The Voice Exercise Book

The National Theatre's Head of Voice shares the voice exercises she uses with many of Britain's leading actors to help to keep their voices in shape.

'Clear and engaging… packed full of wise do-able guidance and sensible exercises… the author's buckets of experience, knowledge and understanding inform every sentence and illustration'

'Jeannette Nelson's approach is very clear... if you don't already have a book of voice exercise, I would recommend this one'

'An attractive, unfussy book with very clear instructions... Nelson's own voice is friendly but authoritative... definitely a book which could help teachers to manage both their own voices and voice development work with young people'

'An excellent manual [which] will be indispensable to acting students and voice teachers alike'

Jeannette Nelson trained as a singer and dancer at the Arts Educational School, then worked in theatre and cabaret for ten years in Britain and around the world. In her late twenties, she took a degree in English at Queen Mary, University of London, and then trained as a voice teacher at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

Jeannette taught for many years at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, as well as working as a voice and dialect coach in theatre, film and television. Besides the National Theatre, where she has worked since 1992, becoming Head of Voice in 2007, she has been resident voice coach at Shakespeare’s Globe, the Royal Shakespeare Company and Sydney Theatre Company, Australia. She has also worked on many productions for other British theatre companies in London’s West End and leading regional theatres.

As a voice and dialect coach in film and television, her work includes the films The Merchant of Venice (with the cast, including Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons and Joseph Fiennes), Kingdom of Heaven (with Orlando Bloom) and Wuthering Heights (with Juliette Binoche). Her most recent work in television includes The Hollow Crown (with the cast, including Benedict Cumberbatch, Philip Glenister, Keeley Hawes, Sally Hawkins, Sophie Okonedo and Tom Sturridge).