond or negotiating a deep ravine. When they work together, it forces them to make offers like “the ice is thin here” and accept ideas from others. Acting is about other people, especially listening to them.

Then I look at scripts, and here they usually work with a partner. I show them a way of discovering their character’s backstory that brings them closer to understanding how they tick. In acting, we think about what the character wants or desires – what drives them. Then everyone knows where they are coming from and where they’re going to. I also throw in some movement work so they find different ways of moving – that shakes them up a bit.

This group was up for all the fun. They made moments of stillness and quiet emotion as well as shouty losses of control. They worked for each other as much as for themselves. Offstage, there was a fantastic camaraderie, eating and drinking together, telling stories and much laughter. All that warmth and friendliness bring the group closer together, so when they go back into the studio, they are generous and fired up for more.

I love to see how they relax and change over their time together. I always ask them to comment positively on what they have seen in others, and they always find something positive, honest and authentic to say. That brings people even closer together. I like how they take on the imaginary world of the play and try to make it truthful.

It’s a bit of cliché, I know, but it’s great to be reminded that we’re all human – we all share dreams, fears, joys and hardships. They play out their ideas with such passion. You can’t help but be drawn into their stories, and you’re frequently moved by their work. They can make you laugh out loud, and they can make you catch your breath or shed a tear. It’s all in the moment. The greatest compliment I can pay them is to say I believed in every performance, the highs and lows of their characters. It was a privilege to share in such openness and joy.

01/06/2026

A Story of Our Lives

I often get asked if there is a show that I would recommend in the West End. I saw a show yesterday that was outstanding. As they said they smashed it, nailed it or whatever you want to call it.

The show in question is Into the Woods playing at the Bridge Theatre but transferring to the Noel Coward Theatre in September. It’s a tale that takes well known fairy tales and weaves them together to see if happy ever after is what happens. Spoiler alert. Actions have consequences.

Over the years I must have seen 5 or 6 performances including a lovely one starring our company director Cate in the Belgrade Studio in Coventry. I also remember seeing Nicholas Parsons as the narrator in the 1990s.

Everything about this performance was outstanding. The design, the lighting and the sound were fantastic while the performances were superb. I’m sorry if I sound gushing but I was blown away by the ensemble power of this performance.

The staging was imaginative with minimal props and believable truthful characters. Stephen Sondheim packs a lot about life into this show and the performers squeezed in so much more emotion, particularly through the songs. There was humour, pain, disillusion, hope and joy and ultimately a wonderful earned sense of remaking the world and facing up to misfortune. The audience roared its approval.

Jacob Fowler, our company director at Market Harborough, was on as Cinderella’s Prince. His performance as the Wolf that devoured Red Riding Hood and Grandma was funny, seductive and delicious. He owned the space. As the Prince he carried the bearing and demeanour of royalty but with a twist. As the character says “I was brought up to be charming, not sincere.” Jacob did a great job in bringing out the nuances of the characters he played.

The show won two Oliviers earlier this year (best musical revival and best design) and I’d say it is destined for a sell out run. It’s one of those shows that lives long after in the consciousness. So there, I recommend it.

25/05/2026

Laughter is the Best Medicine

We all need a good laugh – sometimes we’d even settle for a bad laugh. Daddy jokes?
It helps us in so many ways. It softens things, takes the sting out of them.
Cheer up – it may never happen.
It already has.
Always look on the bright side.
Easier said than done when things get grim, I grant you.

Theatre has a special place for laughter. After all, it’s one of the two drama masks - the other being tragedy – but let’s not go there.
There’s something about being in an audience when the laughter is shared, and then it becomes unstoppable. Everyone is in it together.

I can still remember being taken to a play when I was about 10. I don’t remember much about the play. It was about two men stuck in beds when they were on holiday, and a strict lady came along to be their nurse.

What I do remember is that pretty soon, everything that was said brought out more and more laughter, building like waves. It got so funny that I was gasping for air. I think I was swept along by everyone else laughing. I was pulled along in this sea of hilarity.

Even then, I admired the actors for their timing, their ability to ride the laughter and bring out the next line at exactly the right moment to maximise its effect and get even more.

Sometimes laughter can release tension. You can handle more sensitive topics with a good old laugh. Shakespeare knew all about this. Some way into Macbeth, just after the king is murdered in his sleep (it happens offstage), he brings on a drunken porter who hears knocking at the gates. He wanders this way and that, making up ridiculous things about who he imagines is coming in. In a place where you would expect extreme seriousness, you get complete stupidity.

Merriment is a lovely way to build a connection between the performers and the audience, because it’s instant feedback. All actors know you can’t take an audience for granted; you have to work for it. When you get it, it feels so good – you got it right. Some audiences, for unknown reasons, don’t get it. You can perform one night to uproarious laughter and the next night it might be as quiet as the grave.

