Past Workshops: Acting

• Improvisation Workshop – Paul Clements

  IMPROVISATION WORKSHOP

  As the work of Mike Leigh has continuously and successfully demonstrated, improvisation has the potential to enable the actor to engage fully with his or her total resources for acting. This one-day improvisation workshop will employ selected elements of Leigh’s method and provide participants with the opportunity to explore the behaviour of characters in real-life dilemmas with the potential to develop into highly-dramatic situations. The emphasis will be on group work, sustained concentration, imagination, creativity, truthfulness and belief.

  Paul Clements

  Paul Clements, who was the founding Artistic Director of Manchester’s Contact Theatre Company, was Director of Drama at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama before becoming Principal of Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, 1996 – 2008. He has run courses and workshops in Improvisation in the UK, Canada, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. He is the author of The Improvised Play – The Work of Mike Leigh and his translation, together with Sabine Berendse, of Ask Me More About Brecht – Hanns Eisler in Conversation with Hans Bunge is due for publication later in 2013.

  

• Acting (work on text and monologues)

  Led by Robert Fried (Director/Acting Coach, expert in The Method, ArtsEd, East 15, Oxford School of Drama) this weekly class will give you the opportunity to tackle, develop and solve your monologues and text. Working with the methodological approach to acting and a supportive safe group environment, this is the perfect way to be challenged, inspired and improve your craft.

  The group will actively participate in analysing and solving text, as well as building tools for individual preparation and understanding. Actors are requested to prepare at least two monologues and to have read the entire play.

  In order to foster a strong working group environment, participants are asked to book for a minimum of 4 sessions. Singers who would like to extend their acting skills are also welcome. This is a challenging and in-depth class.

  

• Acting with an Accent – Rick Lipton

  ACTING WITH AN ACCENT

  Acting with an Accent is a day’s workshop on acting with accents and dialects. Discover how working on the accent can unlock a role?  The day will in two halves: the morning session will explore how character identity manifests in accent.  You will learn the major features that exist in accents and what to prioritise from an accent perspective when preparing for an audition. The afternoon will involve scripts! You will pair up and put accent work into audition sides and will receive that all important feedback. This workshop is a must for all actors.

  Rick Lipton

  Rick Lipton is an American who has established himself as a leading dialect, dialogue and voice coach. He has worked in Theatre, Television and Film for the past 15 years. Most recently, he has been coaching on the sets of the Warner Bros. films All You Need Is Kill at Leavesden Studios and Beautiful Creatures in New Orleans. Recent West End coaching includes Top Hat and 13 written and directed by Jason Robert Brown, and Glengarry Glen Ross at Theatr Clwyd Cymru.  For a more complete list of Rick’s credits, please look at his website at www.ricklipton.com .

  

• Acting Workshop – The Ultimate Agent Quiz

  ACTING WORKSHOP – THE ULTIMATE AGENT QUIZ wiith Yvonne I’Anson

  This fun quiz will test your knowledge on Agents.  Compiled to give an objective view on how the agent/actor relationship works.  This acting workshop will make you think, make you smile and provide you with plenty of useful information.  Our own General Manager Yvonne I’Anson compiled this quiz.  She has over 40 years experience in the business including working as an agent and a publicist.

   

  

• Shakespeare Workshop – Andrew Jarvis

  SHAKESPEARE WORKSHOP

  A day-long Shakespeare workshop with renowned Shakespearian actor Andrew Jarvis. Bring along a speech, in verse, from any of the Bard’s works, which really excites you.  It could be your favourite speech, your audition piece, a character you are desperate to play – the choice is yours.  The class will hear your speech, Andrew will work on it with you, everyone will get feedback and there will be opportunity for questions.  You will leave with an appreciation of Shakespeare’s words and the structure of his wonderful works.

  Andrew Jarvis

  Andrew Jarvis has spent several seasons with the Royal Shakespeare Company.  He recently played Duncan in Macbeth at Sheffield Crucible, was a member of Trevor Nunn’s company for the highly successful Haymarket Season, appearing in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead and The Tempest, and starred in the West End in The Woman in Black and Lord of The Rings.   Andrew is passionate about Shakespeare and his workshop will be inspirational.

