Explore the freedom of narrative expressive movement in our physical theatre workshops…
Delve into the worlds of clowning, mime and ensemble work, with the expert guidance of industry professionals, and express your creativity in a physically spectacular way!
The Extraordinary body: A Physical Theatre Workshop
This workshop is centred around accessing the energy needed for live theatre. Stage performance requires the actor to hold control whilst being completely vulnerable. This combination is enigmatic, captivating and the definition of stage presence. But how do we achieve this?
WORKSHOP DAY 1
- Discover what creates exciting and engaging performance
- Learn how to harness space with exercises inspired by Meyerhold and Grotowski
- Find the energy in an ensemble performance
- Relate what we’ve learned to text and start creating a physical theatre scene
WORKSHOP DAY 2
- A unique and specialised lesson on preparing your body for intense theatrical roles
- Rehearse and develop scenes from the day before
- Private showcase of your work to an audience of industry professionals and special guests
- Industry Q&A
Come along and help your body to reach its full potential within a safe, supportive environment. We can’t wait to see you there!
Mime and Physical Theatre
A two day, physically intense and creative workshop experience, covering the essentials of ensemble movement and mime technique. Participants will be put through their paces to generate a piece of high quality physical theatre that incorporates all the techniques learned over the two days.
WORKSHOP DAY 1
- Learning mime technique and how to approach movement as an individual.
- How to generate ensemble movement and how to make complex choreography fast!
- Experimenting with narrative, stringing silly ideas together and creating a ‘cohesive’ storyline from devised physical creations.
WORKSHOP DAY 2
- How to push the quality of your work, and developing physical theatre for narratives.
- Bringing everything together: Crafting a short physical theatre piece from day one and two, and getting it ‘audience-ready.’
Warning: Fun guaranteed… and a small bit of panic.
Introduction to Clowning Workshop
Physical Theatre and Dance Workshop
A two day, physically intense and unique workshop experience, covering the essentials of ensemble movement and contact improv. Participants will experience a series of vigorous and energetic physical/dance theatre techniques to create a truthful collection of high quality sequences that incorporates narrative, feeling and imagery.
WORKSHOP DAY 1
- Learning basic contact improv technique and enhancing these skills as a duet/solo.
- How to devise ensemble movement at a fast pace – understanding the truthfulness behind choreography.
- Working in groups – sewing a narrative story through choreography, imagery and sequences made previously in the day.
WORKSHOP DAY 2
- Acknowledging what other divisive skills we have from our own ensemble/ how we can integrate that for our performance.
- Adapting, changing, editing – understanding how these tools are so crucial to a devising process.
- Having each ensemble devise together as one – creating a series of short stories, to eventually becoming a bigger story overall and getting it clean and precise for an ensemble performance.
Note: all movement abilities are welcome, if you have had any movement/dance experience we would love to hear.
Workshop Directors
Susie CouttsActor, Classical & Physical Theatre Specialist
Susie recently performed in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM at the Holland Park Opera Festival. She trained at East 15 Acting School studying World Performance and at the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts (GITIS) in Moscow studying Biomechanics and Stanislavski technique. She has received an award for 'Best Actress in a Shakespeare Play', and appeared twice in the Petersfield Shakespeare Festival. Due to her wide range of physical disciplines such as, Capoeira, Parkour, Calisthenics, and Butoh Dance, Susie has also been working in; physical theatre, dance theatre, and clowning productions in London and New York.
Michael LynchActor, Physical Theatre & Mime Specialist
Mike graduated from the BA Physical Theatre course at East15 Acting School in 2019 and has gone on to found his own theatre company, Project Lockout, which specialises in movement, free-writing and cinematic mime. He is also an award winning film-maker for Gym Jam Theatre and Justice in Motion and is an associate filmmaker at Frantic Assembly. He has also worked as a mime and physical theatre artist in various commercials and theatre, such as a Wrigley’s Extra campaign and On Edge, a Justice in Motion production.
Lauren MaxwellActor, Physical Theatre & Clowning Specialist
Lauren Maxwell (Loz) is a professional clown, who's spent over 6 years touring with the Flying Seagull Project*, produced a new comedy for Ed Fringe 2023, and in the past year has been coaching actors into the world of clowning. Loz is known for her fast-paced physical approach to clowning and, knowing herself the vulnerability it takes to find your clown, always works in a welcoming, safe and positive environment. *The Flying Seagull Project are a charity dedicated to sharing joy worldwide through music, art, and circus. Working with vulnerable, displaced, and poorly people, they run creative sessions to help build confidence, aid childhood development, strengthen communication and spread joy. If you'd like to know more and/or make a donation to their valuable work, please visit: www.theflyingseagullproject.com
Ellie BegleyActor, Physical Theatre & Dance Specialist
Ellie Begley is a northern, working class, female physical artist. She loves to play with gender neutrality and creates theatre without stereotypes, gender norms or judgement. She graduated the BA Acting and Physical Theatre course at East 15 Acting School in 2022. Ellie infuses her love of dance theatre, puppetry choreography and mime, which evolved into drag and all its beauty. Since graduating Ellie is an associate artist at Project Lockout, a UK based physical theatre and mime company. She has also been working with Frantic Assembly, GymJam Theatre, TipTray, Autin Dance and David Glass on other projects.
