12/08/2026
We caught up with Lorriane Peterson, on her experience of NODA Theatre Summer School ⬇️
This year I attended the NODA Theatre Summer School for the very first time, and I can honestly say I loved every minute of it. I felt a bit nervous when I first signed up travelling all the way from Shetland, meeting new people, and stepping into a full week of intensive training but everyone was so welcoming, friendly, and supportive that I settled in straight away. It turned out to be one of the best learning experiences I’ve ever had.
I chose the Accessing Accents course, taught by Rosemary Berkon, who is a professional dialect and accent coach, actor, and teacher. Rosemary was absolutely wonderful: enthusiastic, encouraging, and full of knowledge. She created such a positive atmosphere that we all felt comfortable experimenting, making mistakes, and trying new things.
Over the week we explored:
🎭 Accent vs dialect and how each shapes character
🎭 How mouth shape changes depending on the accent
🎭 Different vocal zones and how they influence sound
🎭 Techniques for shifting between accents with clarity and confidence
For the first day and a half we focused on General American, which was fascinating. After that we moved on to Received Pronunciation (RP) — classic “posh English”. Later in the week we each chose an accent to study more deeply. I picked Australian, and we also had a go at Liverpudlian and Russian, which were great fun and very challenging.
There were 14 of us in the class, and everyone was so lovely. I’ve come away with new friends from all over the UK. It was also brilliant having Kathryn from Islesburgh Drama Group on the same course, we had such a good laugh together, and it was nice to share the experience with someone from Shetland. The other Islesburgh Drama Group members who attended NODA were all really supportive too, which made the whole week even more enjoyable.
One of the things I value most about NODA is the chance to bring new skills and fresh ideas back to Shetland. I learned so much about voice, character, and technique — all of which I can use in both Islesburgh Drama Group and Ronas Drama Group. It’s a fantastic opportunity for anyone involved in amateur theatre, especially when you live somewhere as remote as we do. You meet people you’d never normally get the chance to, and you learn from professionals who are passionate about helping performers grow.
I would certainly go again and would recommend NODA Summer School to anyone. It’s a brilliant experience fun, friendly, inspiring, and full of learning. I’m so glad I took the leap and signed up, and I’m already excited about the possibility of returning in future years.
