Michael Gaunt

In the past two years the focus of my activities has changed. Most of my time at present is taken by research for the book I am writing on the nineteenth century 'Atlantic' actors. However, there are many pleasant distractions which I welcome and recently these have included a variety of opportunities and challenges.

Since 2010 I have been organiser for the Poel Event which is presented by the Society for Theatre Research (STR) in association with the National Theatre. The Poel Event is comprised of a day of workshops open to young professional actors in the first ten years of their careers who wish to work intensively on classical text.

Workshop leaders have included Sir Ian McKellen, Greg Doran, Jeannette Nelson, Barbara Houseman, Lindsay Posner and Henry Goodman. The workshops have proved to be both popular and challenging, especially those that take place in the Olivier Theatre. I have written an Introduction to Dr. Ross Prior's book Teaching Actors: Knowledge Transfer in Actor Training to be published by Intellect Books in April 2012.

I have written a Forward to Movement for Actors by Jackie Snow (until recently head of Movement at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art). I was also asked to write the Introductions to her chapters on Period Movement and Period Dance. The book will be published by Methuen in April 2012.

In September 2011 I ran an acting Master Class for Radius Performing in Covent Garden. Characters from Peter Nichols' A Day in the Death of Joe Egg were investigated through improvisations to uncover their personal histories and understand how these histories contribute to the 'now' of the play's narrative. One of the actors has written about her thoughts on the Master Class in Radius Performing the magazine of the Religious Dramatic Society, Winter 2011/12 (Volume 6, Number 149).

In November I was asked to write a report on a book being considered for publication by the Society for Theatre Research (STR). The STR in 2010 also implemented an idea of mine to set up a New Scholars Prize. The competition began very successfully in 2011 and will be repeated in 2012. It is open to postgraduate students, academics and independent scholars, but not undergraduates.

Other activities include a rehearsed play reading of TS Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral for Radius Performing. The play reading was performed on two Sundays in the summer of 2010 at St Mary The Virgin, a medieval church at North Stoke in Sussex to raise funds for The Churches Conservation Trust.

In 2010 I was invited by the Irving Society to give the Heritage Lecture at the AGM in Covent Garden. The lecture was entitled '… An Unrequited Profession' and introduced Sir Henry Irving in his early days as an actor and touched on his later role as one of the 'Atlantic' actors.

Following my 20 years as a drama school principal (Guildford and Birmingham) I still take an active interest in actor training. I have recently been approached to be an external examiner for a London drama school from January 2012. Additionally, I have been asked to participate in a review of the BA (Hons) Acting at the School of Arts at Northampton University in April 2012.

As a Fellow of the Royal Scottish Academy for Music and Drama, recently renamed the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, I visit Glasgow annually for the Graduation Ceremonies and Conferment of Fellowships. These visits enable me to experience and enjoy this vibrant institution and its work.

In May 2012 I shall be visiting New York enjoy the City while at the same time catching up with friends and continuing research for my book.