John Gray, British teacher of the Alexander Technique, actor, and author of Your guide to the Alexander Technique.
Life
John Gray joined the RAF in 1957 as his National Service. Afterwards he studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and began acting professionally in the early 1960s. A car crash caused him chronic pain and he was recommended the Alexander Technique. Greatly helped by the Technique he trained as a teacher 1969–72 with Majory and Wilfred Barlow. He taught the Alexander Technique at RADA 1980–2012.[1]
Writings
- His introductory book to the Technique, Your guide to the Alexander Technique, contains a general introduction and a series of practical procedures such as lying down, getting into and out of a chair, working against a wall (going down and up), rising to tiptoe, ‘monkey’, and hands over the back of a chair.[2]
- ‘The Alexander Technique and the actor’ by John Gray examines the general benefits of the Technique for the actor.[3]
- ‘“We might be able to help”’ by John Gray is his journey and remembrances of working with Wilfred and Marjory Barlow.[4]
Obituary
John Gray *7 February 1937 – †5 June 2017
References
[1] ‘John Gray’ by Anne Battye in AmSAT Journal issue no. 12, Fall 2017, p. 8.
[2] Your guide to the Alexander Technique by John Gray (Gollancz, 1990).
[3] ‘The Alexander Technique and the actor’ by John Gray in More Talk of Alexander edited by Dr Wilfred Barlow (Mouritz, 2005 [1978]), pp. 220-28.
[4] ‘“We might be able to help”’ by John Gray in Direction vol. 2, no. 2 edited by Jeremy Chance (Fyncot Pty Ltd., 1994), pp. 23–25.
[5] ‘John Gray’ by Anne Battye in AmSAT Journal issue no. 12, Fall 2017, p. 8.
[6] ‘John Gray’ by Anne Battye in STATNews vol. 9, no. 9 edited by Jamie McDowell (STAT, January 2018), p. 42.
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