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Monkeys
Joined: 03 Jan 2005
Posts: 1
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| Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2005 6:58 am
Post subject: speaking with a cockney accent |
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I am in a theatre production that requires me to use a cockney accent. any suggesting on how to use one? my current accent is western U.S. american. if anyyone has suggestions i would greatly appreciate them. thanks!  |
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Wanderer
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| Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2005 4:03 pm
Post subject: Re: speaking with a cockney accent |
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On Tue, 04 Jan 2005 01:15:47 -0600, Monkeys wrote:
| Quote: | I am in a theatre production that requires me to use a cockney accent.
any suggesting on how to use one? my current accent is western U.S.
american. if anyyone has suggestions i would greatly appreciate them.
thanks!
|
Err, not sure what you mean by 'use one'. In the end, you make your best
stab at what you think a particular accent sounds like. I presume the
production is either AmDram or fairly provincial if it's professional, and
that you're in the US.
An AMDram group I belonged to put on 'Harvey' a year or two back, and 'High
Society' a short time later. That required all of the cast to adopt US
accents. I suspect a purist would have been left wondering how come
Americans from the Bronx, Chicago, the mid west, the west coast, deep south
and New England all happened to find themselves looking for an invisible
rabbit or talking about boats! The point I'm making is that our audiences
didn't really know how good or bad, consistent or inconsistent the accents
were, merely that they were 'US' accents.
On this side of the pond, I guess we have the advantage - if such it can be
called - that a significant part of our TV output is of US origin, so we
have plenty of examples of US accents to try and copy. Presumably you don't
have the same level of exposure to UK accents. Your best bet would be to
watch one or two videos - try the original of 'The Italian Job' with
Michael Caine, not the Hollywood remake! If you can find it, 'The Mouse
that Roared' would also be worth watching, not only because of the accents,
but also to give you an insight into the psyché of the Londoner. If they're
available as videos in the US, any of the old Ealing comedies would be
worth watching.
--
the dot wanderer at tesco dot net |
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Molly Mockford
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| Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2005 2:20 am
Post subject: Re: speaking with a cockney accent |
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At 09:03:51 on Tue, 4 Jan 2005, Wanderer <me@privacy.net> wrote in
<yes6bzu97e3b$.lemhkaovr2yy$.dlg@40tude.net>:
| Quote: | Your best bet would be to
watch one or two videos - try the original of 'The Italian Job' with
Michael Caine, not the Hollywood remake! If you can find it, 'The Mouse
that Roared' would also be worth watching, not only because of the accents,
but also to give you an insight into the psyché of the Londoner. If they're
available as videos in the US, any of the old Ealing comedies would be
worth watching.
|
And if you have access to a tape of Mary Poppins, listen to Dick Van
Dyke and then don't do *anything whatsoever* that he does. How a
professional actor could make such a dreadful mess of a Cockney accent
I'll never know.
--
Molly Mockford
I think I've been too long on my own, but the little green goblin that
lives under the sink says I'm OK - and he's never wrong, so I must be!
(My Reply-To address *is* valid, though may not remain so for ever.) |
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FB
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2005 3:38 am
Post subject: Re: speaking with a cockney accent |
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On Tue, 4 Jan 2005 09:03:51 +0000, Wanderer wrote:
| Quote: | On Tue, 04 Jan 2005 01:15:47 -0600, Monkeys wrote:
I am in a theatre production that requires me to use a cockney accent.
any suggesting on how to use one? my current accent is western U.S.
american. if anyyone has suggestions i would greatly appreciate them.
thanks!
[...]
If they're available as videos in the US, any of the old Ealing comedies would be worth watching.
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To learn cockney?
Bye, FB
--
"Suppose I say I'm not interested."
"Does five hundred dollars interest you?"
"Very much."
"Then bring it: it's an expensive restaurant".
(The Cheap Detective) |
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Wanderer
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2005 5:15 am
Post subject: Re: speaking with a cockney accent |
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On Tue, 04 Jan 2005 20:38:47 GMT, FB wrote:
| Quote: | On Tue, 4 Jan 2005 09:03:51 +0000, Wanderer wrote:
On Tue, 04 Jan 2005 01:15:47 -0600, Monkeys wrote:
I am in a theatre production that requires me to use a cockney accent.
any suggesting on how to use one? my current accent is western U.S.
american. if anyyone has suggestions i would greatly appreciate them.
thanks!
