Question for the BRITS:

[Dangerously Amused]

I have a role in an upcoming production. The show is set in London in the 1700s. My character has to have a Cockney accent. I asked my director whom I might study to get it right. He suggested Julie Andrew's version of Eliza Doolittle in "My Fair Lady." Well, I've looked for that but it isn't available on DVD (because they used Audrey Hepburn in the movie, but her version of the accent is not as accurate). The "Andrews" soundtrack is available, but I'll need something with actual dialog so I can get the proper cadence and inflection.

Do you have any suggestions as to what else might be out there? Preferably something likely to be on DVD so I can rent it, or maybe something on youtube. So far I have come up with (possibly, please correct me if this is not the right accent!) the chimney sweep in "Mary Poppins," maybe somebody in "Oliver" and what about that little kid, I think his name was Jimmy, in H.R. Puffinstuff? (Although the latter would have to be a last resort, I don't think I could sit through too much of that show anymore.)

Thanks!

[billyskank]

1. You get East Enders on the TV there, no?

Bloody awful show, but the cockney accents ought to be good enough for your purposes. Or any british gangster flick, like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, plus anything that Michael Caine has ever been in except Zulu. ;)

[Dangerously Amused]

3. EE has both high and low Brit accents, IIRC. Is that right?

I fear that I'm apt to mingle the high Brit and the Cockney accent if I hear any combination of them while I'm trying to pick it up. I think I'm going to need my nose stuck in only the correct accent, at least for now.

I'll see if I can find the movie you mentioned, and I'm sure I can find some Michael Caine. Thanks!


:hi:

[billyskank]

4. Not everyone speaks with a cockney accent on that show.

And probably most of those who do, actually speak the bastardised "estuary english" or "mockney" form that is so prevalent nowadays. If you want a real "cockney sparrow" then there aren't too many of those. Barbara Windsor is probably good enough.

[Dangerously Amused]

10. I'll check into Barbara Windsor.

What's funny is that I auditioned for a part that called for a British gentry accent, so I had been working on that. So first I have to clear that out of me 'ed! :crazy:

Thanks!

[flvegan]

2. Miss Brahms from "Are You Being Served?"

I believe that's a cockney accent.

[Dangerously Amused]

11. Ooh, I'd forgotten about her! Thanks!

[MorningGlow]

5. Oh dear not Dick Van Dyke's accent in Mary Poppins

His cockney was the WORST! :wow:

I second Michael Caine.

Disclaimer: I am not a Brit, but I am a rabid Anglophile. :hi:

[Jamastiene]

7. Same here.

"Disclaimer: I am not a Brit, but I am a rabid Anglophile." :hi:

[Dangerously Amused]

12. Heh heh. Duly noted, thanks! :D

:hi:

[MorningGlow]

15. What show are you doing?

[Dangerously Amused]

17. I'll PM you.

[Jamastiene]

6. Those two boys from Oasis.

Watch interviews with the guitarist especially. He needs a translator in interviews, or at least they always seem to subtitle him and for good reason. :wow:

[billyskank]

9. They're from Manchester.

;)

[Jamastiene]

18. For real?

I can't hardly understand them. Usually, I'm pretty good at understanding all kinds of accents, but those two confuse me. I know it should be English...but...they perplex me.

[CBHagman]

8. I'm not British, but don't forget your glottal stop!

http://www.ic.arizona.edu/~lsp/CockneyEnglish.html


Glottal stop

Wells (1982b) describes the glottal stop as also particularly characteristic of Cockney and can be manifested in different ways such as "t" glottalling in final position. A 1970’s study of schoolchildren living in the East End found /p,t,k/ "almost invariably glottalized" in final position.

Examples:

cat =
up =
sock =

It can also manifest itself as a bare as the realization of word internal intervocalic /t/

Examples:

Waterloo = Wa’erloo
City = Ci’y
A drink of water = A drin' a wa'er
A little bit of bread with a bit of butter on it = A li'le bi' of breab wiv a bi' of bu'er on i'.

As would be expected, an "Estuary English" speaker uses fewer glottal stops for t or d than a "London" speaker, but more than an RP speaker. However, there are some words where the omission of ‘t’ has become very accepted.

Examples:

Gatwick = Ga’wick
Scotland = Sco'land
statement = Sta'emen

Seriously, though, I seem to recall the BBC had a website full of audio samples of U.K. dialects. That might be worth looking into as well...

