Acting Drunk

Photograph by Robert Vass

Everyone will tell you that "of course, the key to playing drunk is to pretend to be sober." And they're right to an extent. You shouldn't just play the obstacle. That's #Acting101. But since you almost certainly will be sober in performance (it could be a very loooooong day on set or dangerous evening at the theatre otherwise) you're going to have to do something more than pretending to be what you already are.

So as a rehearsal technique I would suggest you embrace the drunkenness. Revel in it and explore it - in rehearsal - because in performance, once you physically, vocally and mentally OWN the sensations and incapacities of being drunk, you will, most likely, fight against them and "pretend to be sober" in the pursuit of your character's objectives.

You need to really understand how drunkenness feels in the body. You need to get beyond conversations with drinkers who tell you that it feels "great", "liberating", "terrible" or other overly general descriptions. If you are a drinker yourself then you have the option to deliberately drink too much and observe your sensations rather than just enjoying the party. (I've done it and it was fascinating. The hangover was not.) But what do you do if you're not playing a drunk, but someone addicted to something more immediately and catastrophically damaging to your health? I recommend a two pronged attack: Interview users and medical experts extensively to really understand what's happening in the body and watch people using (or watch footage of people using - keep yourself safe). Then work form the outside in. If you can find internal sensations that allow you to replicate that external reality then you will have it.

And here's my cheat sheet for drunken acting for those who want a shortcut.

(But bear in mind that their so-called advice is sometimes wrong - not every drunk wants to hide it. If you're at the ebullient stage of drunkenness (or a teenager) you might even exaggerate it!)

1.) Let your tongue be thick in your mouth and all the energy in your face drain downwards.

2.) In fact let everything energetically move downwards. This means the effort to look up, to focus, to balance, to understand what's going on and to speak is all the greater. That effort may be approached with more or less joy and determination depending on the type of drunk you're playing and what stage of drunkenness they're at.

3.) Hear a thrumming in your ears.

4.) Let your head be just a little wobbly on your spine. I don't mean falling over acting, but an intense release - the kind you haven't had since rolling around on the floor in voice class for the first time.

4.) Be a little bit too careful with your speech, your balance, not spilling things, screwing on lids, etc.

And the rest - the potential emotional instability and inappropriate responses - that's all in the script.

Have fun playing

#actingdrunk #actingteacher

PS: Subscribe to my YouTube channel for a further "How-To Video" on this subject coming soon.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXdZCBuTHdWHyu8bCQTp4oQ