Hewett, RJ 
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5184-9325
2014,
'Spaces of preparation: The Acton ‘Hilton’ and changing patterns of television drama rehearsal'
, Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, 34 (3)
, pp. 331-344.
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Abstract
It is only comparatively recently that performance in arenas other than theatre and cinema has begun to receive serious academic attention. The ‘Spaces of Television’ project and the University of York’s ‘Playing the Small Screen’ symposium have each opened up discussions regarding the impact of production process and space upon television acting, yet little consideration has been given to those spaces in which performances were traditionally prepared prior to studio transmission or recording. This article attempts to address this by focusing on the BBC’s ‘Television Rehearsal Rooms’, better known by those who used them as the ‘Acton Hilton’, which offers a precise model of the ‘outside’ rehearsal process which characterised multi-camera studio production. A creative hub for not only drama, but also sitcom and light entertainment, the Hilton represented an extended community for the many performers who gathered there to rehearse – a community that has all but disappeared in the modern era of single camera location work, where prior rehearsal of the type conducted at Acton has virtually disappeared. Drawing upon a combination of archive research and interviews with practitioners, this piece examines the important role played by the Acton Hilton in the history of UK television acting.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | BBC, acting, rehearsal, performance, multi-camera, Television Centre, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s |
| Themes: | Media, Digital Technology and the Creative Economy Memory, Text and Place |
| Schools: | Schools > School of Arts & Media > Arts, Media and Communication Research Centre |
| Journal or Publication Title: | Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television |
| Publisher: | Taylor & Francis |
| Refereed: | Yes |
| ISSN: | 0143-9685 |
| Related URLs: | |
| Funders: | Non funded research |
| Depositing User: | Dr Richard Hewett |
| Date Deposited: | 11 Jun 2015 13:20 |
| Last Modified: | 26 Jun 2020 14:00 |
| URI: | http://usir.salford.ac.uk/id/eprint/34038 |
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