Pip Edwards on Letting Flow Happen And Using Contradictory Tools

December 31, 2023 Pip Edwards

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9.7s Hello everyone. Welcome back to another episode of Don't Be So Dramatic. My name is Rachel and this is the podcast where I talk to different people in the entertainment industry to discover what their job involves and how they got there. I'm terribly sorry if in this intro you can hear my pet bird in the background, he's playing with his toy bell and just making some noises because he's super excited for this week's guest. So on the podcast this week, I have with me Pip Edwards. Pip is an actor and an acting coach. She has worked nationally on so many amazing projects in both theater and TV. She's also trained internationally. Um, in this episode, Pip and I talk about the tools in which we use as actors in our career and how those tools can differ from script to script, from project to project, from genre to genre, and how that is totally fine. We also highlight the importance of constantly acquiring these tools specifically for her as an actor and an acting coach, and how each tool that you're constantly acquiring, um, in your studies as an actor, can totally contradict what you learn a day or a month ago. It's all about what you are going to use in that moment, in that day, for that script, for that story. That is important. And we also talk about eliminating all of this should in your career. So all of that I should be doing this. I should be doing that. That person's doing this. So I should be doing that. Eliminating that to allow flow into your career. The flow is what creates the work and the success. And all of this pushing and should is what is blocking it. So we talk about how Pip has seen that in her own career and her students careers as well. As always, if you enjoyed this episode, let me know. Leave us a review. Thank you all so much for listening. And without further ado, let's jump in. 1.7s Pip, thank you so much for joining me on the podcast today. This is the first interview for 2021. So I'm going, oh

my gosh into 2021 I

know. So you know, only the best for only the best. Yeah. Although still feels like the like the beginning of last year. We just kind of don't you think. Yeah.

Yeah. Giant. Yeah.

Yeah I know it's kind of like, oh it's like nothing's changed. No. So no, 1.4s we're just gonna continue on. But

do I think there's like a buzz in Australia right now. Do you, do you feel a buzz. There's a buzz I think because we're so proud of how we're doing.

Yes. The world front. Yeah.

We've ended up with some international projects over here and it's

oh, this is a bit there's a bit of

a buzz hanging out here, I think.

Yeah. Even like not even the projects. Just like the A-list actors coming to live here. Just in Australia, people like, well, you know, um, we knew it would happen eventually. Yeah, yeah. That's it, that's it. Yeah. So, um. Well, I'm excited, at least for all of the projects that are coming over. It's I feel like everyone has kind of been saying that we would eventually get international projects, but we never knew it would have been because of a pandemic. You know? So,

I mean, yeah, there's been there has been quite a few in the past, but I know now it's like Fox is booked, like they're building a new studio up near Byron. Like we are. Yeah.

Of course, where all the cool people, where all the cool

people are. 2.3s Oh,

God. Anyways, um, so you are an actor and an acting coach. Um, so I want to know, when did you first kind of have an interest in the industry because you grew up in Melbourne? Yes. And then you moved to Sydney to study at Nida. So was that kind of always the plan or how did you kind of get to that trajectory?

How did I end up? Ah, well, yeah, I grew up in Melbourne. I first studied creative arts at Melbourne University. That course doesn't exist anymore. I did, uh, major in philosophy and filmmaking. Go figure. I know, uh, and then I was doing theatre in Melbourne, so I was acting even then. And I did get one agent there, and then I, I auditioned for Nida when I was in year 12, and the year after didn't get in those years got close. I was like, fuck this, don't need this. As like, you know, as you do. And then, yeah, um, sort of on just because I was like, oh, I just felt like something a little bit new. I'm kind of ready to just see what. I just 1.2s had the craziest audition for Nida when I was 23, 24, I, I don't think I even learnt new pieces. I didn't the other years I like, worked my ass off on them. And that year I was like, oh yeah, but I think because I'd been um. Acting before then, it meant that I was calm about it and I could have stayed in Melbourne and I was in two minds. I just wanted a change. And that's the year I went. And I'm so I know people are in tune, and I think that drama school is for some people, it's completely not necessary for others, but for me, I had a great time. I had a wonderful time. Oh, good. Um, yeah. And then since graduating, I've been back and forth, Sydney and Melbourne, but, uh, and a bit of LA and a bit elsewhere, but, um, pretty much mainly Sydney other than if I have a show in Melbourne or something. And yeah, I, I think I, I found that um, before uh, neither I tended to do a lot more theatre and I would do a lot of high camp theatre and, um, fringe festivals and that sort of thing. And then I became really fascinated with film and TV, and I just absolutely fell in love with it. And so when I coach now and when I direct, it's film and TV very, very specifically film and TV, um, you know, I do a bit, I do a bit of some of the other stuff, but pretty much film and television because I am so fascinated with this, um, with the medium as being able to show what it is to be human. And I think there's this wonderful gift in a close up of just showing an actor's humanity. And we're speaking to something that's very, very common in everyone's humanity. And I can never get bored of it. I can never get bored of it. When people are offering something messy every day, when it's like, very, very human. I think it's a place we get that.

