Thank you to all the actors who have allowed me to use clips of them from my workshops for my new book/DVD 'A Screen Acting Workshop'published by Nick Hern Books. Here is a promo for the DVD which is compiled from clips of my workshops in London, Berlin & Cologne. Pics from launch can be seen on the Nick Hern blog at

http://nickhernbooks.wordpress.com/2011/02/25/

'Have had a really busy year! Did a promo for the Gilette Venus campaign - tips on confidence to be an off-screen Goddess!

Worked on 'The Door' with the lovely Martina Gedeck (Director Istvan Szabo) Brilliant script from the wonderful book by Magda Szabo. (A must read!) Film should be out for Cannes.

Can finally reveal I spent most of last year in Paris and Bangkok on 'The Lady', directed by Luc Besson, coaching Michelle Yeoh in her portrayal of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Here I am in Bangkok on a way to a Thaitanium concert with Day and friends from the band!

Here I am in action with Holger from ifs filmschule at a question & answer session in Cologne! Hope to be back there Spring 2011.

Archive: Control (the film about Ian Curtis of Joy Division won several awards including Best European Film at Cannes 2007. (And Sam also won a "Kermode"!) It was Sam Riley's first film and we had two week's pre-production together. Here are some reviews:

'..it's the central performance by Sam Riley that really makes Control. For sheer truthfulness, he stand comparison with Tom Courtenay & Albert Finney...(Derek Malcolm, Evening Standard 3/10/2007)

...there's no denyingthe extraordinary performance of Sam Riley in the lead role. (Sukhdev Sandhu, The Daily Telegraph 5/10/2007)

Now Sam is in 'Brighton Rock' - can't wait to see it!

Archive: Danny the Dog/Unleashed opened in 2006 with Jet Li getting wonderful reviews for his fine work. He is an excellent actor (look at 'Hero') but he wanted to prepare differently for this role. This is from the film company's production notes:

   Li notes,  "This film was an occasion for me to go further emotionally, to play something stronger with human significance." Accordingly, he began preparing for UNLEASHED as he had for no other film. "I'd never taken an acting class before," he admits. "I learned just by working. This time, though, Luc found a wonderful acting coach from London. For two months before shooting, she helped me study Danny and discover what he was like - what he's thinking, how he walks, how he reacts."

"Two years ago, while making 'Unleashed,' I met a British acting coach, a very wonderful lady, and she taught me how to act. She told me never think about how to act, just use your heart to believe in what you're doing. That was very helpful." (Lewis Beale. Newsday. 21/9/06)

"Besson's decision to give Li two months with an acting coach also pays off with one of the star's subtlest and most natural performances." (Eye weekly 05/12/05)

..."this is also Li's most interesting non-Hong Kong work to date." Radio Times 2009

I finally said goodbye to the Open Air Theatre, Regent's park in 2007 after 12 years as coach there when Ian Talbot left as Artistic Director. I first met Ian when I played Hermia in Midsummer night's Dream in 1975 - he was playing Bottom! Will always have great memories of this beautiful but challenging place. One of the best places to see Shakespeare in the world! I am very sad to see that no full length Shakespeare play will be performed in the 2011 season!

I have several new books in development. Next one will be a further look at fim acting with publisher Nick Hern.