Finding fellow actors to read with to practice

Hiya,

I want to practice filming scenes in Welsh and recording them. Just wondered if there are any actors on here who’d be happy to be a reader for some selftape practice with me and I’ll do the same. Did a quick search on the BBC writers room and found some scripts for Un Bore Mercher which might work as a starting point for material.

Cofion cynnes,
Rhi x

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I’m not sure my very rusty amateur dramatics acting would be much help, but I’m tagging @beca-brown for you as she may well know someone who might be able to help.

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Diolch Siaron. You rock!

I will have a rootle through the Un Bore Mercher script. Choose some short scenes. Wonder if a selftape challenge would be welcome in the broader SSiW community? It’s something I regularly do in English, that might be fun to do in Welsh. There I go - I’m galloping ahead of myself here. One step at a time! :rofl:

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I know we have plenty of singers and musicians in the SSiW community, I’d be very surprised if there were no actors, so hopefully you’ll get more replies soon. In the meantime, maybe if you explain a bit about what’s involved in self-taping and/or a self-taping challenge, there may be people who’d give it a go if they knew more about it - you never know!

As you know from your green badge there are self-taping exercises as part of the course and some people struggle with those (and even those who don’t struggle often don’t like the sound of their voice on tape!), so whilst it may be a step too far for some, it would still be excellent speaking practice for those who want to jump in and have a go.

Since the pandemic selftaping (hunan-tapio, hundâp? just guessing what the Welsh might be, don’t know, selfie is hunllun isn’t it?) has become the standard first round audition for actors to get work. Basically you tape yourself doing the scene with a reader, either in person or over zoom or similar, or if you’re really stuck you record the audio of yourself doing the other lines and fill in the gaps. Most people just use their phones to film. Cameras on smartphones are pretty amazing nowadays. I guess I’ll sort it out for myself first, find scenes and have a proper think about how to open it up to the wider group. It wouldn’t be everyone’s cuppa tea, I know. Let’s see if anyone responds here. Will post something on the Nia’s Welsh Speaking Practice Slack channel too, which is part of SSiW.

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Are you still seeking actors? I would like to audition!
Some of my work: https://www.youtube.com/c/JenXOfficialEDM/videos
Diolch,
Jen

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Love you chatting to Nicki and singing about how much you love them! So sweet.

No need to audition, Jen. Great to have some interest from yourself and Siaron.

Been doing some research today, finding minute long scenes to play around with.

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Thank you / diolch! Keep in touch.

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I would definitely be up for this, although I’m in the process of moving house so if you’re still doing this in a couple of months, let me know. I like the idea of getting a chance to practice my accent without having to think about what to say!

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Fab Suw. I’m basically planning to tape a little scene regularly as practice and if I can share a bit the process and help others, with their practice too then great. So yes, hoping something’ll still be occurring in a month or two.

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Great! I’ll try to remember to message you when I’ve moved!

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This sounds fun! Although I‘m not sure how much time I have at the moment :sweat_smile:

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It’s great that there’s some fellow learners interest in having a go at this. Yay, you all rock.

I thought it might be worthwhile sharing some examples so you know what I’m on about.
I had a go yesterday at taping a short bit in Welsh from Un Bore Mercher (Series 2, Episode 1). It’s is quite handy for us learners because the scripts in English are also on BBC Writers Room website. We’re in Southern dialect here - happy to find other regions too. For this one I taped myself doing the other voice having recorded it on voice memo on another gadget: https://youtu.be/UippFT--gb4

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That’s excellent Rhi - you sound like a 1st language speaker! Bendigedig!

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Waw! You just made my day Siaron! Diolch!!!

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Here’s the extract I used to tape, in Welsh, will also find the extract in English and post too.

INT. HOWELLS. CONFERENCE ROOM - AFTERNOON
SARAN James follows TOM Howells in. He motions her to a chair. She remains
standing.

SARAN
‘Ych cleient chi. Gael Reardon.
TOM
Reardon? Na, sa i’n credu bod hi’n gleient i ni.
SARAN
Bythefnos yn ôl nath Faith Howellsddod ato i gyda chynnig gan Mrs
Reardon i brynu’n salons gwallt ni. Wrthodes i.
TOM swallows his alarm.
SARAN (CONT’D)
A nawr, ma’ Mrs Reardon yn bygwth strwa’r busnes oni bai bo’ fi’n derbyn.
TOM
Wel, os ‘ych chi’n ca’l ‘ych bygwth yna ma’n rhaid i chi fynd at yr heddlu.
SARAN
Gynigodd hi gynllun arall - y bydde Mrs Howells yn trefnu i fi wneud taliade misol.
TOM
Gadewch i fi ddelio ‘da hyn, Mrs James. Fydda i mewn cysylltiad.
SARAN
Peder awr ar hugain.
She lets herself out. TOM reaches for the phone.

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And here’s the scene in English:

INT. HOWELLS. CONFERENCE ROOM - AFTERNOON
SARAN follows TOM in. He motions her to a chair. She remains standing.
SARAN
Your client. Gael Reardon.
TOM
Reardon? No, I don’t believe she’s a client.
SARAN
Two weeks ago Faith Howells approached me with Mrs Reardon’s offer to buy my hair salons. I declined.
TOM swallows his alarm.
SARAN (CONT’D)
Now Mrs Reardon is threatening to destroy my business unless I accept.

TOM
Well, if there’s been a threat you must go to the police.
SARAN
She did offer an alternative - that Mrs Howells would arrange for me to make monthly payments.
TOM
No, no, no. Let me deal with this, Mrs James. I’ll call you.
SARAN
Twenty-four hours.
She lets herself out. TOM reaches for the phone.

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I’m going to learn another extract from the same episode next. Anyone fancy joining me? It’s be very different vibe. Conversation between best mates over wine - with one of them in the bath (don’t have to actually tape it in the bath!) Much more informal! Below in Welsh and then English.

INT. FAITH’S HOUSE. BATHROOM - NIGHT
FAITH lies in the bath. A tap at the door. LISA enters with two glasses of wine.
LISA
Pizzas yn barod mewn pum muned! (setting FAITH’S glass on the shelf) Iawn i fi aros am swper?
FAITH
Dim Tom, heno?
LISA
(squirming)
Jyst pryd o fwyd o’dd e, ‘na’i gyd.
FAITH
A bach o footsie cyn mynd nôl i’r cwch?
LISA
Faith! Ych â fi! Ma’ fe’n ddigon hen i fod yn dad i fi.
FAITH
Ie - a? Edwin? Ti’n cofio fe?
LISA
O, paid, plîs! On i’n pissed ac yn desbret.
They laugh.
LISA (CONT’D)
Sôn bytu bod yn desbret … Ti’m rili’n mynd i aros amdano fe, wyt
ti? Dwy flynedd? Onestly. (off FAITH’S silence) Ti yn dy prime, Babes. Bydde bois
yn ciwo rownd y bloc amdanot ti.
FAITH
(shrugs)
Anyway, yr unig beth fi’n gallu meddwl amdano fe yw’r murder trial.
LISA
Ar ôl popeth ddigwyddodd i Evan? Jyst gad e i Cerys.
FAITH
Nath hi sgriwo lan gyment â fe.
She confidently picks up her glass, clinking it to LISA’S.
FAITH (CONT’D)
Fi’n mynd i ddangos ‘ddyn nhw’i gyd shwt ma’ ‘neud e.
LISA looks at her dubiously.

INT. FAITH’S HOUSE. BATHROOM - NIGHT
FAITH lies in the bath. A tap at the door. LISA enters with two glasses of wine.
LISA
Pizzas ready in five minutes. (setting FAITH’S glass on the shelf) Alright if I stay for dinner?
FAITH
No Tom, tonight?
LISA
(squirming)
It was a meal, that’s all.
FAITH
A little bit of footsie and back to the boat?
LISA
Faith! Yuck! He’s old enough to be my dad.
FAITH
Wouldn’t be the first time - Edwin? Remember him?
LISA
Oh, don’t, please! I was drunk and desperate.
They laugh.
LISA (CONT’D)
Talking of desperate … You’re not really going to wait for him, are you? Two more years? Honestly?
(off FAITH’S silence)
You’re in your prime, Babes. You’d have a queue round the block.
FAITH
(shrugs)
Still love him … I think. Anyway, all I can think of is my murder trial.
LISA
You’re not, Faith. Not after what happened to Evan? Can’t you leave it to Cerys?
FAITH
She screwed up as much as he did.

She confidently picks up her glass, clinking it to LISA’S.
FAITH (CONT’D)
I’m going to show them how it’s done.

LISA looks at her dubiously.

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Absolutely. The idea is to have a go and have some fun. :smiley:

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Love this idea! I’ve done quite a bit of acting and would like to have a go at doing a scene any time.

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