Yeah, it's very interesting because I kind of had a similar like I trained in theatre as well, and that was like I was all theatre up until like I when I graduated when I was 21. 22 and then came to Sydney and mind you as well, in terms of like the ratio of work from like film and TV to theatre, there's a lot more screen stuff in Sydney. So that kind of dictated my decision to go into screen. But for some reason I just kind of feel like we'd screen. It's a lot more freeing in what you can do. Like, I feel like you can kind of experiment a lot more, and the camera is going to capture a lot of the nuances, whereas with theatre, and don't get me wrong, I absolutely love theatre. It's it's a completely different acting style as well. But obviously because you're kind of doing if you're doing a whole set of shows, it's the same thing over and over, and you are contained to a stage and you are contained to the fact that you are presenting to an audience, which is completely different. So yeah, screen is incredibly interesting in the fact that I just, I feel a lot more loose on screen, which is interesting.

Yeah, even within the technical parameters of it. But yes, I think it's about the the moment to moment discovery and the thought that the camera captures. So, um, that, that listening, it's listening that we go on and on about like really listening and allowing those thoughts to come to new, even if you're hitting the same marks and what have you every time. And that in itself, in its minutiae, is freeing, I think. Exactly. You're exactly on it, which is when people first do the move. And I think it's a really common for so many Australians to go to start with theatre, because that's what you have in high

school, you know. Yeah. School

play. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then at a certain point when you're really committing to acting, finding yourself into script, and I see that all the time with coaching, that's such a regular thing that I'm doing, is people go, oh, but I've just done so much theatre, um, all this shit about I'm too big, I'm too whatever. It's like, no, no, we just need to get back to what that listening is. And then eventually, I want you to fall in love with the camera through exactly what you're describing. The fact that the camera sees into your thoughts and sees those experiences. And there is so much freedom we have, even if the editor is actually constructing and

directing, constructing your your performance

together and creating the story, there is so much freedom that you have to offer your human experience. Even if you're stuck to an extreme close up.

Yeah for sure. It sounds so silly to say this. Um, because people might be like, well, duh. But the one thing that really the one thing that made me get acting on screen was when my coach was like, you literally have to have the thought, because a lot of actors up until that point are like, I'm acting sad. I'm acting sad. This is making me sad kind of thing. But you literally in that moment, like say, I don't know, you're doing like a breakup scene. You have to, in that moment be like, this is devastating for me, that this relationship is ending. You have to have the thought and then everything becomes so simple. You go, oh my God. And it's like such a duh moment. But I think coming from theater, you don't learn that. No, not in the same minute way. You have to have the thought and and we see in pictures and the camera sees. If you don't see the picture that we see, it sees. If you haven't found the thought or discovered the thought in a human way. And

so sometimes when people, uh, I'm playing my objective at you, at you, at you, it gets very, very eyeballs. And you, you miss the minutia. And then I'm quite big. Also, on reading and listening as you're talking, I think while you're talking and in between, what is that to be changed by the other person letting letting the scene play you, let them play you. So you're affected but affected from the now, from the moment. Yeah. And then having the thought, finding the thought, all of these things I don't think they're, uh, they're not necessarily, um, stressed when you're, when you're working stage. They're not, they're not. And, and it's something that we need to discover. And it's quite difficult to teach because it's part of it. Not all of it is from our working memory, as so much of it is. Why act as a magic? It's why it's the first shamans. You know, there's something that comes from our unconscious as well. When you let go and you surrender to the moment and there's no one, two, three, four, five step process. Yeah, yeah, there's tools, there's definitely tools. And I'm all into learning all of the tools. Learn all of the tools, learn contradictory tools, learn whatever. Use what you need to find what to find, to, to explore, to develop the work. But yeah, unless we. Explore and develop that moment to moment, listening and breathing and availability and letting yourself react, which is not all from your working mind. Then we haven't got that that

magic. Yeah, yeah. It's that element where you watch an actor and you go, it's just something that's off, that's what's missing.

