Not True, But Useful... A Cheek by Jowl Podcast

Declan and Nick think about advice they give to themselves when they are making a play, and the problem of letting yourself get in the way of the work. Even after four decades of rehearsing, they keep making notes to self.

Time is never the character's friend - but this makes it useful to the actor. In this episode, Declan chats to Lucie about time in Shakespeare's texts, and how there is never enough of it. He emphasises the importance of liveness in theatre, and the interconnectedness this creates.

Declan talks to Lucie about a question he can't stand: can he share the exercises he uses in the rehearsal room? He urges directors to ask not for a technique, but for what they're trying to achieve, and talks about how he himself is constantly observing in order to become more attentive to the needs of the actor.

Lucie talks to Declan about his favourite word in the rehearsal room: Flow. Flow is like love, like a football match, like a good evening spent with friends. For actors, flow is being a part of the living thing on the stage, and focusing what's outside and within you.

Declan presents an unusual piece of advice to actors: forget things. He talks to Lucie about how this allows the actor to be truly present as the character on stage, trusting what they need will be there when they need it.

Imposter syndrome is another longstanding problem that most actors face. For Declan, however, it is not unique to actors: the characters of Shakespeare's plays all go through thes same feelings. In this episode, Declan talks to Lucie about how the relationship between the actor and Shakespeare's texts should be equal, and how those characters also go through their own insecurities 

In this episode, Declan chats to Lucie about the age-old problem actors face of not ‘feeling' what their character feels, and whether the character themselves might be feeling anything at all. Declan talks about the theatre of feeling in everyday life, and how all the world is indeed a stage.

In this episode, Declan and Lucie discuss the transgression and intensity of Sophocles' classic tragedy, Oedipus. They talk about Declan and Nick's upcoming production of Oedip Rege in Craiova, how ideas can drastically change over a production period, and how even today Oedipus can be truly frightening.

In this episode, Declan and Lucie discuss the subject of love in As You Like It and Romeo and Juliet. They talk about the BBC Open University documentary on Cheek by Jowl's production of As You Like It, which you can watch here (https://www.cheekbyjowl.com/resources/as-you-like-it-documentary-cheek-by-jowl-open-university/). The music in this episode was composed by Sergey Chekryzhov for Cheek by Jowl's 2005-13 production of Three Sisters.Join our mailing list to keep up-to-date with Cheek by Jowl's news, events and opportunities.

Beginning with a reading of Hamlet, Declan dives deep into the universal themes of (non-)existence, futility, and being driven by the fear of anonymity. This episode contains brief mention of suicide when discussing the text of Hamlet. The music in this episode was composed by Sergey Chekryzhov for Cheek by Jowl's 2005-13 production of Three Sisters.Join our mailing list to keep up-to-date with Cheek by Jowl's news, events and opportunities.

In this episode, Declan and Lucie talk about the issue of heightened behaviour and the act of being surprised on stage and on screen.The music in this episode was composed by Sergey Chekryzhov for Cheek by Jowl's 2005-13 production of Three Sisters.Join our mailing list to keep up-to-date with Cheek by Jowl's news, events and opportunities.

This week, Declan joins Lucie to discuss the limitations of language and how the body ought to be prioritised in the rehearsal space.The music in this episode was composed by Sergey Chekryzhov for Cheek by Jowl's 2005-13 production of Three Sisters.Join our mailing list to keep up-to-date with Cheek by Jowl's news, events and opportunities.

In this first episode of our winter mini-series, Declan and Lucie revisit the idea of 'Character'.

We're back with some special bonus episodes for the cold winter months...Subscribe to 'Not True, But Useful...' on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts to listen to each new episode as soon as they're released.

To mark 40 years since our first ever touring production - The Country Wife -  we're delighted to release a bonus episode of Series 3. Declan and Nick join Lucie one more time to discuss their four decades of work as Cheek by Jowl, including the company's emphasis on ensemble, their dream dinner guests, the danger of asking 'how' and 'why', and the advice they would give to their younger selves...

Declan and Nick discuss Troilus and Cressida, Shakespeare's scathing anti-war satire on glory, chivalry and doomed love. Find out why the play is possibly the most un-Shakespearean of Shakespeare's plays, the dangers of 'truth', and the importance of reserving one's judgment when approaching a work of art. More information about Cheek by Jowl's 2008 production of Troilus and Cressida here.Join our mailing list to keep up-to-date with Cheek by Jowl's news, events and opportunities.

