Author: Patrick Tucker

Patrick Tucker started directing for the stage in 1968, and for the screen in 1976, and has been doing both ever since. To date he has directed over 250 theatre productions and over 200 dramas for the screen (including one feature) at venues in the UK and all over the world, including America, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Latvia, South Africa, South Korea, and three productions at Shakespeare’s Globe London. His last stage work was Measure, For Measure for the Blackfriars Theatre in Virginia, and on screen a Russian sit-com Olimpiada 80 filmed in Latvia (in Russian). He has lectured and run courses on the various aspects of acting and directing since the mid-1970s (presenting directing workshops for Raindance since 1997, and at Central Film School since it opened in 2009), and his books Secrets of Acting Shakespeare (Routledge 2nd Edition 2017) and Secrets of Screen Acting (3rd Edition Routledge 2014) contain many original insights – as do his workshops. He is currently preparing Secrets of Screen Directing – the Tricks of the Trade for publication in 2019.

Crossing the Line

You don’t always have to speak grammatically – we all understand what they mean when a public figure says something like “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” However, we do raise an eyebrow (or at least some of us do) if we hear “Please give the information to John or to I.” The incorrect […]

Director’s Check List Number 2

How often should you read your script? 9 times, as the books recommend? Actually, most of us just read the script ONCE. 1: Read the script. Take notes as you go, and at the end of the reading, write out your instant phrase that sums up what the script/episode is about in your Notebook of […]

What A Film Director Does After They Say CUT

Patrick Tucker is one of Europe’s most experienced film directors with over 400 shows broadcast on television. No ones better than Patrick what a film director does. At the end of each take you shout “CUT!” – then what do you do? 1: Did you like the take? On balance, were all the major elements […]

Let’s Hear It for Lego

You’ll wonder how you managed without it. When you are planning a production – for screen or stage – it is important to get it obvious to you what will happen on the day. How often do we imagine how it will look with a sofa and a table and a chair, but when we […]

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