Royal Shakespeare Company actors and audiences will only stand to gain from the appointment of the great voice teacher Patsy Rodenburg to the role of emeritus director of voice Actors trained during pandemic lack vocal power and range says RSC leader, 14 October).
And Daniel Evans, the RSC’s co-artistic director, is right to point out that young actors trained over Zoom during the lockdowns are at a significant vocal disadvantage.
But there is an internal enemy to actors building vocal strength and clarity too. This is the increasingly ubiquitous use of microphones on stage. I staged one of my own plays in a mere 200-seater in 2023, and floor mics or personal mics were suggested at the start of the process.
We resisted, learned about the space we were in, warmed up and got on with it. Actors and directors should feel emboldened to say no to mics if they are not necessary.
Eugene O’Hare
London
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