7-day workshop on Voice and Speech at Panjab University

Chandigarh, January 2, 2015: Seven day workshop on Voice and Speech would conclude today at the Panjab University (PU), Department of Indian Theatre. The workshop was conducted by Dr.Danish Iqbal, an alumnus of National School of Drama .The workshop is being organised by the PU Indian Theatre for the aspiring students of the Department. He has completed his MA in Classical Acting from Central School of Speech and Drama London in 2005. Since his return, he has been actively associated with NSD in different capacities apart from acting and directing for different theatre groups and also conducting theatre workshops. He has expertise in voice and speech training.

Apart from theatre Dr.Danish Iqbal has appeared in films like A Mighty Heart, Roshni, Ullas , Kaash…if only and Mahotsav. His latest production is Kshan. His involvement with Radio and Television has been substantial. Starting from NSD days, Dr. Danish Iqbal bagged the Best Director and Best Playwrightaward at NSD’S Annual Fest 2002. A recipient of Charles Wallace India Trust Award 2006,he added another feather to his cap when he was awarded “Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Ratna 2010” for Acting by Sangeet Natak Academy and a JRF by Ministry of Culture.

Danish Iqbal completed his Ph. D on “The Inclusion of Folk elements in Shakespearean plays performed in Hindi”. He is working for various Govt. and private organisations as voice and speech trainer which include National School of Drama, Sri Ram Centre, FM Radio channels, BBC etc. At present he is working as course coordinator of Post graduate diploma in acting course at AJK MCRC, Jamia Millia Islamia Central University, New Delhi. 

Voice and speech are two very important and integral elements of all kinds of acting. Whether it is Grotovski’s theatre or Stanislavsky’s school of acting, voice and speech has a role to play. Often actors get confused by thinking that voice and speech are both same as one subject. They may be very close to each other but voice has a separate space and working area and speech is completely different. Voice is used in any form of performance. 

This not only limit itself to actor or acting but also comes handy for singers, academician, public speaking professions etc. and speech is very specifically used by only those who use words as the medium of communication. Since actors does lots of speaking on stage so it becomes natural for actors to be able to deliver what they actually want to say in a certain way.

Dr. Navdeep Kaur, Assistant Professor, Department of Indian Theatre said that the main focus of the workshop is on the basics of voice and speech. The students are introduced to the technique of various ways to make their voice strong and loud. They are doing an exercise which is helping them in strengthening the Breath, helping them to be able to breathe more, relax and deep.

After experiencing the right pattern and method of breathing, they learnt how to open up their voice. It is essential for an actor to be loud enough so that he can reach to the audience without much of an effort. Even if he or she is speaking soft, they should be audible to the audience. This technique is achievable only after regular practice. The

students are working full day on the subject. Speech is the next level of the craft.

In second half of the day students are working on speech. They have taken a monologue and practically examining the ways of speech work on individual basis. In speech sessions they are practicing ways of handling the text as an actor. Understanding of the text, diction, subtext etc. is helping them in breaking the speech and making it of their own text.

(SK Vyas/Jalandhar)

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