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ACCENT COACHING

ACCENT AND DIALECT WORK 

Some people are natural mimics. Others prefer to go through every sound surgically with the IPA. Others still prefer to find the feel for the accent in their body and connect to the character. All of these are valid ways to learn an accent, but that doesn't mean it's a process that can be completed without professional guidance. 

 

Accents are precious. They're linked so closely to identity, that people feel strongly when they hear their accent represented in the media. This means that if you're doing an accent, you really want it to be the very best that it can be. It can be a daunting challenge, but with the right guidance, anyone can find their way into represetning an accent in the most sensetive and appropriate manner.
 

If you find you're getting stuck on an accent for performance, or if you're not even sure where to start, Accent Help is the place for you.  Since graduating the Voice MFA at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Beau Thomas has launced himself into accent teaching on an international scale. With an adaptive and involved teaching style, Beau truly believes that anyone can be taught any accent. Having coached for Netflix, The National Theatre, The BBC and at a number of theatres and drama schools, and with clients from over 50 different nations, with a whole host of linguistic and cultural differences, Beau is now more confident than ever that he can help you get what you need from an accent.

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Beau is also the Co-Founder of Accentify, an upcoming app designed to make accent learning accessible and achievable for anyone who is interested. Check it out at www.accentify.co.uk

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Book a free fifteen minute consulation today for tips and pointers, and to work out how Beau can help you.

Contact

SERVICES & PRICES

Below is a short summary of the services I offer, and the prices I charge. I also offer voice coaching for speech and performance outside of accents, which can be discussed in the consultation. Other services are available on request, but may incur a discresionary fee.

£0

Free 15-Minute Consultation

Whenever you want to start learning a new accent, book in a free 15 minute consultation by emailing info@accenthelp.co.uk with the subject CONSULTATION. We'll set a time that works for us both, and then on the phone or over Zoom, we'll have a chat about what you need from the accent, your timeframes and how you learn best. These sessions are 0-commitment, so if you have the consultation and decide to go elsewhere, that's fine! We'll even provide recomendations for other coaches too!

£35

30-Minute Session

This is the standard session, where we will begin learning the accent in whatever way works for you. Fully learning an accent can take anywhere from three to ten of these sessions. If you wish to split the cost by bringing a second learner, that is something we can discuss. Payment for individual sessions can be completed up front, or within 24 hours of the session.

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Detailed resources appropriate to your learning style will be shared during these sessions.

£60

60-Minute Session

These longer sessions allow you to go more in depth in the accent, and give you more scope to practice speaking in a controlled environment. The price of these sessions also includes the creation of personalised aid materials including music playlists, cinema and television watchlists, videos of the accent and script reading if desired (Beau or a native speaker will read the script and record it in accent for you to keep as a resource. Terms apply). 

Payment for individual sessions can be completed up front, or within 24 hours of the session. If you pay for four sessions at once up-front, you get the fourth session half price.

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ACCENTS

We know we can help you with any accent you might have in mind. Beau's extensive training in different approaches to accent learning ensures that no accent is out of reach, and his experience working internationally has contributed to a large rolodex of accents he is first-hand familiar with. It has also given Beau a lot of experience in working from a lot of accents, so no matter whether you're from Hounslow or Hungary, Beau can get you to where you need to be.

 

Below, we've included a list of some of the more popularly requested accents that Cam has worked on. This is a very general list, so for more specific requests, shoot an email to beau@accenthelp.co.uk, and we can have a chat about it. 

ACCENT LIST

British (English)
Received Pronunciation, Estuary, MLE, Cockney, Brummie, Black Country, Scouse, Geordie, Mancunian, Yorkshire (East, West, North and South) Bristol, Somerset, Cornwall, Nottingham, Leicester, Norfolk

England has some of the highest accent diversity of any country in the world. Some say that the accent changes every 25 miles in the UK. So it's a good job Beau has nerdily devoted himself to understanding the deep intricacies of as many of these local accents as possible.
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The most popular on this list, Received Pronunciation is often considered the 'Standard' British accent, largely because it's mostly non-regional and can be heard all across England. Mastery of a natural, Modern RP allows actors to connect with a host of contemporary texts, whilst Heightened RP is seeing a new vogue thanks to Bridgerton, Downton Abbey, and the resurgance of Restoration Comedy and Noel Coward in the theatre.

American
General American, AAVE, New York City (Italian, Irish, Yiddish, Latin), Southern (Deep, Appalachian, Piney Woods, Tidewater, Gulf, Texas), Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago, Cajun, New Orleans, Minnesota, California, Valley, Chicano-English

The USA is huge, and different areas were settled by different groups at different times. That means there's a lot of different accents, which can often mix and combine for non-american actors when performing in America. Beau's 'party-trick' is a tour of the USA through accents. Beau doesn't get invited to a lot of parties. 
 
The most in-demand accent by far is 'General American. The term 'General American' describes a set of rules that define non-regional specific accents found in the continental United States, and many other countries who's accents are influenced by American media. This accent is incredibly popular in film, television, theatre, audio-work and just about every form of media thanks to it's sheer pervasiveness in culture. But just because a lot of people are familiar with it, doesn't mean it's easy to do to a professional standard. 

Irish
Dublin (Southside), Dublin (Northside), Cork, Mayo, Belfast, Derry

One of the hardest accent groups to get right, Irish (or 'Hiberno-English) accents are nontheless prevelant across media, with the Southside Dublin accent seemingly being the most popular. Treating an accent steeped in so much history and culture with respect is of the utmost importance, and that means doing it well and breaking away from stereotype. At Accent Help, we can help with all of that, and allow you to really revel in the joy of this beautiful accent. 

British (Scottish)
Standard Scottish English, Highland Scots, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen

You've heard lots of non-Scottish people doing Scottish accents in films and TV. It's often wrong - and when an accent is wrong it can border into the offensive (sorry, Shrek. You're still great films). Scottish accents are complicated and intricate, and learning them can be a real challenge. But Scottish is also one of the most rewarding accent groups in the world. Getting it right can feel amazing, and allow us to connect with a powerful and historic voice steeped in centuries of oral storytelling.

British (Welsh)
Standard Welsh English, Cardiff, Newport, Swansea/Port Talbot, Valleys, North Wales 

Perhaps the least known accent group from the UK on an international scale, Welsh accents are seeing a huge rise in popularity in the industry at the moment. Some of the most lyrical and beautiful accents in the world, the Welsh accent group can be difficult to start, but eventually the flow and rhythm built into it become second nature. 

Australasian
General Australian, Cultivated Australian, Broad Australian, New Zealand (General), New Zealand (Māori)

Whilst people not from the region might lump a lot of these accents together, there's a large amount of nuance to English-speaking Oceanian accents. Understanding the geographic, social and ethnic factors on the accents of Australia and New Zealand. Specificity is key here, as lack of it can alienate speakers who use these accents. Beau has worked extensively with speakers from all of these accent backgrounds, and has a great understanding of the nuance needed.

European (Non-English First Language)
French, Spanish, Italian, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Russian, Romanian, Greek, Bulgarian, Albanian, Slovenian, Czech, Polish, Portuguese, Hungarian, Ukranian

Whilst there is less range in the accents of English speakers from each of these countries (as a result of the accents existing as a mixture of native-language and English-language features), it's important to not engage with too broad of a stereotype based. There is a huge amount of nuance required to accurately represent accens, particularly when they get tied with the ever more complex world of geopolitics. Who'd have thought accent work would need us to think about that!

Other International Accents 
South African, Nigerian, Mexican, Iranian, Indian, Pakistani, Jamaican, Cuban, Trini, Somali, Moroccan, 

Although Beau may not perform in many of these accents himself, his knowledge of phonetics and accent theory doesn't stop him from teaching them effectively. Beau has experience teaching all of the mentioned accents to a professional level, and has worked with native speakers of each to ensure that his protrayals of the accents are grounded in the social and ethnic factors that inform them in reality.

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