The quality and technique of an actor’s voice in performance is crucial to the success of a production. Every production has unique vocal challenges, whether - as in the case of
The UN Inspector - it’s learning to speak in a foreign accent and/or learning to project one’s voice in a large theatre like the Olivier. In
The UN Inspector , many of the actors had to speak in
an accent, since Director David Farr
developed a convention where the locals speak in a Russian-sounding accent when they speak to Westerners and an English accent when they are talking amongst themselves. Voice coach Kate Godfrey worked one-on-one with the actors to develop a realistic and consistent accent, which initially involved her
doing research into Russian and especially Ukrainian accents. She visited the Ukrainian embassy where she recorded the voice of an interpreter and played it back to the actors. They worked on perfecting the accent during the rehearsal period, but
Kate continued to work with them during tech rehearsals and performances, listening out for any problems with clarity and, for those who wanted it,
doing warm-ups with the actors before a performance.