Mhm. That's it. Because you can't actually you can't teach that. You can't. As soon as you try and teach it you have to put it into the world of words. And it doesn't exist in the world of words. Mhm

mhm. And for each person it could be worded slightly differently. Um, they could understand it in a slightly different way. And so you know what you say to one person the next day doesn't work for the other person, but you're just trying to teach the same thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Totally totally. It's like what. So in a sense of like, um, because, you know, you've you've been on home in a way, which is a soap opera. I'm wondering. Because soap operas, like obviously they kind of sit in this really interesting realm of like drama, but it's not drama played naturally. So how did you go about, in that sense, approaching that style of acting, trying to, you know, implement this idea, but in a soap opera sense? I do

think when when we're looking at a script and this is really 1.1s beneficial to understand when we have auditions, when you're in acting class, you do a scene as a scene and let's go for our best take of that scene. Whereas if you're going for an audition, yes, you explore the character and then bringing yourself into that character and how you bring that to life. But understanding the genre, we need to stress

that that,

um, step as well. And, uh, with a soap opera, I mean, that was a little while ago that I did that now, but I think with a soap opera, we're still aiming for as much truth as we can. It's just that the text is quite expositional. Um, and I think we still find those thoughts. It may be at, at a certain pace, and it may be that we're speaking what we're used to seeing in subtext. But I think those things of aiming towards as much truth as we can and finding the thought and having the inner object, internal object, and the listening, it's still applies. It's still applies. It's just that the dialogue means that you say what you mean. You mean what you say half the time, um, you learn it very quickly. You don't get very many takes. So

you've got to

keep it relatively simple. I don't want to say that that's a take with a grain of salt, but keep it relatively simple to to not kind of confuse

yourself too much, 1.1s um, and speak the subtext, but still connect with a bad soap. Acting, I think, is when people's internal life does not meet where they're at externally. Um, right. And so it's like any moment you look at Meryl Streep in August, August Osage County or, you know, bloody Daniel Day-Lewis in anything, you know, it's they're they're bold performances, but the internal life justifies where they get where they get at. Right. Get up. There we go. That was better where they get at. And so, um, if if

we are bigger on the outside than we are on the inside, I think that is what's offputting.

Yes. But

so too is when people go, oh, I'm going to play this really naturalistic and hyper real, which I do think is quite the fashion now. We love when it's like hyper real, but people mistake that for no tension and lack of thought and it just gets

boring. Mhm. Yeah for sure.

And so in that situation it's like our inner life needs to pulsate.

Yeah. 1.1s Yeah. Interesting. Um,

the genre is important, in other words. But yeah, I think those things were speaking about still apply.

Yeah. It's very and I think as well, 1.4s you know, as like where what am I trying to say? I don't have my brain shut down. Um, I

love that. 1.1s Well, you have enough thoughts. If I've

had enough and we're done.

Uh, that was it. Um, no, because you have worked in so many genres. Um, and I don't. And I think it's fine that every actor can't do that. And I think that, you know, every actor maybe shouldn't try and do every single genre. I think especially when you're in, you know, the first ten years of your career, I think really hitting the things that you're good at because, like, there are certain techniques to each genre that apply and then don't apply to other genres. There are that are there are techniques that are fluid across the board. But yeah, it's just really interesting. Um, and I don't know if like when you coach people, you're kind of do you think that you see that a lot in which you're kind of like.

I say, certain actors are great in these genres, and that's totally okay. It's not like they're incapable actors because they can't do anything in everything. I mean, like certain lawyers can't law in certain areas

do the luring in 1.6s it just can't do the doctor.

Yeah. So it's um, I think it becomes a bit exhausting when people who people try and do all of the genres and aren't kind of honing their skills in on the ones that really resonate with the skill set that they're working with. But you're a specific person who does well in all. So,

um, I'm like learning obsessed. So I would just I can't stop learning, which means that a lot of there's a lot of training, training, training, training, like I said, only for tools not always to use, but just for tools. So as you say, that allows your breadth to grow.

Yeah. Um,

through that, like. Yeah. A couple of years ago I went and did a high camp farce at MTC. But then, you know, this year I'm shooting some I'm shooting a couple of things coming up that are like hyper, hyper, hyper natural

films. So yeah,

it is quite different. But, um, I think in terms of I think what you're saying, absolutely, it does apply in terms of skill level. There's some things like if we look at sitcom in America with so many Aussies doing drama,

um,

but we have very limited sitcom. And when I went to LA, I went um, and studied a bit. There's a woman called Leslie Carne who teaches sitcom acting and learning that and just go, oh my God, our comedy Aussie comedy is quite different. British comedies, different Aussie comedies, different American comedy. America's comedy is different, and it comes from a different place. And no wonder so many Australians don't book. Um, American comedy, because the rhythms aren't necessarily maybe for some people, but the rhythms aren't necessarily ingrained in you, whether where you get an Aussie comedy and you go, oh, I get the I mean, if you're raised on it, but yeah, you sort of get the the rhythm it sits in you. And I think, I mean, comedy is a really good example of it because if when I'm coaching, I'm like, fuck, if I've told you the joke, it's too late, we've missed it. Yeah, yeah. There's a part of you that can train to a certain level and look for where the joke is. But unless I do think there's something that you feel where the joke is doesn't quite land. Mhm. Um, yeah. So it's got to come out of you I think what you're saying genres. Yes, absolutely. When people are quite green we do get when we go like way into a genre that is quite different. It struggles to land. It might be something like, I mean a difficult theatre piece if you've only ever done naturalistic screen and there's a bunch of skills you've got to learn. Oh, and likewise, if you've done, um, a heap of of theatre exactly what I was talking about, a lot of my coaching is, is working people from that. And how do you just talk to the other person? Just talk to the other person? Oh, yeah. Yeah. I do think, um, there's a little bit of sidetrack, but what you're saying, um, I deeply believe there are certain stories that are in us that resonate with us and some that don't. And I find this absolutely with me. Like, even if I've played in quite a diverse range of genres, there are some roles that I'll get like, oh my God, I really want this, I want this, I want this, and I'll work really hard at it and I work really hard at it. And that's not necessarily a good thing for acting, but, you know, do the work and then get there and it's kind of still not my story. And then there's some scripts you get where you just read it and you're like, oh yeah, yeah, I get it, I get it, you're doing it and it's effortless and it's easeful. And I still believe they're the ones you book. And it's the same when when I give, you know, in classes, when I give students scripts and you say, oh my God, that just sits on you, your story, you come through it. Yeah. And, and I do think they're the jobs you book. And I do think that the jobs that. That are effortless. And yeah, I really, really, really believe that.

