 One of Olivier 's contemporaries at the school was Peggy Ashcroft , who observed he was " rather uncouth in that his sleeves were too short and his hair stood on end but he was intensely lively and great fun " . By his own admission , he was not a very conscientious student , but Fogerty liked him and later said that he and Ashcroft stood out among her many pupils . On leaving the school after a year , Olivier gained work with small touring companies before being taken on in 1925 by Sybil Thorndike and her husband , Lewis Casson , as a bit @-@ part player , understudy and assistant stage manager for their London company . He modelled his performing style on that of Gerald du Maurier , of whom he said , " He seemed to mutter on stage but had such perfect technique . When I started I was so busy doing a du Maurier that no one ever heard a word I said . The Shakespearean actors one saw were terrible hams like Frank Benson . " His concern to speak naturally and avoid what he called " singing " Shakespeare 's verse was the cause of much frustration in his early career , with critics regularly decrying his delivery . 
 One of Olivier <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'s</mark></a>contemporaries at the school was Peggy Ashcroft , <a href='null_relcl' title='2'><mark>who</mark></a>observed he was " rather uncouth in that his sleeves <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>were</mark></a> too short and his hair stood on end but he was intensely lively and great fun " . By his own admission , he <a href='negative_concord' title='4'><mark>was</mark></a> <a href='negative_concord' title='5'><mark>not</mark></a>a very conscientious student , but Fogerty liked him and later said that he and Ashcroft stood out among her many pupils . On leaving the school after a year , Olivier gained work with small touring companies before being taken on in 1925 by Sybil Thorndike and her husband , Lewis Casson , as a bit @-@ part player , understudy and assistant stage manager for their London company . He <a href='uninflect' title='6'><mark>modelled</mark></a> his performing style on that of Gerald du Maurier , of whom he said , " He seemed to mutter on stage but had such perfect technique . When I started I was so busy doing a du Maurier that no one ever heard a word I said . The Shakespearean actors one saw <a href='uninflect' title='7'><mark>were</mark></a> terrible hams like Frank Benson . " His concern to speak naturally and avoid what he called " singing " Shakespeare <a href='null_genetive' title='8'><mark>'s</mark></a>verse was the cause of much frustration in his early career , with critics regularly decrying his delivery . 
One of Olivier  contemporaries at da school was Peggy Ashcroft , observed he was " rather uncouth in that his sleeves was too short and his hair stood on end but he was intensely lively and great fun " . By his own admission , he ain't a very conscientious student , but Fogerty liked him and later said dat he and Ashcroft stood outt among her many pupils . On leavin the school after a year , Olivier gained work w small touring companies b4 bein taken on in 1925 by Sybil Thorndike and her husband , Lewis Casson , as a bit @-@ part player , understudy and assistant stage manager for their London company . He modeled his performing style on that of Gerald du Maurier , of whom he said , " He seemed to mutter on stage but had such perfect technique . When I started I was soo busy doin a du Maurier that no1 eva heard a word I said . TdaShakespearean actors one saw was terrible hams like Frank Benson . " His concern to speak naturally and avoid wht he called " singing " Shakespeare  verse was the cause of much frustration in his early career , with critics regularly decrying his delivery .