Workshops

The famous Jacques Lecoq School comes to London in the form of three of its most distinguished teachers. Their workshop provides an introduction to the pedagogy of the Jacques Lecoq School, examining the relationship between the performer, the body and space.

It begins with the neutral mask and the discovery of the performance space revealed and required and shows how this can be used to amplify the performer’s physical presence. It then delves into other theatrical territories, exploring their unique physical and spatial relationships: the passionate diagonal spaces of drama, the stark verticals in tragedy, and the direct horizontal rapport of comedy.

The workshop comprises classes in movement and improvisation and is for theatre graduates and professional performers.

Pascale Lecoq is a qualified architect, director of the Lecoq School and of the LEM (Laboratory of Movement Study).
Jos Houben studied at Lecoq from 1981-83. He is an actor and director, and travels all over the world with The Art Of Laughter, seen at LIMF most recently in 2016. He has taught at the Lecoq School since 2000.
Jason Turner was a student at Lecoq from 1991-93 and has subsequently taught movement, styles and improvisation there for more than10 years. He is an Associate Professor at Nord Universitet theatre faculty in Norway, in charge of pedagogy.

Supported by Institut français

Venue:
Royal Central School of Speech & Drama
Eton Avenue, Swiss Cottage, London NW3 3HY
FULLY BOOKED

Clowns speak the truth – and they are funny. To connect with an audience as a clown is about learning that clowning is a state, not a technique. This takes courage and discipline.

Clown training is not purely for people who wish to be clowns or go into comedy, It's a practise that can benefit any creative person - artist, actor, director, writer - by enabling them to achieve a level of resourcefulness, honesty and playfulness that creates work unique to themselves.

De Castro’s course offers serious and enjoyable research into the Clown’s Intelligence and will give participants the confidence to apply the unlimited power of imagination in any creative or performance context.

Drawing on over 40 years as a theatre practitioner dedicated to the research and practice of clowning and performance, de Castro will guide participants along their individual journey as a performer, creating a supportive world in which to explore and learn. Come and delve into the deep art of clowning: expect challenges, change, and a joyful and safe space in which to make mistakes, learn, train, laugh and play.

For clowns (beginners and experienced) creators and performance artists in any field – as well as all those interested in the development of creative intelligence.

Application Forms: thewhynotinstitute.com

How to be a Stupid
10 day clowning workshop
Led by Angela de Castro
Mon 6 - Fri 17 Jan (not 11/12 Jan)
9am – 6pm
South London (details will be sent out)
Cost: £850

FULLY BOOKED >

This practical course explores the concept of puppet as 'alive' and shows how any object, figure or material that moves in such a way that we perceive it to have thoughts, feelings and objectives will appear to have a life of its own.

Participants will explore more complex emotions than we normally expect from puppets, expand their emotional vocabulary by interpreting abstract movement and will learn to use rhythm, gesture, breath, spatial relationship, looks and reactions to articulate the object's thoughts and feelings. For theatre-makers, performers and puppeteers with some previous performance experience.

curiouspuppetry.com

Sat 11 - Sun 12 Jan
10.30am-6pm

Jacksons Lane
Cost: £125 (£110 concessions)

FULLY BOOKED >

Through this five-day workshop designed for professional and semi-professional performers, participants will be immersed in Theatre Re’s vital approach to Étienne Decroux’s Corporeal Mime. From body articulation to counterweights, from dynamo rhythm to mobile statuary, participants will discover how to play their body like a violin, how to create movement in stillness and how to allow inner impulses flow into expression. Guillaume Pigé is an actor, director, mime and magician. He formed Theatre Re in 2009 and has directed each of the company's productions to date. He is an Associate Teacher at R.A.D.A, Head of Movement at Fourth Monkey, and is regularly invited to give workshops in the UK and internationally.

theatrere.co.uk

Mon 13 - Fri 17 Jan
10am – 5pm

Shoreditch Town Hall
Cost: £255 (£230 concessions)

FULLY BOOKED

'Come and share in The PappyShow’s approach to making and devising work through play and games. Over the course of the two days we will examine how to take what we find from playing to generate content through movement.

The PappyShow uses shared stories and experiences to create truthful work when making theatre. With this in mind, we’ll be exploring storytelling using the lived experience of those in the room.

This workshop is for anyone over the age of 16 who is up for doing some moving and shaking! We will be working quite physically, so be prepared to sweat, push yourself and have lots of fun. No previous experience is necessary - we work with experienced movers, as well as absolute beginners. We believe that we are all experts of our own bodies. Trying to force ourselves to move in a way that could be considered ‘better’ is not useful in the creation of work and all contributions in the room are as valid as each other.’
Kane Husbands

Kane Husbands is Artistic Director of The PappyShow theatre company dedicated to diverse approaches to visual narratives, with movement training at the heart of their practice. For the company he has directed BOYS; GIRLS; CARE; and Wait til the End. Associate of National Youth Theatre, Squint Theatre and The North Wall, he choreographed the London Olympic, Paralympic and Glasgow Commonwealth Team Welcoming Ceremonies. He is a lecturer at University Arts London, St Mary’s University and University of West London.

thepappyshow.co.uk

Sat 18 - Sun 19 Jan
10.30am – 6pm

Jacksons Lane
Cost: £125 (£110 concessions)

FULLY BOOKED >

Clowns speak the truth – and they are funny. To connect with an audience as a clown is about learning that clowning is a state, not a technique. This takes courage and discipline. Clown training is not purely for people who wish to be clowns or go into comedy, It's a practise that can benefit any creative person - artist, actor, director, writer - by enabling them to achieve a level of resourcefulness, honesty and playfulness that creates work unique to themselves. De Castro’s course offers serious and enjoyable research into the Clown’s Intelligence and will give participants the confidence to apply the unlimited power of imagination in any creative or performance context. Drawing on over 40 years as a theatre practitioner dedicated to the research and practice of clowning and performance, de Castro will guide participants along their individual journey as a performer, creating a supportive world in which to explore and learn. Come and delve into the deep art of clowning: expect challenges, change, and a joyful and safe space in which to make mistakes, learn, train, laugh and play.