Oh, 100%. And I think, um, it's, you know, it's a hard thing to come to terms with because as an actor, you know, you just want to book all of the roles. That's all you want to do. You want to do all of the work. Um, but I definitely agree that once you kind of actually sit with yourself and go, okay, I don't think that I can do the best job at telling this story to actually kind of go, well, I'll audition. But, you know, if I don't get it, that that's why kind of thing. I think that's a really mature approach to a career. Um, but also what I meant about the genre thing was definitely like from personal experience, when I started out, I really struggled with drama, like comedy. I was like, no problem, I can get it. But drama. And it really kind of because a lot of Australian content is drama. I kind of felt inadequate for a really long time, but I was just acquiring this well, not only the life skills, but the acting skills from the right teachers as well, in order to finally go, oh my God, I get it. And because I'm telling the right stories in a dramatic script now, that's why I kind of like, oh yeah, finally. But at the start, I was definitely like, I can't do drama, I can't do it. I'm a I can only do comedic acting. I'm a failure 1.6s

in Australia. Yeah. We want

to do everything in America. It's like,

what's your what's your brand? What's your brand? Yeah.

Oh, branding came around here for a bit like I feel like 2019. Everyone was like, I really me included. I really want to know what my brand is. I know we kind of stick on these external labels that like

ask, excuse me, drama teacher, what's my

brand? Yes. When I walk into the room, what would you cast me as? Yeah. 2s

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Ignite your imagination. 1.4s But I think what I really appreciate about, um, coaches like yourself and a fair few others in the Australian industry as well is like what you were saying is that you're still learning and yes, you are still, um, like doing courses for your acting, but you're also doing them to bring them back to your students and be like, hey, I just learned something that completely contradicted what I taught you this other time. Um, let's try this. And I think that that's really important to have, like an ever changing, I guess, way of working because I think, um, gone are the days when we have like a method where this method was written 100 years ago and this is how we do it, you know, that's how you act. It's like, no, because society is ever changing as well. So.

Well, I mean, even status was changing all the time. And his early work contradicts his last work. But it's like after that that it became. Um, I am not allowed to say ego based, am I? What? I'm talking about the greats. Not that I don't say my way. I can't say

that about Stella. No, no, no, I'm not saying that. We. She's given us many gifts. Sorry.

Back peddling. Back peddling. But,

um. Light a candle for her after the show. Forgive you. Sorry. No. Great. But. But. Yeah, I absolutely, deeply, deeply believe I. I'm a hungry learner. Like, if if I wasn't an actor, I'd probably. This is. Yeah. Shit. But

I'd probably be an academic 1.3s

groupie studying philosophy somewhere. And so yeah, I, I do want to learn, but I do get so much joy in giving more tools to my actors. And as I said, as I said before, I do believe it's lots and lots of tools and all that matters is what works here and now. So totally they can be contradictory. Who gives a shit? Um, you know, like, I don't want to confuse you now. It doesn't need to be contradictory now, but it might have contradicted what I said yesterday, which is very I think unless you're an actor, it's like, who the fuck is this woman? That she's

crazy. But you

said this yesterday. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 1.1s throw it in the bin. I said something else tomorrow.

No, no, it's not that bad. It's not quite that bad.

Um, yeah, but

all that really matters. What is what? Is going to bring life here now.

