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 these 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...

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 revisits 'character', a much discussed subject, and questions how useful it may be in rehearsal to the actor and director exploring a play. 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.

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 their 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, discussing 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 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...

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.