It’s a reminder that we all share this life, and life is too serious to be taken seriously.
We need to laugh, to see the absurdity in things, to remind ourselves that we are human.

18/05/2026

Making Friends is a Life Skill
Young children are brilliant at wandering up to others they don’t know and, within two minutes, are running around as if they’ve known each other forever. As we know, it gets harder with age.

A thirteen-year-old who changes schools can have a nightmare making friends because of that “we were here before you, and you’re not one of us“ mentality. “You’re not from around here, are you?” strikes fear in most people. So, what’s the solution? How do you make friends when you’re new? It’s easy to say that if you want new friends, be friendly. In the real world, it probably means you end up hovering around a group of people, smiling and hoping that you’ll be accepted. Pretty daunting for anyone and nigh on impossible if you are carrying anxiety.

Some people we like at first sight; some we instantly dislike. It’s a minefield, as we know. Fortunately, most people are essentially nice once you get to know them, and it’s our fear that holds us back. The luck of the draw also comes into play. That and persisting, just being there every day, means at some point you’ll be accepted. I once taught at a school where no one would speak until you’d been part of the furniture for two years, and that was only the staff! I kid you not - that’s what it felt like.

At a performing arts group, you get an “in.” The work gets everyone moving and interacting together from the off. Newcomers are welcome, and they bring new energy. If you work on a show, you are suddenly thrown into a situation where you are rehearsing together, you go through the rehearsal process, perform the show and bingo, you have a shared past, something in common to refer back to. In a short space of time, you usually bond on some level. That process is accelerated if you work hard at what you’re doing, then it becomes “I’ve found my tribe.”

That said, some people still find it tricky. Maybe they are challenged socially. Some children seem only to be interested in themselves and expect the world to be as they see it. Now that is difficult. You want to rush in and say to them, " Be more interested in the others, less about you.” That rarely works; in fact, they resent you for it. It’s one of those skills they have to learn for themselves - and sometimes it can take a lifetime.

People like that get helped in a performing arts school because their self-centredness gets worn down. When you’re in class, the work is between the participants, so there’s no time for someone to play “look at me.” If you’re all busy singing a Taylor Swift song, there’s precious little time for anything else.

It's lovely to see the smiles and laughter that come from a shared moment of theatre and the friendship that it leads to. And we love the fact that some people who went to Theatretrain later ended up married to each other. And that’s another life skill.

11/05/2026

I Didn’t Get the Part I Wanted

Here’s something that happens in performing companies. You psyche yourself up for an audition, and in your head, you already have the part. Then later, you come crashing down to earth when it didn’t turn out as you expected. Isn’t that how it is in life? A rude awakening. It’s certainly a character test when your pride is hurt. How dare they give the part to someone else? They have less talent. You can persuade yourself of all kinds of injustices and form a little grievance list.

Well, you could do that, but it’s not very productive. Parts are decided upon for all sorts of reasons that you probably don’t know about. Over the years, I’ve met very few parents who directly complain about such things. Maybe I’ve been lucky, but in any case, once a decision has been made, it’s not going to be shaken up by somebody else’s say-so. Better to get on with what you’re given.

If you do get on with it, you generally discover that it’s not as bad as you thought. We need a wake-up sometimes that the world is not there just to satisfy our needs.

How annoying that some people seem to glide effortlessly into getting what they want. But in our hearts, I think we know that isn’t true. There is a cost to every action, and envy or bitterness are going to destroy you piece by piece. Staying open and interested builds a better you, and will ultimately reward you. The world has a funny way of working itself out.

Making the best of what you’ve got is a cliché, but also true. You can’t shine at everything, so be humble and learn. In a theatre company, you get used to handling what you’re given. You don’t think of it as failure and how you negotiate that moment brings out important qualities in you.

After I had taught Catherine Tate for about 5 years, she applied for drama school. She set her heart on only one and auditioned. They turned her down. So she returned every year for the next 5 years, when they finally took her. I find that interesting. Firstly, she set her heart on a particular drama school, and secondly, she went back and back and back until she succeeded. What drive, what self-belief, but also what determination. She resisted the temptation to try somewhere else. Single-mindedly, she pursued what she wanted. That tells you a lot about her.

04/05/2026

Making a Connection

Every day we come across other people; some we know and others are complete strangers. Most we don’t have time or interest to connect with, while others might create a brief chat. I was just in a queue at Costa Coffee in Tesco, and a lady forgot what she wanted to order. We all laughed because it’s a common thing, especially after a certain age. We laughed only because the lady herself laughed, which gave us permission. It was only in passing, and we are unlikely to meet again, but just for a moment, we connected as human beings.

I like that feeling of being part of the world. If I’m on a walk, which admittedly is most days, I meet people coming the other way. Usually, I signal that I'm friendly by smiling at them when I get close, often adding “morning” or “afternoon” with a rising inflexion. Most times I get the same back, but sometimes they look startled that I should speak or put their head down and ignore me. I don’t think I’m creepy, but who knows what is going on in their lives. And maybe they misinterpret my friendliness.

If we join something new, we accept that it’s going to be tricky at first to get to know the other people. Often, it can take years before you are “accepted” in some groups. Or in a new house. Isn't it great when new neighbours show an interest in you, and hey presto, you have a connection. Holidays also throw up opportunities to get to know people. “Have you tried the restaurant on the corner?” sort of thing.

They say allowing yourself to be vulnerable and opening up brings you closer to people, but that’s not something we’d rush into. Equally, some people are best avoided if only for our own protection. I’m thinking here of those who endlessly talk about themselves and seem unaware of others. Also, aggressive people who seem to be carrying a chip on their shoulder. You can’t like everyone.
As I said last week, I think laughter is great. And what a way to share. It reminds us that we have things in common.

Laughing after all releases endorphins, so we feel better for it.
Finally, the connection you make when you meet your life partner? There you are, living your life, and suddenly out of nowhere (or sometimes gradually) you realise, OMG, this is special. Then I think you enter a new dimension and you find not only someone to connect with, but someone who you can have so many different connections on different levels. And theatre work is a great place to bring all that together.

27/04/2026

What I Learned along the Way

In over 50 years, I have taught thousands of people. Some were adults, and some were children or young people. What strikes me is how positive and fun most people are. There are a few mean-spirited or downright negative types, but the vast majority are genuinely interesting and brave.

Being able to laugh, especially at yourself, is a gift that carries you a long way. Who wants to be around someone who never laughs? And curiosity. Don't you just love people who are open to new ideas? Who don't prejudge everything, and welcome the chance to be challenged and see things a different way. People like that are fun to work with, and you don’t know where it will go. The sweet spot is probably being able to be both funny and serious sometimes in the twinkling of an eye.

I’m not attracted to show-offs. Who is? But I usually find that there's a different person underneath. In fact, it’s a joy finding that there’s more to people than you thought, that there’s another side to them.
I like kindness. Who doesn’t? Often it shows in little things like how a waiter takes your order or how you are served in a shop. Like laughter, kindness makes such a difference.

What I’ve loved about teaching the performing arts is having the privilege of seeing people, young or old, as they are. After a few years, you get used to seeing something beneath the surface. Sometimes they are unaware of their creativity. It could be a sensitivity or just their way of looking at things.

Willingness to be playful opens a lot of doors in the mind. Some people are nice but fearful of what will happen in a class. It’s great when they open up and say or do something silly or deeply meaningful. I’ve always loved that look in someone’s face when they are on the spot, and they don’t know how to react. Then they discover that you can offer up practically anything, and it works. Just go for it.

In an improv, there's a rule about saying “Say yes to things.” It makes such a difference. If one person says, “I just won the lottery, £2.6 million”, and you say, “No, you didn’t “, or “I think you are having me on”, you kill the idea, and you get a boring argument about whether it happened or not. But if you say “Wow, so what’s happening”, you open it up. People so fear losing control, they don’t take the risk of saying yes to ideas and follow where it goes.

Humans are full of surprises, and that makes us endlessly fascinating. We meet in the middle, and that’s true in life as it is in the arts.

20/04/2026

Standing Out

When I was at school, we had an assembly every morning. The head teacher would sweep in in a gown, and there would be prayers, a hymn, and messages about the football team. It was very different back then. Something about everyone being so silent and still made me want to shout out and surprise them all. Perhaps I just wanted attention, but I think it was more than that. I found the sense of overwhelming control a bit oppressive. It was a reaction inside.

I’ve carried that crazy impulse to play against the things around me. But of course, it’s in my head. Much as I’d like to, I don’t think I’ll walk into the coffee shop and suddenly turn it into an operatic solo. “I want to order a decaf latte if you please.” Although I would enjoy the look of shock, surprise, humour, or fear that would come from the barista. I do that sometimes in Starbucks, where they always ask my name, and I say, “James Bond” and see what reaction I get. Don’t we all have moments where we want to shake things up a bit? What about in the car when someone zigzags ahead of you on the motorway, don’t we react?

I know a few musical songs, maybe I could try out a number from Rent or Chicago in the bread aisle of Tesco's. You never know, it might cause enough of a conniption to get others to join in. After all, it sometimes happens spontaneously in queues, “Why are we waiting, why are we waiting” to the tune of “Oh Come All Ye Faithful.” And where would football be without people singing out?

In my acting classes, I often shake things up. I’ll whisper to an actor, “Leave the room in the scene.” They do so, and it’s fascinating to see how the other actor deals with it. Do they follow them, or do they just stand there? I can tell you that when they follow, the scene goes up a gear in the corridor, or on the stairs, or even outside.