Declan and Nick take a deep dive into one of Shakespeare's best loved comedies, Much Ado About Nothing. They join Lucie to discuss the darkness beneath the play's lightness, the horror and dread in Beatrice and Benedick's love story, and how it has become the blueprint for many modern romcoms. More information about Cheek by Jowl's 1998 production of Much Ado About Nothing here.Join our mailing list to keep up-to-date with Cheek by Jowl's news, events and opportunities.

Ahi ahi ahi ahi! This week's discussion takes us back to Piccolo Teatro di Milano and Cheek by Jowl's last live onstage production before the lockdown of 2020, The Revenger's Tragedy by Thomas Middleton. In this episode, Declan and Nick speak about theatre as a problem-solving business, and what Middleton's play teaches us about being right and our need to seek justice.More information about Piccolo Teatro di Milano and Cheek by Jowl's 2018-21 production of The Revenger's Tragedy here.The additional music in this episode was composed by Gianluca Misiti for The Revenger's Tragedy.Join our mailing list to keep up-to-date with Cheek by Jowl's news, events and opportunities.

This week, Declan and Nick talk the politics of acting, the importance of ensemble, and the danger of logic in Shakespeare's Measure for Measure. More information about Cheek by Jowl's 2013-19 production of Measure for Measure here and their 1994 production here.The music in this episode was composed by Pavel Akimkin for Cheek by Jowl's 2013-19 production of Measure for Measure.Join our mailing list to keep up-to-date with Cheek by Jowl's news, events and opportunities.

If you think Chekhov's plays are about nothing happening, think again. This week, Declan, Nick and Lucie discuss Three Sisters, another play of love, loss and self-deception in which – from the very first line - the protagonists are faced with an overwhelming predicament…More information about Cheek by Jowl's 2005-13 production of Three Sisters here.Join our mailing list to keep up-to-date with Cheek by Jowl's news, events and opportunities.

This week, Declan, Nick and Lucie discuss Hamlet, including their experiences of staging the play as a ballet for the Bolshoi (without the words!), the difference between what we say and what we do, and Hamlet's greatest fear: non-existence.More information about Cheek by Jowl's 1990-91 English production here, and Declan and Nick's 2015 Bolshoi Ballet production here.Join our mailing list to keep up-to-date with Cheek by Jowl's news, events and opportunities.

This week, Declan, Nick and Lucie discuss Twelfth Night, Shakespeare’s great tale of love, loss, and self-deception.More information about Cheek by Jowl's 1986-87 English production here, and their 2003-18 Russian production here.

Welcome back for another series of Not True, But Useful! To kick off Series 3, Declan and Nick join Lucie Dawkins to discuss Macbeth, a play that continues to reveal new things to us, including the universal problems of loneliness, gratitude, and the danger of trying to solve life's great mysteries.More information about Cheek by Jowl's production of Macbeth here.The music in this episode was composed by Catherine Jayes for Cheek by Jowl's 2009-2011 production of Macbeth.

Series 3 of ‘Not True But Useful’ is on its way! The new series will see Declan, Nick, and Lucie returning to their mics to share personal insights into acting, directing, and plays, but above all, to build a bridge between these processes and life as we live it now. Featuring Macbeth, Twelfth Night, Three Sisters, and many more... Like and subscribe to get the latest episodes as they are released in May!www.cheekbyjowl.com/podcast/Trailer music composed by Sergey Chekryzhov for Three Sisters (2005-2013)

In the final episode of the series, Declan, Nick and Lucie discuss Shakespeare's 'badly behaved' play Cymbeline. They chat about empathy, the idea of 'realism', inventing one's own exercises, and THAT boyband number, performed by Tom Hiddleston in their 2007 production.More information about Cheek by Jowl's production of Cymbeline here (www.cheekbyjowl.com/productions/cymbeline)The music in this episode was composed by Paddy Cunneen for The Winter’s Tale (2016-17)The additional music used in this episode was composed by Catherine Jayes for Cymbeline (2007)

This week, we head to Russia to discuss Pushkin's great lyrical masterpiece Boris Godunov, a compelling exposé of the seductive appeal of power and the price that must be paid for it. Declan and Nick discuss the beginnings of their Russian ensemble, the mystery of how electorates behave, and the show's Shakespearean scope.More information about Cheek by Jowl's production of Boris Godunov here (https://www.cheekbyjowl.com/productions/boris-godunov/)The music in this episode was composed by Paddy Cunneen for The Winter’s Tale (2016-17)The additional music used in this episode was composed by Maxim Gutkin for Boris Godunov (2000-2010)

'The whole point of making art is that you’re sharing something with somebody that cannot be put into words.’ This week, Declan, Nick and Lucie deep dive into The Changeling, a bloody Jacobean tragedy filled with lunatics, ghosts, horror, sex and obsession. They discuss the making of their 2006 production (starring Tom Hiddleston and Olivia Williams), using the rehearsal space as the inspiration for the design, the worlds of the madhouse and the court, and the running theme of self-delusion in the great classic plays. More information about Cheek by Jowl's production of The Changeling here (www.cheekbyjowl.com/productions/the-changeling)The music in this episode was composed by Paddy Cunneen for The Winter’s Tale (2016-17)The additional music used in this episode was composed by Catherine Jayes for The Changeling (2006)

How does theatre make us less alone? What is the role that the audience has to play in the act of art? What does Shakespeare have to teach us about humanity and forgiveness? Declan and Nick join Lucie to discuss The Tempest, a play in which Shakespeare juggles magic, laughter, danger and love with all the flair and freedom of his maturity.More information about Cheek by Jowl's production of The Tempest here: (https://www.cheekbyjowl.com/productions/the-tempest/)Series 2 theme music composed by Paddy Cunneen for The Winter's Tale (2016-17)The additional music used in this episode was composed by Dmitry Volkov for The Tempest (2011-14)

"If it's not painful, it ain't love!"This week, Declan and Nick talk about Shakespeare's As You Like It, paying special attention to their landmark 1991 production starring Adrian Lester as Rosalind. They also discuss the perils of believing in a 'fixed' self, reserving one's judgement, and the travails of young love.More information about Cheek by Jowl's production of As You Like It here: (https://www.cheekbyjowl.com/productions/as-you-like-it/)Series 2 theme music composed by Paddy Cunneen for The Winter's Tale (2016-17)The additional music used in this episode was composed by Paddy Cunneen for As You Like It (1991-95)

Blood, sex, tyranny, and sausages! Declan and Nick join Lucie to discuss Ubu Roi, Alfred Jarry's gruesome and raucous 1896 satire.More information about Cheek by Jowl's production of Ubu Roi here: (https://www.cheekbyjowl.com/productions/ubu-roi/)Series 2 theme music composed by Paddy Cunneen for The Winter's Tale (2016-17)The additional music used in this episode was composed by Davy Sladek for Ubu Roi (2013-15)

Tis Pity She's a Whore is a vivid and violent Jacobean tragedy about a brother and sister’s passionate descent into hell. It is also the first production Declan and Nick ever worked on together before forming Cheek by Jowl, mounting the production again in 2011. They talk about their first (and last) design meeting around a kitchen table, our enduring interest in grisly stories, and the agency of the play's female characters.More information about Cheek by Jowl's production of Tis Pity She's A Whore here (https://www.cheekbyjowl.com/productions/tis-pity-shes-a-whore/)Series 2 theme music composed by Paddy Cunneen for The Winter's Tale (2016-17)The additional music used in this episode was composed by Nick Powell for Tis Pity She's A Whore (2011)

Declan and Nick discuss Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, a play in which unity of time, place and action are hurled aside as we range across Europe, from court to country, from high tragedy to low comedy, across a time span of sixteen years. They discuss their shifting ideas when directing the play, the central character around whom the play hinges, the mystery in Hermione’s final scene, as well as sage words of advice to auditioning actors: 'go and touch something!' More information about Cheek by Jowl's production of The Winter's Tale here (www.cheekbyjowl.com/productions/the-winters-tale) and you can watch the full show by signing up to our Education Pack (https://www.cheekbyjowl.com/learning/education-packs/) The music in this episode was composed by Paddy Cunneen for The Winter's Tale (2016-17).

Cheek by Jowl are back with a new series of 'Not True, But Useful...' as Declan Donnellan, Nick Ormerod and host Lucie Dawkins bring fresh insights on theatre, life and what the classics can tell us about how we live now. Like and subscribe to get the latest episodes as they're released in November!Trailer music by Paddy Cunneen, originally composed for Cheek by Jowl's 2016-17 production of The Winter's Tale.www.cheekbyjowl.com/podcast/

Like the delicious Italian meal made from the remainders of other pasta, in this episode we have assembled the tastiest bonus offcuts from the interviews for Season One. Declan Donnellan shares his thoughts about life, art, and the theatre, including working with verse, why Caravaggio is a genius, myth, mystery, and Racine. Cheek by Jowl's production archive (www.cheekbyjowl.com/productions/) Facebook (www.facebook.com/cheekbyjowl/) Twitter (www.twitter.com/cbyj/) Instagram (www.instagram.com/wearecheekbyjowl/)

