Topic Guide
What Is British theater?
British theater is a subject covered in depth across 1 podcast episode in our database. Below you'll find key concepts, expert insights, and the top episodes to listen to — all distilled from hours of conversation by leading experts.
Key Concepts in British theater
Conanified
A humorous term coined by David Oyelowo to describe the feeling of being celebrated or positively influenced by Conan O'Brien's presence and humor. Conan jokes that it's a "very expensive process." [00:03]
British acting tradition (and 'rock contour')
A cultural emphasis, particularly in the United Kingdom, where actors are often expected to be not only skilled performers but also charming storytellers. Oyelowo explains it's almost like it's taught, fostered by a tradition of camaraderie and learning from master craftspeople. [30:29]
Truth in performance
The core essence of powerful acting, particularly in live theater like the Royal Shakespeare Theater, where actors and audience achieve a "celestial" vibration when the performer is genuinely "telling the truth." This muscle memory translates to film work. [34:36]
Judi dench's acting method
A unique approach to acting where Dame Judi Dench learns her lines and then deliberately tries to forget them to maintain complete freshness and presence in a scene. Oyelowo describes witnessing this discipline firsthand. [36:40]
Psychological effects of solitary confinement
The severe and often permanent mental and emotional damage caused by prolonged isolation, as explored in Oyelowo's film "Newborn." It involves 23 hours a day in a 9x6 cell with constant fluorescent lights, leading to irreversible changes in the psyche after even just 13 days, and is described as torture and the "opposite of rehabilitation." [48:49]
What Experts Say About British theater
- 1.David Oyelowo’s earliest foray into acting was accidental, prompted by a subway strike that opened a lead role at a youth theater group at the National Theater. [27:28]
- 2.Oyelowo defied his father’s initial wishes twice, first by marrying his wife at 22 and then by pursuing acting, a profession his father initially dismissed as being a "jester." [17:18]
- 3.The British acting tradition places a high value on actors being "charming storytellers," and this is fostered by learning from masters and the "celestial" experience of pursuing "truth" on stage. [30:29]
- 4.Dame Judi Dench employs a unique acting method of learning her lines and then intentionally trying to forget them to remain "completely fresh and present" in a scene. [36:40]
- 5.Oyelowo's new film "Newborn" depicts the torturous and permanently damaging effects of solitary confinement, noting that 80,000 people, including children, are in solitary in America today. [48:49]
- 6.Human beings are "designed for connection," and extricating individuals from human connection, as in solitary confinement, is the "ultimate way to dehumanize someone." [51:52]
Top Episodes to Learn About British theater
Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend