ACTING INDUSTRY
Dialect, voice and performance coaching
An expert Dialect & Voice Coach based in Sydney Australia, I've coached acclaimed actors including Rose Byrne, Sam Neill, David Wenham, Elizabeth Debicki, Yvonne Strahovski and Tadanobu Asano for international and local film, TV and theatre
____________________
My work as a dialect coach spans over 40 accents and global languages, including embodying living and historical people.
I train actors in dialect mastery, voice craft, screen/stage performance, text work, vocal/physical characterisation, Shakespeare, animation, voice-overs, audiobook delivery and more. I also guide international actors to master English language clarity in their film roles.
From Warner Bros, Sydney Theatre Company, Opera Australia and Cate Blanchett's Netflix series Stateless, actors and productions I've coached have earned rave reviews, standing ovations and prestigious awards.
Whether you need private coaching for a callback or production support for a full cast, you'll be in trusted hands in person or online.
BALI 2002: coach to Rachel Griffiths
Performance & Vocal Coaching Includes
____________________
PERFORMANCE CRAFT: Actor training, stage/screen/microphone craft, rehearsal, performance direction, ADR
TEXT & STORY: Scripted delivery, text interpretation, story journey, authenticity, emotion, audience connection
VOICE CRAFT: Tone/resonance, breathwork, range, clarity, vocal expression, warm-ups, vocal wellbeing
CREATIVE DELIVERY: Dialects, voice-overs, replicating real people's voices, languages, Shakespeare, animation
PHYSICAL PRESENCE: Alignment, embodied performance, physical characterisation, movement, gesture
PROFESSIONAL MINDSET: Confidence, adaptability, handling nerves, sustaining high-level performance
Below is a guide to the dialects, languages and real people’s voices I’ve coached. If you’re seeking work in a voice style not listed, feel free to enquire via the Contact form.
-
DIALECTS COACHED FOR SCREEN, STAGE & AUDIO INCLUDE:
Australia & New Zealand: Standard Australian & variations (Educated, Broad), Greek-Australian mix, Yorkshire-Australian mix, German-Australian mix, Italian-Australian mix, Broad Australian with drug addicted speech, Standard New Zealand, Wellington, Maori
England, Ireland, Scotland & Wales: Received Pronunciation (RP), Advanced RP (Period), Standard British (modern & 1950s), London/Estuary, Cockney, Hertfordshire, North Country (Liverpool, Manchester, Yorkshire, Lancashire), Northeast (Geordie), West Country (Gloucester, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall), Welsh, Irish (Dublin, North Dublin, Belfast), Scottish (Glasgow, Edinburgh)
North America: General/Standard American, Californian (Los Angeles), Washington (Seattle), New York variations (Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, NY Jewish & NY Latino), New England (Boston, Connecticut, New Hampshire), Midwest (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois), Southern American variations (modern, 1800s Southern, Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Louisiana, Virginia & Tennessee replicating Dolly Parton's voice/dialect), African-American, Standard Canadian, Newfoundland (Gander), Puerto Rican, Mexican
Europe, Asia & Africa: French, German (modern & 1930s German/Bronx mix), Italian, Spanish, Greek, Swedish, Danish, Scandinavian-British mix, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Ukrainian, Serbian, Russian, Lebanese, Arabic, Vietnamese, Indian, African, South African
LANGUAGES COACHED FOR SCREEN & STAGE:
French, German, Italian, Spanish, Greek, Russian, Hungarian, Serbian, Polish, Yiddish, Arabic
LANGUAGES COACHED FOR GLOBAL SPORTING EVENTS:
Netball World Cup: I was Foreign Languages Coach of National Anthems for the 2015 Netball World Cup Opening Ceremony at Sydney Olympic Park. In the role, I coached Australian choir Vox in the accurate sung-pronunciations for 7 non-English anthems. These were sung live in front of 15,000 people and televised live internationally to millions of viewers. I also supervised the choir's recording studio session for accuracy.
Anthems coached: Malawi (Chichewa language), New Zealand (Maori), Samoa (Samoan), Singapore (Malay), South Africa (Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho & Afrikaans), Sri Lanka (Sinhala) and Wales (Welsh)
International Rugby World Cup - Australia vs France: I coached leading lady of music theatre Patrice Tipoki (Fantine in Les Misérables Australia and West End) in the accurate sung-pronunciation of the French national anthem La Marseillaise. This was sung live at Etihad Stadium, Melbourne in front of 50,000 people and televised internationally to millions of viewers.
-
I've coached actors to replicate and embody the following living and historical voices in feature films, Netflix and Stan series, and sold-out plays, including two national tours with Sydney Theatre Company.
For Film & TV:Singer Dolly Parton
Renowned burns specialist Dr Fiona Wood
Californian Governor Gavin Newsom
Music journalist Lillian Roxon
"Amazon" John Easterling (husband to Olivia Newton John)
Bruno Hauptmann (German-born carpenter convicted of 1930s Lindbergh baby abduction)
For Theatre:US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (from 13 to 87 years)
Former US Presidents Clinton, Obama and Trump
US Supreme Court Justices Nino Scalia and Sandra Day O'Connor
Harvard Law School students in 1950s
Former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard (including 15 mins verbatim 'misogyny speech')
Editor and activist Julian Assange
Raconteur and author Quentin Crisp
Australian politicians Anthony Albanese, Tony Abbott and George Brandis
COACHING OVERVIEW
Services for the professional acting industry (screen, stage and audio)
____________________
My coaching for the acting industry supports individual actors, full casts and understudies, as well as screen, stage and audio producers and performing arts training institutions. I offer private coaching, group training, bespoke workshops and expert production support.
PRIVATE COACHING: Professional actors for castings, booked roles, audiobooks, voice-overs and industry craft elevation.
PRODUCTION COACHING: Individual actors, full casts, understudies and local or international tours.
Screen work: Pre-production, on-set, online/remote coaching, post-production pick ups and ADR.
Stage work: Pre-production, rehearsal room, in theatre, full runs, previews, cast warm ups, notes sessions (in-person, online and email), training understudies and new cast members, and in-person or online coaching for touring shows.
SKILLS COACHED INCLUDE: Voice craft, dialects, acting, script work, embodiment, character voices, replicating voices of living or historical people, Shakespeare, animation, ADR and English language clarity for international actors’ dialogue.
Coaching Credit Examples
____________________
Film and Television
Highlights include:
Stateless (Netflix): Dialect Coach. Produced by Dirty Films (Cate Blanchett & Andrew Upton) and Matchbox Pictures.
Bali 2002 (Stan): Dialect Coach to Rachel Griffiths as burns specialist Dr Fiona Wood (real person’s voice).
Peter Rabbit (Sony Pictures): Pre-Production & On Set Dialect Coach for Rose Byrne, Domnhall Gleeson, Sam Neill, Elizabeth Debicki and supporting cast.
Mortal Kombat 1 and 2 (Warner Bros Pictures): ADR Voice & Dialect Coach for Tadanobu Asano (English language clarity) and American accents for supporting cast.
The Artful Dodger (Season 2): Dialect Coach to Susie Porter.
* View all film and TV credits
Theatre
Highlights include:
Sydney Theatre Company: Dialect, Voice & Text Coach on 11 plays, including award-winning national tours of RBG: Of Many, One starring Heather Mitchell and Julia starring Justine Clarke.
Belvoir Street Theatre: Dialect, Voice & Text Coach on 5 plays, including The Drover’s Wife starring Leah Purcell and Mortido starring Colin Friels.
Shirley Valentine: Dialect, Voice & Text Coach to Natalie Bassingthwaighte for national tour of one-woman play. Neil Gooding and Alex Woodward Productions.
Steel Magnolias: Dialect Coach to full cast for 2026 national tour directed by Lee Lewis.
* View all theatre credits
Musical Theatre
Highlights include:
West Side Story: 4 productions including Opera Australia’s Sydney Harbour and international tours, and Ambassador Theatre Group’s Australian tour.
Chicago: 3 productions including GFO and Crossroads Live’s national tours starring Caroline O’Connor, Sharon Millerchip, Alinta Chidzey, Casey Donovan and Tom Burlinson.
Six The Musical: Dialect Coach (German accent) for full cast and understudies. 2024/25 Australia and New Zealand tour. Louise Withers & Associates.
In The Heights: Dialect Coach to select cast for Sydney Opera House season and 2025 Australian tour. Josh Robson Productions.
* View all musical theatre credits
What Acting Industry Clients Say
YVONNE STRAHOVSKI: Emmy Award-nominated Actor
"Jennifer White is the consummate professional in all areas of her work. She approaches her coaching with extreme detail and finesse and has an abundant knowledge. I absolutely trust her to take on any dialect and relay the information with precision and ease.”
KIP WILLIAMS: Tony Award-nominated Director and former Artistic Director of Sydney Theatre Company
"I've worked with Jennifer on four of my productions to date. ... It was a total delight and pleasure working with her and the voice and accent work were extraordinary. I find Jennifer to be so gifted at her job and feel lucky to get to have her talent feeding into my shows."
SUSIE PORTER: Film, TV and Theatre Actor
“I adored working with Jennifer, she's an absolute Godsend! Not only is she incredibly knowledgeable about dialects and voice, but she also showed me how to integrate the dialects and character traits to create fully formed individuals that jump off the page. Jennifer is a gifted teacher who truly understands the human condition.”
NATALIE BASSINGTHWAIGHTE: Film and Theatre Actor/Singer
“Working with Jennifer has been one of the great gifts of my career. Her depth of knowledge and precision of ear are exceptional, and her instincts are incredibly sharp. She has a rare ability to guide you into a dialect without fear or self-consciousness, making even the most challenging work feel achievable. I trust her completely and value her not only as a coach but as a person.”
Read more Testimonials
SHOWREELS
Highlights of my coaching for film, television, theatre and musical theatre
-
These showreel videos are for educational purposes only to examine and showcase limited portions of creative and cultural coaching work undertaken by me. These videos assist producers, directors, actors and enthusiasts to critically study and review the results of dialect, voice, text and performance coaching. The content within these videos (or audio-visual works) incorporates copyrighted material sourced from publicly available resources. The material has been altered, edited and disseminated based on content accessible on the internet, in accordance with the fair dealing provisions outlined in Australian copyright law. I specifically employ this material for research, study, review, criticism and educational purposes.
Group Teaching and Event Support
TEACHING: From 1999-2021, I was a lecturer at leading performing arts institutions in Australia, including for 12 years at the renowned National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) on their Bachelor and Masters degrees.
-
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DRAMATIC ART (NIDA) - 2009-2021:
1. Faculty: Lecturer for 12 years at Australia's leading actor-training institution. Trained students in the BFA Acting, MFA Voice and MFA Directing degrees, and vocational Diploma courses.Taught: voice, dialects, scripted storytelling, stage craft, warm ups, voice-overs, narration, audiobook delivery and Shakespeare.
Vocally directed and marked: students' public performances and assessments to meet academic degree criteria.
Supervised and mentored: MFA Voice students' teaching practice and production coaching.
Students graduated with: internationally recognised training for stage, screen and microphone.
2. NIDA Open Program - Public Courses & Workshops: In addition to training their degree students, I ran courses and workshops at NIDA for members of the public seeking elite voice, storytelling and performance training taught to actors.Training included: voice, embodiment, scripted delivery, storytelling impact, acting techniques, stage craft, presentation, narration, confidence and performance mindset.
-
UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN SYDNEY, NEPEAN
Faculty: Lecturer for 3 years training students in the BA Acting degree.
Taught: voice, dialects, phonetics, poetry, scripted storytelling and stage performance.
Vocally directed and marked: students' performance assessments to meet academic-degree criteria.
-
AUSTRALIAN FILM, TELEVISION & RADIO SCHOOL (AFTRS)
Position: Guest Lecture and Q&A session for BA Directing degree.
Sessions delivered: vocal direction for screen performance from pre- to post-production, including insights into film/TV vocal needs, industry examples and project preparation advice.
WESTERN AUSTRALIAN ACADEMY OF PERFORMING ARTS (WAAPA) / EDITH COWAN UNIVERSITYSecondment: Guest Teacher secondment during my NIDA Voice degree - for BA Acting, BA Music Theatre, BA Dance and Postgraduate Diploma of Broadcasting degrees.
Taught: voice, dialects, poetry, warm ups, 3rd Year graduation play support (French language), and professional vocal skills for broadcasting.
AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF MUSIC (AIM)Position: Part-Time Tutor on BA Music Theatre degree
Taught: voice, dialects, phonetics, Shakespeare, voice-overs, text analysis, script delivery, microphone techniques and directed their voice-over demo reels
SCREENWISE FILM & TV SCHOOLPosition: Guest Teacher to part-time screen acting students
Taught: voice, dialects, phonetics and script delivery for camera work
EVENTS: I've coached presentation, delivery and voice skills for Opening and Closing Ceremonies attended by up to 400,000 people in person and televised live internationally to millions. I've coached singers in the correct sung-pronunciation of National Anthems at global sporting events.
-
WORLD YOUTH DAY, SYDNEY 2008 - EVENTS COACHING
Position: Presentation, Voice & Voice-Overs Coach for all major international events including Opening Ceremony, Welcome Concert, Evening Vigil with Pope Benedict XVI and Closing Ceremony.
Scale: events attended by up to 400,000 people in person and televised internationally to millions.
Coached: local and international MCs, presenters and guest speakers in voice, presentation, scripted delivery, audience connection, stadium stage craft, live and on-camera presence, voice-overs and sponsor advertisements, microphone technique, embodied confidence for televised performance, and maintaining calm during high-pressure conditions.
-
NETBALL WORLD CUP, SYDNEY 2025 - OPENING CEREMONY
Position: Foreign Languages Coach of National Anthems for the Opening Ceremony, Sydney Olympic Park
Scale: ceremony attended by up to 15,000 people in person and televised internationally to millions.
Coached: Australian choir Vox in the accurate sung-pronunciation of 7 non-English national anthems, sung live at the Opening Ceremony and televised globally. Supervised the recording studio session to maintain pronunciation accuracy for anthem replays at tournament matches and events.
National Anthems coached: Malawi (Chichewa language), New Zealand (Maori), Samoa (Samoan), Singapore(Malay), South Africa (Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho & Afrikaans), Sri Lanka (Sinhala), Wales (Welsh).
Hear the anthems coached and recording supervised: here -
INTERNATIONAL RUGBY WORLD CUP MATCH, MELBOURNE - AUSTRALIA VS FRANCE
Position: French National Anthem Coach for world cup match at Etihad Stadium, Melbourne.
Scale: anthem sung live in front of 50,000 people and televised live internationally to millions.
Coached: Patrice Tipoki (leading lady of music theatre) in the sung pronunciation of the French National Anthem La Marseillaise. At the time, Patrice was playing Fantine in Cameron Mackintosh's Australian production of Les Misérables, then later on London's West End.
Not in the acting industry?
I also coach non-actor professionals, groups and events for live or recorded work — including speeches, podcasts, audiobooks, meditation recordings, brand videos, workshops and events.