How does an actor go about stepping into a character? How can they begin to embody them onstage? In Declan's view, a character is not fixed, but is always a living being in a process of adapting to the predicaments of human life. This episode was recorded on Monday 8 June 2020 ahead of its release on 19 June 2020. In the second half of the podcast, we go on a deep dive through Act 1 Scene 7 of Macbeth, which you can read here (https://bit.ly/2YgTFFM) To find out more about Cheek by Jowl’s past productions of Macbeth, Othello, and more, check out the online archive here (https://bit.ly/2UXJ6W2). Follow Cheek by Jowl on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Declan and Nick talk about the predicament of being a human, and how that helps us to think about plays. They consider cats, Breaking Bad, Shakespeare, Beckett, cheese trolleys on the Titanic, falling in love, and the ways that good theatre makes us look back at ourselves. This episode was recorded on Friday 5 June 2020 ahead of its release on 12 June 2020. They take a deep dive into Act 5 Scene 5 of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, which you can read here (https://bit.ly/37qMxJZ) They also discuss several of their past productions, which you can find in the Cheek by Jowl archive (https://www.cheekbyjowl.com/productions/). Follow Cheek by Jowl on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Co-Artistic Director Nick Ormerod joins Lucie to dive into the world of theatre design, discussing how design can be informed by the space and the actors, his thespian ambitions, his mentors, his influences, last-minute brainwaves, and his unique working relationship with Declan Donnellan. You can see images from Cheek by Jowl’s production of The Winter's Tale here (www.cheekbyjowl.com/productions/the-winters-tale/) You can find the text of The Winter's Tale scenes here. Act III, Scene 3 (https://bit.ly/30dQG2s) Act IV, Scene 1 (https://bit.ly/2BCP9Zq) Follow Cheek by Jowl on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

In this episode, Declan Donnellan talks about motive, and ways of examining why people in real life and characters in plays do what they do. He talks about dread as a motor for dramatic action, and goes on a deep dive through Act 1 of Anton Chekhov’s Three Sisters, passing through Oscar Wilde, Macbeth, TV crime dramas, and Sally Rooney’s Normal People on the way. You can read Act 1 of Three Sisters here (https://bit.ly/3clnnxn).And see photos from Cheek by Jowl's production of it here (https://bit.ly/2XbrIic). Follow Cheek by Jowl on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Declan and Nick talk about how words can behave treacherously, and explore what this means with staging the great plays. With Fawlty Towers, detective novels, Three Sisters, Othello, Macbeth, and Twelfth Night all in the mix in this week's episode, they call into question whether we can really trust the words coming out of our mouths. At the end of the episode, they go on a deep dive into the first scene of Twelfth Night, which you can find the text of here (https://bit.ly/2A3CTjD). To see photos and archive material of all the plays they discuss this week, visit Cheek by Jowl's website (https://www.cheekbyjowl.com/productions/) Follow Cheek by Jowl on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

In this episode, Declan and Nick discuss an important idea in their work: 'Thresholds', following on from their discussion about 'Space' in Episode 2. They share with us lessons they have learned about the theatre from holidays in Margate, King Kong, and newborn babies. At the end of the episode, they discuss Act II Scene 2 from Shakespeare's Macbeth, the text of which can be found here (https://bit.ly/2zKO3JZ). You can see archive material from Cheek by Jowl's production of Macbeth here (https://bit.ly/2zHxjmS). Follow Cheek by Jowl on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

In this episode, Declan and Nick talk about the history of their collaboration, and the way they work together as director and designer. They map 40 years of a shared creative life together, taking us from the UK to Russia, via boxes and shipwrecks, through wigs and words, and right into the woods. They discuss several past productions in this episode, and you can find archive material of them at this link (https://www.cheekbyjowl.com/productions/) Follow Cheek by Jowl on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

What do lobsters, Shakespeare, the room next door, and our lockdown all have in common? They all have something to tell us about space and the theatre. This week, Declan and Nick talk about why space is so important to the way they think about plays, and how that influences their design and rehearsal process. You can find the scenes they discuss in depth here. Macbeth Act I Scene 7 (https://bit.ly/3fb0LSM). Macbeth Act II Scene 2 (https://bit.ly/2KMeU). You can find archive images of Cheek by Jowl's production of Measure for Measure, also discussed in this episode, here (https://bit.ly/2YmgqbS). Follow Cheek by Jowl on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

In this first episode, Cheek by Jowl's Artistic Director Declan Donnellan talks to Lucie Dawkins about his thoughts on life, quarantine, making theatre, the brain and Macbeth, while he writes the follow-up to his book The Actor And The Target. Music by Pavel Akimkin. Follow Cheek by Jowl on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.