Mhm. Yeah for sure. What. When did you get into coaching and what, what was the impetus originally to kind of go I want to be an acting coach as well as an actor because that's a that I mean like, you know, if you look at it logically like, yes, it kind of makes sense because you're like, well, I have all these skills and I want to, but like, you know, not every actor is built to be an acting coach. So when did you kind of figure like, oh, this is something that I want to delve into. Uh, like many things, I don't know that I actively made a choice. Um, I'm a little bit of the belief that we stay proactive, but I also believe in flow and I. And there's something in that as well. I think I flowed this way, and I fucking love it. Um, I guess I guess as I said before, I'm, I learn everything every so as like, knowledge sponge and just absolute nerd for this acting business, this shit. Yeah. Um, I adore, uh, I guess when I first graduated Nyada, this was. This is actually why, when I first graduated. Naida. Firstly, I still wanted to learn, and I went to TAFE and studied

business, and, you know, so I could give it to actors. And I went to America so I could study sitcom and comedy and shit that we didn't have in Australia and give it to actors. You know, I just felt driven to. And then I got a grant in the days before, everyone had a camera and I got ten grand and I set up a self taping studio in my house. When I first got out of Nida, and not everyone had a camera like they do now. And so I started to shoot a lot of self tapes, and basically it just started that I could read and then maybe give some notes. But then and I was also doing a bit of teaching as well, um, a little bit of teaching, but then from the coaching I just found that um, actors started booking. 1.1s

No, but

then, uh. 2.1s Yeah. 1.2s

Well, um, but

I found that I just fell in love with it, and, um. I, uh, I get no. I care so much about people that I work with and helping them get something. I can be quite

direct. Like, we know you don't

go to Pip if you want to be like, that was

great. I was having a bad day. And you need an ego boost. Don't don't. No no no no no no no

no I will love you to pieces. But we need to like, we're aiming for a best work. And I think I have quite a high standard. And because I care. Because I care and, um. Yeah. So so we work and I love the work. And I love when actors break through barriers and work through things. And and then as you said, I really do I continue learning all, all, all the time. I stay in class because I don't think it's right if I and go to mates and ask them to coach me for an hour or whatever, because I want to feel what they're feeling, and also so I can learn and know because I think mindset is so much to do with it. So, so much to do with it in that I can't just tell you what to do and not know what's going through our brains when we're when we're being coached for an audition or just coach generally in terms of a lot of people come just privately instead of going to acting classes, because I think so we can really hone in, you know, um, and yeah, and to to feel what that journey is and. Yeah, it's, it's a really, really special thing. It's a really special thing, I think. 1.2s Feeling, being there with people as they grow and they break through things and, and I've got those, um, students or clients that I've had for years and seeing them when they first start out and we put their, you know, their show reels down and we get that. And then when they finally get their first main role on a TV show and it's a few years later, I think I have the sluggers. 2.3s

Ready to work hard. Yeah. And and when. Yeah. When they, when they start booking staff and generally like work on technique will work on technique. Okay. We're ready to look for an agent now. Work on technique. We're okay. We're ready to or whatever stage they're at. Some people just come because they are actors, um, you know, working actors, and they'll just come for their self tapes and, and then some clients are exactly what I was describing is all sort of come almost, you know, weekly every second week and work, work, work, work, work. And we just really nail down and then eventually finally where we're booking stuff. 1.1s Yeah. 1.8s But it's you do see it. I think that's the great thing about being a coach is it's not. Um, there was a, um, uh, a mother who contacted me about their teenager and was like, it's not really a real job, is it? Is it? And I was like, you're kidding me. And as a coach or like, I was like, fuck this poor boy. Like, you know, he was like 13. He's he's quite liking it. But it's not the, you know, there's still like humans with that view for their children. Mhm. Um, but being an acting coach you see I, you see, you see you see it's, it really is it at firstly it's not that you're either Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving famous famous or you're nothing. There's so many of us that are making a living off acting or something in the, you know, there's, there's so many of us all something similar and living that kind of splashy life and we're completely fine. Um, but also through coaching, you do see there is growth and progression. It's just just fucking stick at it. Yeah. You

don't need to. You don't even need to. Kind of like, oh, I'm hungry, I'm hungry. Hungry all the time. I'm hungry. Let flow happened. But just stay, stay with it. And you're allowed to have a life as well. But just keep staying with it and shit honestly happens. Yeah, it honestly does. And as a. Yeah. You seriously witness that.

Yeah. No, I, I completely agree with that last point as well. Um, like as you say, you know, you have people that are coming every two weeks and I don't want actors listening to this to be like, I don't train every two weeks. Um, like, in all honesty, I haven't trained since May last year because I don't know if everyone realized, but, um, things got a little bit hairy for a while there, and I was like, you know what? I'm just going back to basics and just like, you know, just really looking after my basic needs. It's not that I stopped acting. I did like a few small things last year, but I just wasn't coaching because it didn't feel right. It just didn't. And I it's exactly that, the ebb and flow, but the continual keeping at it. It's not like I'm. I gave up acting. No, there's nothing wrong with the time off. And so what if you do like one of my girlfriends said to me, she was like I was getting this was quite a few years ago and I was like, getting frustrated. She's like, just give up. It's like, what do you mean give up? It's like, what's up with yeah, fuck it, fuck it.

