Ray's one-man shows can be "chopped up" to produce a 90-minute event comprising a performance with an accompanying talk and discussion. These events have proven to work well in School and Library settings, and are ideal for literary society evenings and similar events.

Currently available options are:

This three-hour workshop is ideal for Amateur Dramatics companies and others who are considering producing their own dramatisation of a piece of classic literature.

There may be no royalties to pay on 19th century stories and novels, but if you use a published stage adaptation there certainly are! This is possibly the most fundamental reason for desiring to produce your own dramatisation, but the rewards to be had in "doing it yourself" go far beyond this!

This three-hour workshop is ideal for anyone who desires to create an original dramatisation from researched material.

Research is a fascinating activity and in its pure form, researched material is certainly of interest, although generally restricted to a limited number of people. Breathing life into that researched material by creating a dramatisation instantly spreads the bounds of that interest to a potentially enormous range of people.

A two-hour workshop covering all those essential skills that every actor needs to draw upon when performing in front of a live audience.

For possibly up to two hours at a time, or maybe longer, you will be expecting your audience to "suspend disbelief"; to ignore the lighting equipment, the stage and and all the other trappings of the venue, and to believe totally in the activities of you and your fellow performers. Your audience will be prepared to go partway down that road, but it is your total responsibility to create that magic and to take them fully there.

Voice, Concentration, Focus and Trust are the key elements of performance that will be studied in detail during this workshop, and virtually all of the excercises comprised in it can be "taken away" by participants, and can be used either by the individual, or ideally in group situations, prior to rehearsals and performances.

It's all too easy, particularly prior to rehearsals, for performers to still be preoccupied by what they've just attended to, and to only fully focus on the rehearsal once it gathers momentum, instead of concentrating right from the start. A warm up using some of the excercises learned during this Theatre Skills Workshop will pull everyone together for some truly effective preparation for that all important "first night"!

A two-hour workshop covering vocal techniques, ideal for anyone who has to stand in front of a crowd of people and talk to them.

It's not just actors who find themselves in front of an audience. There are many others who do it on a day-to-day basis; teachers and lecturers to name but a few, and then there are those whose time in front of an audience is just occasional; it could be that you have to deliver a talk to your colleagues, address a sales team or simply to make a speech! Whatever the reason, however, the speaker's duty is always the same - to inspire, to enlighten and of course, to get the message across loud and clear.

A popular quick-fix nowadays is the radio mic. These are effective in certain situations but they have their drawbacks, which can range from interference from passing taxis, feedback and similar technical problems. Additionally, if there isn't a technician on-hand to regulate sound levels etc., the equipment can become a distracting hinderance; interfering with the speaker's 'flow' and therefore creating an annoyance to the audience and risk of incoherence. Finally, it is a man-made piece of technology; it therefore can suddenly cease to function.

Following his one-man performances, Ray is frequently asked if speaking on-stage for almost two hours leaves him vocally exhausted. His reply is always the same; "not at all, my voice feels better as the play progresses and I could do it all over again!"

The Voice and Public Address Workshop is a fun-filled experience during which Ray will reveal the "tricks of the trade" and, like the Theatre Skills Workshop, participants will leave with a good knowledge of excercises that can be used at any time, to get the voice 'warmed-up' in readiness for some serious public speaking!

An excellent, fun-packed way for youngsters to get to grips with a historical event or period, or to bring a current project to life

An event of this nature could easily be perceived as being a very l o n g   d a y - but what a day! A morning or afternoon of research, discussion, exploration, devising and rehearsing and then an afternoon or evening performance of the finished product.

Fast and furious, everything starts with a brief outline of the day's schedule, a physical and vocal warm-up and then an in-depth study of the topic in question. It's ideal if this can include a talk from a specialist, or from someone with first-hand knowledge (such as a wartime evacuee or retired professional etc).

Next, discussion is encouraged to create options as to how the story could be told, and then the fun begins: an exploration of characters and their place in the story, then the creation and rehearsing of the play which will be presented in the afternoon or evening; ideally in front of friends and family.

The Play in a Day is not only a great way of learning, but a great builder of confidence and team work, with communication skills thrown in for good measure!