This is an advanced workshop for experienced clowns and performers who use clowning in their work.

thewhynotinstitute.com

Mon 20 - Fri 24 Jan
9am – 6pm

South London (details will be sent out)
Cost: £450

FULLY BOOKED >

The mime is a cartoonist of theatre. Getting to the point is fundamental and leaving out the extraneous, a top principle.

We will explore the art of doing one thing at a time and the quality of movement and articulation necessary to make a performer's intentions clear. Choreography of comedy with and without music and rhythm exercises, so important to comedy, will also be part of this class.

This is for enthusiastic professionals or amateurs, who want to know more about what makes visual theatre tick and who are not afraid to move. Wear practice clothes and bring one juggling ball.

One of Europe’s most celebrated theatre-clowns, Nola Rae was born in Sydney, emigrating to London in 1963. She trained at the Royal Ballet School and with Marcel Marceau and it was at Nola’s instigation that the first Mime Festival took place in 1977 at The Cockpit Theatre. Nola was awarded an MBE in the 2008 New Year’s Honours list for services to Drama and Mime.

nolarae.com

Sat 25 - Sun 26 Jan
10.30am – 6pm

Jacksons Lane

FULLY BOOKED >

Devised physical theatre now sits at the heart of modern theatre practice. The Point is delighted to be working with the David Glass Ensemble and LIMF to host this 5-day intensive workshop in our light-filled creation space.

Central to this week will be the performer as holistic collaborative maker. The participants will explore the tools of eliciting, image making, emergence, story structure and theme, to develop skills in the creation of original and authentic theatre making. David will introduce his five-stage Creative Practice used by many theatre companies worldwide including Gecko Theatre (UK) and Theatre Ash (Hong Kong). It sets out a clear framework for allowing self-led companies to develop vivid and robust work. David’s approach to teaching is provocative, playful, challenging and rigorous. There will be the additional opportunity of an artist’s dinner and to share work informally in the evenings.

This course is for people with some previous performance experience, either as theatre students or as professionals.

David Glass is an Internationally award-winning performer, director, teacher and creative thinker. He is one of the UK founders of the physical/visual, devised, ensemble and applied theatre movements.

‘David Glass is of the most inspiring and creative teachers of performance skills that I have had the pleasure of working with’
Mike Alfreds, Theatre Director

davidglassensemble.co.uk/

Mon 27 - Fri 31 Jan
Mon 27 Jan 12 - 6pm,
Tue 28 - Fri 31 Jan 10am - 5pm

The Point
Leigh Road, Eastleigh, Hampshire SO50 9DE

Cost:
£185 (£150 concessions) including shared accommodation & artists’ dinner
£130 (£100 concessions) own accommodation & artists’ dinner

FULLY BOOKED >

Join Vamos Theatre’s Artistic Director, Rachael Savage, in a half-day exploration of full-mask theatre performance. This course is suitable for all professional and emerging actors, performers, theatre makers and educators.

During this creative, high-energy workshop, participants will use aspects and characters from Vamos Theatre's new show Dead Good to learn techniques of full-mask and physical theatre, using focus, characterisation and improvisation with masks. You will have the opportunity to explore the company’s approach to devising and performance

vamostheatre.co.uk

Sat 1 Feb
2pm – 6pm

Jacksons Lane
Cost: £40 (£35 concessions)

FULLY BOOKED >

Combining physical theatre, mime, facial expressions and and elements of sign languages, Visual Vernacular is fairly new to the performing arts and is a storytelling style performed mostly by Deaf artists.

In this one-day workshop, which is open to everyone, Duffy will show you how to construct a story for Visual Vernacular, and how to improve your own material. All you need is to have an interest in physical theatre, and or know a sign language.

Brian Duffy is an actor, filmmaker, and consultant. He co-created and wrote (with Ace Mahbaz) the comedy series Small World about a group of deaf flatmates, acknowledged to be the first sitcom of its kind.

Sun 2 Feb
10.30am – 6pm

Jacksons Lane
Cost: £70 (£60 concessions)

FULLY BOOKED >

Award-winning dance duo Thick & Tight lead a one-day workshop for professional and semi-professional performers, revealing the working methods behind their latest show Thick & Tight: Romancing the Apocalypse. Thick & Tight bring famous faces back to life on the dance floor, exploring the eccentricities of human nature.

Participants will learn material from the show, consisting of dance, mime, acting, drag, lip-syncing and precise musicality, and will respond to our research in a creative session. Expect to meet Barbara Cartland, Andy Warhol and Derek Jarman, playing with ideas of humour, gender, characterisation, history, sexuality, surrealism and satire.

Daniel and Eleanor trained at the Rambert School and have been presenting work as Thick & Tight since 2012 to public and critical acclaim. Romancing the Apocalypse can be seen as part of LIMF at the Lilian Baylis Studio at Sadler’s Wells (9-11 Jan).

‘A subversive delight’ ***** The Stage

thickandtight.com

Sun 2 Feb
10.30am – 6pm

Jacksons Lane
Cost: £70 (£60 concessions)