Just, you know, for a little while and like, oh yeah, found it again I couldn't. Yeah yeah yeah yeah. So about ten years ago. Yeah.

How long did you give up for?

I think the crazy thing is, is I think I gave up, and then I suddenly got offered

a job, like a direct offer. Oh my God. Like the Knicks. My

God, it's like, uh. Okay. But that's what I think. What that is, is about that flow thing.

And it is push all, push does all that busy work does all that push. I need to work harder because that person. So I can handle all that crap and I should, I should, I should, I should. It's it's our own shoulds, that massive To-Do list that never gets done because you don't actually know why you're doing it. You're doing it because some fucking guru that was trying to make money said you should. Yeah, and then you beat yourself up because you don't. And we get so exhausted by that. We get so exhausted by that. And what if, just like we were speaking about acting of like that flow and trusting the flow that that can happen? What if that within reason can happen in our career as well? I'm not suggesting don't do don't do anything you know. Yes. Meet people. Yes. Day in class. But it's about the force and the should. Yes. They're

fucking kill you. They just drive you

mad. Oh, trying. Trying to look like the most hard working actor that you can be is the problem. Just let it happen. 1.1s And it's just like. It's funny. Like, I feel like your career is kind of. Case in point. You've said, like, the roles that you book are the ones which the scripts, you just go, yeah, I got this. That's flow. Or like when you go, I, I'm not gonna be an actor anymore. And you just release it and let it go. Then they go, ah, look what gets let in. Yeah. And I think, I think what that actually is about, I mean, I do work hard, but it's the working hard from shoulds and anxiety that I've released in doing those things. I'm not suggesting don't do any work. I'm just suggesting, you know, do what you feel is right from a place of joy. Um, and let flow happen. Take the next move. It's okay if you are like, I don't know what my 20 year plan is. It's okay. Just look up. You know, the next thing. Where where do you want to go now? Just who gives a shit about that? Just fucking grab a mate and put herself type of a scene down that you want to do. Like just

let that happen for a bit. Yeah. You know it's it's yeah. Working from anxiety and stress and shoulds that all you do is exhaust

yourself. You really do. You really do. And it's funny I think. I can't think of someone that I know who's an actor that hasn't gone through. It's almost like a kind of rite of passage as an actor, that you go through that realization of, like, I should be doing this, I should be doing that, and then you exhaust yourself and then you eventually click into the fact that that is not a sustainable way to be living. In any sense. Yeah. And because no, there are no I shouldn't say no. That's a load of shit. Most careers don't have a life where you can control so little. And so it's simply us. I remember when my sister moved to Sydney for a little period of time and, um. Yeah. And she said

she used to say like, okay, can we meet up for lunch? What are you doing in three weeks?

I was like, I don't know, you know,

and like. And what? How do you not. Oh, my God, I couldn't live like that was, you know, like, 1.2s I don't know, what, three weeks for lunch, you know, and it is that I don't know where I'll be. There's nothing at the moment. Then I'll get there. It'll be busy, you know.

Yeah. Um,

yeah. And, and to actually be that kind of human, a lot of actors are quite

smart, you know, and, um, they are a few Type-A. I don't know if you want to call it that, but there are there are a lot of actors that have that brain that are hungry, that are curious. And we. Yeah. And there isn't a lot that you can control. And so it's actually making peace with, with that and, and just dealing with what is in your control. I was speaking to a mate who's an actor last night. And it was like he said, like I was like, there you go. Covid

kind of taught everyone else what it's like to be an actor, I mean, haha,

we've been doing this for years. 2.3s Oh my God. We were like, we got this, so fine, don't know my future. 1.2s

Oh,

just riding the wave. Join in. 1.6s It's so true though. It's so true. And I think what makes me really happy about the fact that mindset training, um, is coming into effect in terms of acting careers. I'm really happy about that. And I talk about it all the time. But honestly, like, it's changed my life to actually think about my mindset, um, looking at how I think about myself as an actor and how I think about my work and the the words that you're using to describe yourself as an actor, like a really good example, is what words do you use when someone goes like? Oh, you're an actor. What have I seen you in? And you're. If you're using the response of I haven't really been in anything like, oh, I'm just, you know, like, I'm, I'm still working hard. Like, maybe something in the future. Those words are ingraining into your brain, how you feel about yourself. So how are you going to then go into an audition and convince someone to employ you in that role? If that's kind of how you think you're drilling

home these core beliefs.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I'm very much excited that all of this mindset ideas and coaching is kind of becoming very relevant in the industry. And we're going hang on a second. If you're just slightly changing the words that you're using around yourself, it's having this massive effect. I really find so and I'm sure like you see that with your students as well.