A few years ago, flash mobs were all the rage. At Theatretrain, we did a few. We got a big crowd of students together in London and suddenly popped up in Waterloo Station with our song, “Calling all Stations” and Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden and the Tower of London. These days, though, it’s harder to shock people. You can suddenly pop up, and people very quickly accept it – oh no, another flash mob. I think that’s why they went out of fashion.

You may have seen Channel 4’s Piano programme, where a piano was left at a railway terminus, and various people wandered up to play. Some were astonishingly good. And the new second series of Your Song, which launched recently on Channel 4, brings private singers to public places. Good luck to them, but I think my Tesco debut will stay on the back burner.

13/04/2026

Paddington Scoops the Day
Last night at the Olivier Awards at the Royal Albert Hall, Paddington the Musical won big-time with a total of 7 awards.

Best actor in a musical, unusually went to two people: James Hameed plays the voice of Paddington and operates the puppetry, and Arti Shah, who, as a little person, inhabits the body of the lovable bear.

The villains of the show, played by Tom Edden and Victoria Hamilton-Barritt, took home the awards for best supporting actor and best supporting actress in a musical. The show’s director, Luke Sheppard, was the best director, and there were also awards for costume design and set design. You could call this a clean sweep

It’s great to see a new musical in town, especially as the West End has so many long-running shows. I’ve nothing against those shows, but new writing often finds it hard to find a place. Musicals in particular are very expensive to mount, and producers are understandably reticent to commit their money unless they know they are going to get a return. Paddington, of course, is much loved from the original stories by Michael Bond, written from the late 1950s to the 1970s.

Then, of course, there was the animated TV series and later still the very successful feature films starring Ben Whishaw, Sally Hawkins and Hugh Bonneville. Perhaps the clincher to become the nation’s treasure when Paddington arrived at Buckingham Palace to film a segment with Her Majesty for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022.

Years ago, our accountants had a large Paddington bear on the mantelpiece in their Hertford offices. We discovered they also handled Michael Bond's accounts. So, Paddington is everywhere.

There is something warm and sweet, naive even, that makes people of all ages respond to him. Marmalade sandwiches strike a charming chord, and of course, he is an immigrant who has to innocently find his way around, leaving would-be nasty people in his wake.

I love the concept of two people playing the same role every night and working as a team. At the presentation, Arti Shah, who is 4 feet high, had her excited young son at the awards. When, in her acceptance speech, she said. “Mummy is gonna keep making you proud, and I am gonna keep showing you that being different is a good thing,” she became, to my mind, a national treasure herself. Her young son was so excited by the attention that he hid under his chair.

If you want to book tickets, good luck. You’ll need to wait a while, and that’s great.

30/03/2026

The Joy of Theatre

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the problems you can encounter at the theatre. On the last occasion, I was sitting next to a man with a very loud laugh, who found things funny that no one else did. Before that, I had the experience of sitting on a very low seat in a play without an interval.

Looking back, there have been many times when it didn’t work out well. Last Saturday, we went to a show in the West End and found that I was watching a dull musical. For me, the story moved so slowly that I didn’t really care about anyone, so there was not enough happening for me to carry on. I have to say that just about everyone else there was applauding loudly and cheering at the end with a standing ovation. This is not unusual for me; I often find myself not agreeing with everyone else. Sometimes it seems a bit like the emperor’s new clothes in that I can’t see why they all like it, and I don’t.

You might ask why I bother then – after all, it’s not cheap to sit in a West End theatre even if you are sitting in the Gods. The easy answer is to say that when it works, it seems to make those other times worth it. I have seen some plays that didn’t excite me, but I’ve also seen some standout shows which will always be in my head years later.

There’s another reason I go. I like the community aspect of being in an audience. You know what I mean. That crazy way we have to pass people to get to our seat, and we apologise more than is necessary. The queues at the bar, even the loo, for some people. All those painful things about being around other people. But once the lights go down, you are there with a bunch of strangers, and you become aware of them as well as the performance. If it’s a comedy, there is laughter which sometimes becomes infectious and spreads until the whole show rolls along on the wave between the stage and the audience. If it’s a drama or even a tragedy, then it’s the silence that comes over you - and you can feel the concentration and the feelings that start on the stage and travel to the audience.

It’s knowing that we are all sharing the same story. If we are lucky, it strikes a chord in us. If it doesn’t, it can feel like time stretches out forever. We all know that feeling.
I’m not selling theatre very well here, but in the aftermath of World Theatre Day, my point is, it reminds us that, as people, we are all connected, and that can make us laugh or cry - or sometimes yawn.

Kevin Dowsett

08/06/2026

01/06/2026

25/05/2026

18/05/2026

11/05/2026

04/05/2026

27/04/2026

20/04/2026

13/04/2026

30/03/2026

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Share

Category