[MorningGlow]

13. That "audio map" was great!

I spent WAY too much time there when I first found it. Great resource, as well as really interesting and a lot of fun. It was well done.

[Dangerously Amused]

16. Thanks!

I did go online and search for audio clips to help me out, but the ones I found were not real helpful. I will definitely try the BBC site though.

:hi:

[CBHagman]

14. More resources.

BBC site on cockney accents:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2005/08_august/22/voices.shtml

Audio samples and stuff:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/

[Dangerously Amused]

20. Most excellent!

Wow, thank you for all your help! I will have to give you a "Dialect Coach" credit in the program now, lol. :D

[Tikki]

19. We met some nice gentlemen from Liverpool at a party...

and WOW they have a definite sound when they are talking.


The Tikkis

[Dangerously Amused]

21. See, there's the perfect answer right there.

I will just have to throw a big "Cockney Speakers Only" house party weekend. Can't beat immersion language training!

[CBHagman]

45. Ding, ding! We have a winner!

Can't beat immersion language training!

Too true! :rofl:

[Aristus]

23. When you think 'Liverpool', think the Beatles.

A friend of mine from Bootle, just north of Liverpool, sounded just like Ringo Starr. B-)

[Tikki]

27. It was like Ringo was right in that room....

They were super nice guys....and even used a bit of 60's slang..
but I think it was for our benefit.


Tikki

[Aristus]

22. I'm not a Brit, but I am an actor who knows his accents pretty well.

Close on the H.R. Pufnstuf. The Jimmy kid in that has a pretty good Cockney accent. But the same actor's accent is even better in the musical film "Oliver!" And if you want a woman's Cockney, just listen to the character Nancy from the same film. The actress's name is Shani Wallis. I had a huge crush on her as a kid. Her Cockney accent is about all the model you'll need to do a good one.

[Dangerously Amused]

25. Thanks a bunch! Yeah, I looked for Jack Wild in "Oliver" on youtube.

What a talented kid! Might have to go rent that and watch for Nancy, too. Thanks!

[Aristus]

26. IIRC, Jack Wilde died a few years ago. He was only in his fifties.

That's too bad... :(

I remember thinking Nancy was gorgeous. I wanted her to be my mom. Then when I got older, I stopped wanting her to be my mom. ;-)

[trof]

24. Michael Caine? Especially 'Alfie'.

[Critters2]

32. My thought precisely. Annoyingly Cockney!! nt

[Dangerously Amused]

36. Another vote for Mr. Caine!

Why didn't I think of him before? :dunce:

Thanks you. I will have to go look up this "Caine" fellow... :)

[Darth_Kitten]

28. Maybe get a voice coach....if you have time.

:shrug:

[Dangerously Amused]

37. The time I got.

The money, however... unfortunately all of this month's disposable income went to the kitty ER. But thank you for the input! :hi:

[harmonicon]

29. watch "The Limey"

For one, it's a great movie, but it's also full of serious cockney rhyme slang. I would imagine that any Terence Stamp movie would do, but he is a trained actor, and I can imagine can do any accent he's asked.

[Dangerously Amused]

38. Thanks.

I never heard of that movie but now I'll know to look for it.

[muriel_volestrangler]

30. Somehow, I'm envisioning this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyAgy2CngfY

[Dangerously Amused]

39. Made me lol!

Yep, for sure that will be me. :)

[CrownPrinceBandar]

31. Bob Hoskins........

especially in "Brazil"

[Dangerously Amused]

41. Didn't see Brazil,

...but now I'll look for it. They've got to have some clips online. Thanks!

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

33. How about

the Gieco gecko? Isn't that a cockney accent? :)

[Dangerously Amused]

34. I think he's Aussie (but I could be wrong).

[harmonicon]

42. no, it's just a really bad cockney accent

[nytemare]

35. Another Julie Andrews film...Throroughly Modern Millie

Pretty sure she had a cockney accent in that, as well.

[Dangerously Amused]

40. Thank you!

Good idea. I'm gonna run over to youtube to see if I can find a clip. :)

[nytemare]

43. I bought it on DVD about a year ago, so it is roaming around out there.

Where, I'm not sure, but it's out there.

[nytemare]

44. Oh, and Sweeny Todd

and From Hell, both Johnny Depp films with a lotta cockney.