You cannot you cannot separate your mind from your. Craft or your career. You cannot separate your. I mean, it goes back to what we were talking about at the very beginning of if we try and do too much with our head and control it, if we haven't surrendered to the moment, then we're using our working memory. When we're acting and going, what beat do I play? What action do I play? Whatever. And you're working memory. If you go into an audition and you're working and you're stressing your working memory, you're working memory is also where your vulture lives. And that it's true. And that is also where the ego can come and have little freakouts and talk shit to you. Yeah. So that's your craft in terms of your career. It's exactly it's what you're saying. It's it's your approach to yourself that what you're coming down to is those surface level, the little, little, um, phrases we use, which actually if we go deeper and deeper and deeper, why are you saying that? Why are you saying that was it? It's like a fucking acting craft, but doing it with ourselves. Why are you saying that one? Saying that it's because the core belief, the core belief is what we need to work with or what we. You know, once your core belief in yourself is all of your enoughness and that you are worthy and that you are an actor and all the all

that stuff. Yeah, once

your core belief is there, then you're not going to be saying shit like that. You're not going to feel when the Uber driver says, oh, what if I say, knew it, you're not gonna like, yes, you're gonna be like, fuck, I hate that

question. But yeah, no,

but you might not have. Old issues of self-worth come

up. Oh, for sure. Yeah, and

you're exactly right. How does that then affect your whole approach to your life, your career, your everything?

Oh, yeah. It's very interesting when you start looking at your core beliefs around your dating life. Oh, yeah. I haven't worked out. Oh, dear. Someone

else. So that should 1.1s

use the exact same techniques. But then you go, what do I truly believe about myself as a partner to someone? And then you go, oh

no. 2.4s It's not for the faint of heart, that's for sure. But when you come through it, 1.4s

it's great. 1.3s Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll tell you. I'll tell you in a few years. 2.5s Maybe 1.1s it's all about the letting go. You don't know what's gonna happen now.

Oh, shit. 1.8s

Oh my God. So in terms of have you have you made any films or written any scripts of your own? I'm

not much of a writer, but I have directed a

bit interesting. So

I mean, I can write, but it's not, you know, I make too many hot chocolates 1.4s

and you just jacked. And then the script is just wild. The kettle's been dead on

200. Yeah. Yeah. No, no. But but directing I love I absolutely love which has been um, you know, it's the most recent of the things but it's emerged I did I have worked as a casting assistant a bit. Um.

Oh, okay. So,

uh, that was a while ago. So that also helped with the coaching as well. So I worked in that side, um, and which is great, which I love. And then, um, through coaching, people started and, you know, obviously shooting a lot of self-tape reels turned into show reels turned into can you direct my short sort of thing? Yeah. So, um, I just adore it, I adore it, I mean, I adore three and at the same thing flow like, I don't think, um, we don't, you know, like, I've given up the need to define any.

Oh, you just like,

fuck, you know?

Yeah, I do know. It took me a while to add podcasting to my slash. My slash? How many

slashes do you want? How many? How many? 1.7s 507.

Yes. 1.2s

Yeah.

No. It's true. It's. Yeah. I mean, um, with directing, it does seem like especially with coaching, it obviously seems like a very natural progression to then be like, you know, but with directing as well, it's you, you're having to think about shots and stuff like that, which if as an actor, you haven't gone behind the camera and looked at exactly the frame that they're shooting and that's a whole other kettle of fish, you know, that comes into filmmaking. Yeah. I had to

consciously very learn that, like I did do some at uni, but I'd sort of put it on the backburner. But um, yeah, I consciously had to learn that and got private coaching myself from a cinematographer. Um, but but then also through doing and through making sure that every time I do direct something, I only do it on the proviso that I have a really good cinematographer, because I know that I will focus on performance. I just fucking will because I can't stop myself and I oh, the shot was funny. Yeah. So? So, uh. Yeah. Yeah. So if I have, um, you know, a team is very, very important, and, and it's really important to me that I have a great cinema cinematographer. And, you know, we're on the same page about the story and then let him her. They do their business.

Um, but it's just, um, when I started kind of filmmaking and I haven't directed, but I've produced and written. Um, 1.4s yeah. And again, with the genre thing, like shots, thinking about using different shots and how they're relevant to the genre that you're using. Like with comedy, not a lot of close ups are used unless it's for a specific punch line. Um, which I had never thought about until a few years ago, because you're just like I'm saying my lines and I'm doing my thing, I don't know. Oh, they're doing a mid shot. Okay. Yeah. Cool. I don't know why.

Yeah. Filmed quite differently. Yes. And being able to have like a two shot or a three shot in a comedy frees the actors up quite

a lot. Oh, yes. Yeah, I can go wild. I can throw their arms around for comedic purposes. 2.4s

They can act with their arms, darling. Yes.

I've studied with Darren Shannon, and that's what I know. Darren didn't teach that. Darren to teach that I didn't know. And so good, so good. Ah, I think I talk about him too much on. But honestly, so good. And I know you've done his course as well.