  

• Introduction to Yoga, Meditation and Breathing

  The Art of Yoga – these practices are a powerful tool to help you survive the constant physical, emotional and intellectual challenges you are facing. Dr Angela Hass teaches the basic techniques of Meditation, Yoga and Breathing. An experienced, highly qualified Yoga teacher and ‘Art of Living’ practitioner; Dr Hass is also an art historian, lecturer and author, and is familiar with the challenges faced by performers and artists. She visited London from Australia.

  

• Acting Workshop with Ken Campbell

  Ken Campbell, of whom The Guardian posthumously wrote “one of the most original and unclassifiable talents in the British theatre of the past half-century. A genius at producing shows on a shoestring and honing the improvisational capabilities of the actors who were brave enough to work with him” came in to work with a group of actors on his famously bold improvisation techniques.

  

• Acting Workshop with Dominic Dromgoole

  Dominic came in to give a Q&A session with an audience of Associated Studios members and invited guests. He had some fascinating insights into his work at the Globe, and his experiences with The Bard himself.

  

• Acting Workshop with Timothy West

  Timothy West worked with a small group of actors on Shakespearian Monologues. He worked in a way that he called his ‘Surgery’ sorting out any problems or addressing any questions pertaining to the performance of Shakespeare. His considerable experience meant that his direction and advice was both insightful and inspired. He has written the book So You Want to be an Actor with his wife Prunella Scales, a handbook for working actors about the ups and downs of the business.

  

• Acting Workshop with Hugh Grant

  Hugh Grant gave a masterclass on acting for film and TV. Each participant performed a monologue to Hugh’s imaginary camera, before he deconstructed each monologue, working on finding the truth of the piece, and removing any superfluous theatricality; in essence bringing yourself, and all that is special and unique to you as an actor, to the table.

  

• Acting Workshop with Jeremy Herrin

  Jeremy Herrin, Associate Director at The Royal Court, ran a series of workshops on new plays in development, including the play he would later direct at the Royal Court, The Priory. The actors get the chance to workshop a script, which had not yet been produced, with Jeremy facilitating a safe and open environment in which the actors could play and experiment.

  

• Acting Workshop with Joe Hill-Gibbins

  Joe is a regular guest of the Associated Studios and recently came in to work with a small group of actors on Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure. As one of the participants said “Joe Hill-Gibbin’s workshop was inspirational. He is brilliant, funny, infectiously energetic and gifted with incredible imagination. I actually thought that he deserved some sort of superpower because he was so brilliant. I am not joking, it was the best fun I had this year, without the hint of a doubt!”

  

• Acting Workshop with Jeremy Irons

  Jeremy Irons worked on selected scenes from the plays The Taming of the Shrew, The Winter’s Tale and The Real Thing. A small group of actors had been cast in the particular roles, and worked on the scenes with Jeremy directing them with his characteristic energy, enthusiasm and passion.

  

• Acting Workshop with Che Walker

  Che is a regular guest at Associated Studios, and also ran a workshop production of his double-bill 3 Short Plays and Billy Getting’ Paid, written and devised with a group of Associated Studio actors and singers.

  

• Acting Workshop with Melly Still

  Melly ran a workshop on her production of Nation, which would later be on at the National Theatre, with a group of actors. She has also run a workshop of Mozart’s Zaide, prior to its performance at Sadler’s Wells.

  

• Acting Workshop with Prunella Scales

  Prunella Scales, whose portrayal of the legendary Sybil Faulty has lead her to be one of the leading comic actresses of our time, came in to work on comedy in dramatic monologues. She has written the book So You Want to be an Actor with her husband Timothy West, a handbook for working actors about the ups and downs of the business.

  

• Acting Workshop with Sir Patrick Stewart

  Sir Patrick lead a Q&A session with our actors discussing his experiences in the profession; his transition from being a very technical actor, to more of a method actor, how to balance the life of an actor with ones personal life, and how important it is to take risks.

  

• Acting Workshop with Anthony Clark

  Anthony worked with a small group of actors, workshopping the new play Our Brother David. Anthony was very inspiring during the session, having such a large body of experience directing at the RSC, Young Vic, Birmingham Rep, Orange Tree, but also working as a playwright at the theatres including the National Theatre and Hampstead where he was formerly Artistic Director.