Performing Sherlock: A Study in Studio and Location Realism

Since its origins in the live era of the 1930s, British television acting has changed from being primarily (though not entirely) a creature of the studio to a largely location-based performance medium. Although studio soundstages are still employed, these are usually comprised of ‘standing sets’ which arguably become locations in their own right, rather than the temporary three-walled structures erected and dismantled as part of the studio process. This shift in performing environs has had an enormous influence on the way actors work, both in technical terms (most notably the move from multi-camera to a single camera set-up) and with regard to production process, the once essential rehearsal period now increasingly regarded as an expensive luxury. Utilising the models of ‘studio realism’ and ‘location realism’, ‘The Changing Spaces of British Television Acting’ draws upon original archive and interview material to examine the ways in which actors have adapted to such developments, and the impact they have had upon small screen performance in the UK.