Ryan Saule

Teacher and Actor

Lives in Malérargues, Thoiras, France

Worked with Roy Hart and was part of the Roy Hart Theatre (before 1991)

Roy Hart Voice Teacher since 1977

I love Alfred Wolfsohn’s definition of the voice as the ‘muscle of the soul’, because it recognizes how intimately linked our voices are to our emotions and our deepest being. In the dynamic exploration of different qualities and registers of our voice, bringing us to sounds and feelings not usually touched by more conventional singing techniques, we become aware that we are exploring more than just our voices. As one’s voice grows richer and fuller so does the person behind the voice. There is a flow and an openness that allows for more expressivity and a greater ability to connect with others. I like to bring out the actor in everyone by calling upon archetypal characters and situations that require a direct, physical engagement of body, voice and imagination. It is a playful approach to voice teaching that encourages the student to forget about technique and allows him or her to tap into the immense source of creativity and spontaneous communicability that we all possess.

Saule Ryan met Roy Hart and the Roy Hart Theatre in London in 1970 while still a student of photography. He was so ‘bowled over’, not only by the power and range of their voices but also by what he perceived as a deep commitment to both their own personal development and to that of their colleagues, that he soon joined the company and started to receive voice lessons.

He quickly found himself rehearsing and performing in some of the very experimental pieces that the Company put on in London up until its move to France in 1974-75, and he went on to perform in many Roy Hart Theatre productions throughout the ’70s and ’80s.

In the 1980s Saule studied movement with the dancer Dominique Dupuy and mime artists Claire Heggen and Yves Marc, and took part in two theatrical creations combining voice and movement, under the direction of Enrique Pardo. He began teaching in 1977, first in Europe and then in the USA where he continues to teach regularly on different university theatre courses. He is currently performing in an original piece called ‘Generation’.

Saule Ryan trained with Roy Hart, Jennifer Allen, Derek Rossignol, Vivienne Young, Richard Armstrong and Margaret Pikes.
He speaks English and French.

Contact
E-mail: shryan@wanadoo.fr