Olivier trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London under Elsie Fogerty, a teacher who put voice work at the heart of an actor’s training. The famous instrument was developed through years of practice, not simply handed to him.
What strikes me about Laurence Olivier is how powerful a quiet voice can be.
Let’s take a look at some of his most memorable performances.
1. Henry V: the voice as a weapon
In his 1944 film of Henry V, made during the Second World War, Olivier turned Shakespeare’s speeches into rallying calls. Listen to the St Crispin’s Day speech. Notice how he builds. He starts almost conversationally, then lifts the pace and pitch as the king gathers his men. He never shouts, and the control makes the speech more stirring. The film earned him an honorary Oscar.
2. Richard III: charm as menace
His Richard III, first on stage in 1944 and later on film in 1955, opens with “Now is the winter of our discontent,” delivered straight to the audience. He makes you complicit. The voice is silky, sardonic, and amused.
3. Hamlet: thinking out loud, quietly
His 1948 Hamlet won the Oscar for Best Picture, and Olivier took Best Actor. In the film, he often lets Hamlet’s thoughts play almost as a murmur, intimate and unhurried. It’s a lesson in how much a quiet voice can hold when the pace is right.
4. Szell: menace at a whisper
Late in his career, in Marathon Man (1976), he played a Nazi dentist. The terror comes from softness. His quiet, polite delivery of “Is it safe?” is more chilling than any shout could be.
What can we learn from these performances?
1. Listen before you copy. Play the Agincourt speech or the opening of Richard III and track what changes: pace, pitch, volume, pauses.
2. Use contrast. Olivier’s power often comes from the quiet moment next to the loud one. Vary your own delivery on purpose.
3. Try quiet. If you want attention in a meeting, lower your volume and slow down.
4. Record yourself. Read a paragraph aloud, listen back, and ask which choices were deliberate.
5. Let your voice change with the message. Good delivery matches meaning, not a default setting.
6. Practice voice modulation with the app Power, Pitch, Pace, Pause (iOS / Android)
Yours
Olga Smith