The Accent Handbook: A Practical Guide to Learning Accents

Need to learn an accent for an audition? Got the part but can’t master all the sounds? Fancy increasing your repertoire? This practical handbook offers a digestible, flexible and contemporary way of learning a range of accents that have historically been overlooked within actor training but are vital and increasingly in demand in the industry. The authors bring their experience of conservatoire-teaching as well as working with the likes of Tom Hiddleston, Armie Hammer, Lily James and Kristen Scott-Thomas, to bring you closer to an extensive range of accents including those from across the UK (Geordie, Scouse, Cockney, for instance); throughout Europe, the Americas and Caribbean; and reaching into Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania. Split into 4 clear sections, the book provides a plethora of visual, aural, physical and textual exercises to help investigate the facts, practise the sounds and rhythms and, crucially, get performance-ready.

With the accents grouped into 'families' according to their common features, The Accent Handbook - while comprehensive - is designed to be easy to navigate. Its pick ‘n’ mix format allows for a dip-in-and-out approach, while the underlying structure offers a cohesive progression to ensure no stone is left unturned. Without using phonetics as so many resources in this field do, this book encourages experimentation and freedom, asking you to become a detective of accent sounds, rather than viewing them as fixed entities.

With audio and video resources integrated throughout, and a wealth of practical exercises suitable for all learning styles and needs, this book provides many ways in and encourages the reader to find out what works for them, thereby taking ownership of their own accent-learning process. The Accent Handbook is the most contemporary and inclusive guide to accents on the market.