Our Coaches – Olivia Darnley

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Olivia Darnley

Senior Coach

My ambition as a child was to read poetry on the radio – admittedly, a niche career – this ambition was a result of a passion for the power of the spoken word which began very early for me and has never faltered. I love storytelling and the individuality of all accents and voices. I am an empathetic and encouraging coach dedicated to helping each of my clients discover their own easy style in order to communicate dynamically and calmly. It’s something we can all do once we have the right tools.

I have now been coaching for over 5 years, with a focus on accent work and presentation skills. I have an undergraduate degree in English and Drama at Birmingham University, as well as a Masters Degree in Drama (Acting) at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. I have worked as an actress in the West End, on Broadway, for the Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre, alongside many roles for TV, film, BBC radio, and most recently, recording books for Audible (which makes seven year old, Olivia, very happy!). I studied with UCL, Knight Thompson Speechwork and many world-class voice coaches to further develop the performance and accent skills I used as an actress in order to create a practice which helps my clients embrace their individuality and become confident communicators.

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I’ve worked with a few coaches before and Olivia is one of the best I’ve had. We’ve only had 5 sessions to date but the improvements I’ve made have been noticed not just by myself but also people around me.

She’s provided lots of advice and useful exercises tailored to help me with the communication issues I’m having. What really sets her apart for me is that she truly cares about me as a person, which makes me feel entirely safe to make mistakes and to choose the ways I’d like to communicate that feel authentic to me. I’ll definitely recommend Olivia as your coach!

Ellen C - January 2021

I have completed a 10 session course of Effective Communication and Accent Softening with Olivia Darnley. Since the beginning, during my taster session, Olivia shows me new methods and techniques to improve my English accent and become more confident. Moreover, Olivia analysed my accent, tailored the sessions to my needs, and advise me on extra exercises I could do. All my life, I have made mistakes with my pronunciation, and Olivia showed me the right way to pronounce specific words easily. All my friends have noted an improvement in my accent, and I feel more confident to speak during my work meetings. Olivia was extremely friendly, kind and easy to get on with. I felt relaxed during the sessions, asking for help and how to prepare speeches.
I can say that my investment in this course was one of the best investment I have ever made! Many thanks, Olivia and London Speech Workshop!

Inmaculada A - November 2020