Dialect Coach for Carousel: A Concert, directed by Petra Kalive, produced by Edna Markey Presents for a special season at the Princess Theatre Melbourne.
NTRO Output Type
- Live Performance of Creative Work
NTRO Output Category
- Live Performance of Creative Work : Play
Place
Melbourne, AustraliaVenue
Princess Theatre MelbourneNTRO Publisher
Edna Markey PresentsStart Date
2024-09-08End Date
2024-09-07Medium
Live performanceResearch Statement
As Dialect Coach for Carousel: A Concert (Edna Markey Presents, directed by Petra Kalive, Princess Theatre Melbourne, 2024), I designed a bespoke dialect to serve the dual needs of narrative clarity and artistic authenticity. Although the musical is set in coastal Maine, the distinct Maine dialect is relatively unfamiliar to Australian audiences – presenting intelligibility challenges. To address this, I created a hybrid accent drawing on key phonetic features of the Maine dialect—such as signature vowels and intonation patterns—combined with more recognisable elements of General American, such as rhoticity. This approach ensured the dialect remained accessible to audiences while maintaining a sense of place and character. The design also took into account textual cues in the original Rodgers and Hammerstein script, which at times contradicted authentic Maine speech, but offered valuable stylistic guidance. With a short rehearsal period and a cast of varying degrees of experience working with accents, the dialect strategy was crucial. The result was a cohesive and comprehensible sound that supported the performers' storytelling while honouring the musical’s setting and emotional tone.Size or Duration of Work
4 events, 3 hours durationAffiliation
Amy Hume, University of Melbourne
