Vocal skills
- Pitch: how high or low the voice is. Pace: how fast. Pause: a silence for effect.
- Volume: loudness, from a whisper to a shout. Tone: the emotion in the voice, such as sarcastic or tender.
- Accent and dialect show where a character is from. Emphasis stresses important words. Inflection is the rise and fall of the voice.
Physical skills
- Body language and posture show status and feelings: an upright posture can show confidence; a hunched one, fear or defeat.
- Gesture: movements of the hands and arms. Facial expression shows emotion.
- Gait: how a character walks. Movement and use of space, including levels and proxemics.
- Eye contact shows confidence, honesty or tension.
Using skills in the exam
- When describing how you'd play a character, give specific skills with specific examples from the text, and explain the intended effect on the audience.
- Example: "I would lower my pitch and slow my pace on the line to show menace, making the audience feel uneasy."
Key terms
- Pitch
- How high or low the voice is.
- Pace
- The speed of speaking or moving.
- Tone
- The emotion expressed in the voice.
- Posture
- The way the body is held.
- Gait
- The way a person walks.
- Gesture
- A movement of the hands or arms that shows meaning.
- Inflection
- The rise and fall of the voice.
- Emphasis
- Stressing particular words.