Acting for Stage and Screen Summer Activities
As the beginning of your Acting for Stage and Screen course approaches, we understand that you might be looking for ways to enrich your knowledge and experience over the summer. Our academic team has put together a list of recommended activities, reading materials, and resources to prepare you for your studies.
These are all friendly recommendations - it's completely up to you how much (or little) you decide to do!
- "An Actor Prepares" – Constantin Stanislavski
The cornerstone of modern acting technique; explores the internal journey of an actor. - "Respect for Acting" – Uta Hagen
Practical and deeply insightful, it blends technique with emotional truth. - "The Actor and the Target" – Declan Donnellan
A clear, actionable approach to scene work and focus. - “The Complete Stanislavsky Toolkit” - by Bella MerlinEasy to read toolkit book, with acting & directing exercises and an insight into Bella Merlin’s acting career.
- There Will Be Blood (2007)Actor Focus: Daniel Day-Lewis as Daniel Plainview
Notes: A masterclass in character transformation and psychological complexity. Every gesture, pause, and line is fueled with intention and menace. - A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)Actor Focus: Marlon Brando as Stanley Kowalski
Notes: Revolutionary for its time — Brando brought raw emotional realism and Stanislavskian method to the screen, reshaping modern acting. - Blue Jasmine (2013)Actor Focus: Cate Blanchett as Jasmine
Notes: Blanchett delivers layered vulnerability, ego, and breakdown in a tightly wound socialite unraveling — showing fine control over tempo and interior life. - Manchester by the Sea (2016)Actor Focus: Casey Affleck as Lee Chandler
Notes: Incredibly restrained and authentic. Affleck builds a whole character through silence, subtle gestures, and suppressed emotion. - Moonlight (2016)Actor Focus: Trevante Rhodes, Ashton Sanders, Alex Hibbert as Chiron (across 3 ages)
Notes: Stunning emotional continuity across three actors portraying one character. Understated, delicate, and deeply human. - Joker (2019)Actor Focus: Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck
Notes: Full-body characterisation. His physical transformation, voice modulation, and emotional descent make this a hauntingly immersive performance. - The Favourite (2018)Actor Focus: Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone
Notes: Witty, sharp, and psychologically rich ensemble acting. Each performance walks a tightrope between grotesque comedy and emotional truth. - Her (2013)Actor Focus: Joaquin Phoenix as Theodore
Notes: A subtle, emotionally exposed performance that relies heavily on internal life and reacting — especially to a disembodied voice (Scarlett Johansson). - The Godfather (1972)Actor Focus: Al Pacino as Michael Corleone
Notes: Watch his evolution from reluctant outsider to ruthless boss — done with restraint, control, and mounting internal tension. Legendary for its economy of expression. - Women Talking (2022)Actor Focus: Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Ben Whishaw
Notes: Ensemble performance rooted in stillness, listening, and contained rage. Actors use voice, silence, and gaze with profound precision.