I've gotten I've done all the Darren I had. Yeah, I had a couple of films that he was with him and, and like each time I have a whenever I've done a film that is a comedy, which I've done a few, I would like pay him for a session and I. Yeah, he's just oh my God. Um, yeah.

Yeah. He's like such a I, I don't think people understand. He just understands comedy in such a way that I have never seen before, like the nuances that he understands in comedy in each character and the little like bits and pieces that he does when he's teaching. I'm just like,

haha, 1.1s yeah. And actual tools you can use. Yeah. Like I said, in America there was sitcom, but I found in Australia there was, yeah, which is sitcom specific, which is not really what we make. No. Um, but Darren has actually I think he's there probably are other people. I'm very sorry, but he's the only person that I have found that's been able to be like, so this is comedy and it applies to Australian comedy, which is dee dee dee dee doo. And you go, oh my God, I

have tools. Yeah. Well, I think, you know, obviously Darren does do improv in his teachings, um, in some of the classes, but I think, um, I agree in that I haven't found a class in Australia that wasn't like learning improv, because improv is just. It's pretty much just comedy, but it's improvised comedy. You never look like, here's a comedy script. How do we unpack this? You know? Um, so yeah, it's very interesting. And maybe that's why I feel like it's a whole bunch of drama based teaching in Australia, mostly because that's like a lot of what we do. But yeah, I don't know.

But we have we really do have Australian comedy. I mean, many of us are like known that comedy is tragedy about dignity sort of thing. Like, yeah, yeah, but but the nuance that, that Darren goes into. But I do think that there is something I am so passionate about, Australian comedy. But I grew up watching it, and I think that if you haven't until someone like a Darren, but even then you've got to keep watching yourself. You've got to, you've got to of course, you got to watch Australian content, like we have to make us make Australian content, watch Australian content. But Aussie comedy, when actors like I haven't seen it, haven't seen it, haven't seen it, it's like. You. You get those. It's not just about them and their audition, but they end up with these auditions. Like, you're not going to get the comedy because it's not in your cells.

It's not in. Yeah, yeah.

It's not in your. It's not friends.

Yes, I know you watch friends. You bet I do like comedy I like friends. It's not friends. It's not friends. Yes.

Oh here's not as good. 2.4s

No, I mean that. Yes. No, but it's true. That's what I always say about Australian and mostly UK comedy as well, is that very rarely do you have a whole cast of amazing looking people. And that's why it's funny, because they're just real people. And you go, oh yeah, these are humans that I'm watching. Whereas quite often and you know, it does fall into the sitcom acting realm as well, that you do have characters, even though they're silly characters you still like. Yeah. They're

like, yeah. And sitcom. Um, Stephen Fry has this great YouTube clip of Stephen Fry where he talks about the differences between American British comedy and the fact that American comedy, you know, they they all have get the girl and have good teeth and they're all winners. And and it's come from that vaudeville like, but, you know, because they, they came to America because they were going to win, you know, be the best I am freedom, I am whatever. And

he's like, the Brits just stayed here. I was like, I hope anyway. And so and if you look at it, it's all glass based and they've all got bad teeth and they want to be the loser. It's like the American comedian wants to be the winner and the British comedian wants to be the loser. Yeah, but I think we're a different thing altogether. I think we take a bit of British stuff in that will be rather happy to be the loser. But stuff like to talk about Darren again is no activity. Which such a good show.

Yes. Yeah. It's it's based on doing nothing other than maybe, you know, New Zealand. Like what? What country gets comedy based on what the shit you talk about when you get nothing to talk about. Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. And then they, they, the Americans thought to recast Darren's character and take it to America. No thank you. No. Absolutely not. 1.1s

That's why it didn't work. Yeah, yeah. But no, it's it's very true. It's the. Yeah. You're I agree that, you know, there are similarities in Australian and UK comedy but I think I agree

I don't know that we have I could I mean I could be wrong, but my view at the moment is he changes all the time. At this very time I don't feel that we have the class. We don't understand class like they do in. But I mean, you know, we don't have that class thing quite as much.

Not as, like, um, very like this is this that is that. Yeah. Very, very interesting. Well, we've been talking for a while, so, you know, we can wrap up, um, now what is your website? I'm going to link it all in the show notes. But what is your website? What is your do you have, um, active socials that you would like to plug

as well? I have my website, which is uh, the way in which I am contactable is Pip Edwards creative com uh, one word Pip Edwards creative.com. And uh, I am the Pip Edwards on the Instagram. I'm

not a pip Edwards the Pip Edwards nice. And people if they're wanting to coach with you can obviously contact you via the website.

Um yes. Yeah. Because after this episode I guarantee an influx of people. Pip use code Rachel for 5% on. Okay. 1.5s Why

not, why

not? 1.7s

Oh dear. Well, good. Rachel's.

Rachel's love life. 2.4s

I've dealt with it. I'm fine. 1.4s No no no. Anyways, thank you for coming on the podcast, and, um, we will talk to you soon. Yeah.

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