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

Series 5, Episode 5: Separate Demons

Series 5, Episode 4: Études and Explorations

Series 5, Episode 3: The Central Question

Series 5, Episode 2: Advice to Self

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 de

Series 5, Episode 1: Verse and the Big Lie

Series 4, Episode 12: Time

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 n

Series 4, Episode 11: Treacherous Exercises

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 wh

Series 4, Episode 10: Flow

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,

Series 4, Episode 9: The Art of Forgetting Things

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, trus

Series 4, Episode 8: Imposter Syndrome

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 thr

Series 4, Episode 7: The Problem of Not Feeling

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 fe

Series 4, Episode 6: Oedipus

In this episode, Declan and Lucie discuss the transgression and intensity of Sophocles' classic tragedy, Oedipus. They talk about Declan and Nick's upcoming pro

Series 4, Episode 5: Shakespeare and Love

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

Series 4, Episode 4: To Be Or Not To Be

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 cont

Series 4, Episode 3: The Element of Surprise

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 compo

Series 4, Episode 2: Body and Meaning

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 compo

Series 4, Episode 1: Character Revisited

In this first episode of our winter mini-series, Declan revisits 'character', a much discussed subject, and questions how useful it may be in rehearsal to the a

Series 4 Trailer...

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

Series 3, Episode 9 - Extra Tagliatelle

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

Series 3, Episode 8 - Troilus and Cressida

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 u