[...]
If they're available as videos in the US, any of the old Ealing comedies would be worth watching.
To learn cockney?
|
Oh the dangers of taking just a little bit of a message out of context.
You may wish to consider the following aphorism.
'Have I understood what the other guy is saying?'
'Have I said what I mean? Have I meant what I said?'
--
the dot wanderer at tesco dot net |
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Wanderer
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2005 5:19 am
Post subject: Re: speaking with a cockney accent |
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On Tue, 4 Jan 2005 19:20:38 +0000, Molly Mockford wrote:
| Quote: | At 09:03:51 on Tue, 4 Jan 2005, Wanderer <me@privacy.net> wrote in
yes6bzu97e3b$.lemhkaovr2yy$.dlg@40tude.net>:
Your best bet would be to
watch one or two videos - try the original of 'The Italian Job' with
Michael Caine, not the Hollywood remake! If you can find it, 'The Mouse
that Roared' would also be worth watching, not only because of the accents,
but also to give you an insight into the psyché of the Londoner. If they're
available as videos in the US, any of the old Ealing comedies would be
worth watching.
And if you have access to a tape of Mary Poppins, listen to Dick Van
Dyke and then don't do *anything whatsoever* that he does. How a
professional actor could make such a dreadful mess of a Cockney accent
I'll never know.
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Funnily enough, MP was the first and most obvious example that came to my
mind as a video that might be readily available in the US. And which was
just as quickly rejected.
Unfortunately, there may be a very significant number of Americans who
think that DVD was giving a perfect rendition of a cockney accent.......
--
the dot wanderer at tesco dot net |
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FB
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2005 7:17 am
Post subject: Re: speaking with a cockney accent |
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On Tue, 4 Jan 2005 22:15:27 +0000, Wanderer wrote:
| Quote: | On Tue, 04 Jan 2005 20:38:47 GMT, FB wrote:
On Tue, 4 Jan 2005 09:03:51 +0000, Wanderer wrote:
On Tue, 04 Jan 2005 01:15:47 -0600, Monkeys wrote:
I am in a theatre production that requires me to use a cockney accent.
any suggesting on how to use one? my current accent is western U.S.
american. if anyyone has suggestions i would greatly appreciate them.
thanks!
[...]
If they're available as videos in the US, any of the old Ealing comedies would be worth watching.
To learn cockney?
Oh the dangers of taking just a little bit of a message out of context.
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So, you recommended them to learn English accents in general. I see.
[...]
--
"Something to take to the country." (holding out a bunch of flowers)
"Flowers come _from_ the country, Charles."
(Cold Comfort Farm, the film) |
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Wanderer
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2005 2:23 pm
Post subject: Re: speaking with a cockney accent |
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On Wed, 05 Jan 2005 00:17:49 GMT, FB wrote:
| Quote: | On Tue, 4 Jan 2005 22:15:27 +0000, Wanderer wrote:
On Tue, 04 Jan 2005 20:38:47 GMT, FB wrote:
On Tue, 4 Jan 2005 09:03:51 +0000, Wanderer wrote:
On Tue, 04 Jan 2005 01:15:47 -0600, Monkeys wrote:
I am in a theatre production that requires me to use a cockney accent.
any suggesting on how to use one? my current accent is western U.S.
american. if anyyone has suggestions i would greatly appreciate them.
thanks!
[...]
If they're available as videos in the US, any of the old Ealing comedies would be worth watching.
To learn cockney?
Oh the dangers of taking just a little bit of a message out of context.
So, you recommended them to learn English accents in general. I see.
[...]
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Err, the inference was that if he's in the US, his audience would be highly
unlikely to know what a *true* cockney accent sounds like. Same as yer
average UK audience would be unclear about a New England, or Chicago or
West Coast{1] accent sounds like
Realistically, if it's AmDram or a provincial professional production, he
only needs an approximation. If it's a major Broadway production, he's
unlikely to be asking here because he'd be using a voice coach.....
[1] Insert accent of choice.
--
the dot wanderer at tesco dot net |
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