Workshops

Weekly Acting Workouts

In order to make the sessions as accessible as possible we have made them Pay What You Can. Once you have booked your slot, details of how to pay will be made available each week after the workshop.

Looking at a different script every week, Donnacadh will lead a series of laboratory style rehearsal sessions using his particular approach to text and early rehearsals, with a few Zoom adaptations... The sessions are 'drop in', so you can join for as often or as little as suits you (space permitting), and they are a great opportunity to keep those acing muscles working while the industry is in lockdown

Bringing together a range of influences, including Viewpoints, Linklater and Meisner, Donnacadh’s unique actor centric approach to early rehearsals is freeing, surprising and rigorous.

Actors will be asked to do specific preparation on a different play text each week and will be given the details of how to join on Zoom in advance of the workshop.

The Sessions

Monday 'Workout' (10am - 1pm)

10am Hellos | Yoga | Exploratory run of the opening section of the play | 11:30am tea break | Discussion of character, relationships, objectives and tactics | Continue exploratory run | 1pm Finish

Wednesday character improvisation (5pm - 7pm)

5pm Hellos | Improv Game | Discuss backstory to explore | begin backstory improvisations | 6pm tea break | feeding back on discoveries and setting next direction | Continue backstory improvisations | Finish

Thursday 'workout' (10am - 1pm)

10am Hellos | Yoga | Exploratory run of the opening section of the play | 11:30am tea break | Discussion of character, relationships, objectives and tactics | Continue exploratory run | 1pm Finish

Thursday scene rehearsal (5pm - 7pm)

5pm Hellos | Begin rehearsal style exploration on one scene or short section from the play | 6pm tea break | Continue exploration | 7pm Finish

A bit about Donnacadh:

Donnacadh is an award winning new work specialist whose productions have played at The Royal Shakespeare Company, in the West End, and internationally.

His acclaimed production of Rotterdam by Jon Brittain won the 2017 Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre, playing in the West End, across the UK, and in New York after it's humble beginnings at Battersea's Theatre503. His recent production of gig-theatre hit Electrolyte by James Meteyard and Maimuna Memon for Wildcard has played two sell-out seasons at the Edinburgh Fringe and toured the UK and Ireland, with plans for performances in London and internationally

Favourite productions include: Always Orange by Fraser Grace for the RSC, which reopened The Other Place Theatre; My World Has Exploded a Little Bit, and Rejoicing at her Wondrous Vulva the Young Woman Applauded Herself, both created with writer/performer Bella Heesom; PEEP at Edinburgh and Latitude festivals; a major Irish production of King Lear staring the late great Gerard Murphy; and as an Assistant director to Michael Boyd, the RSC’s multi award-winning Histories Cycle (The Guardian’s ‘Production of the Decade’). He has had the benefit of learning in the rehearsal rooms of Simon McBurney, Dominic Cooke, Greg Doran, Rebecca Gatward & Jonathan Mumby, and has been mentored by James Macdonald. He has taught and directed for most of the UK's top

Drama Schools, in particular RADA, LAMDA and BOVTS.

Donnacadh's website

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Spoken Word in Theatre - Facilitated by Zia Ahmed

In this workshop Zia will talk you through the basics of getting started when writing spoken word poetry, and how to get your ideas onto the page. He will take you through the differences between writing for poetry and writing for theatre, and how to cross that line into theatre whilst keeping the poetry alive!

Zia Ahmed is a poet and playwright from North West London. He was shortlisted for Young Poet Laureate for London 2015/16 and is a former Roundhouse Poetry Slam champion. He was Writer in Residence at Paines Plough as part of Channel 4’s Playwright Scheme 2017 and part of the Bush Theatre’s Emerging Writers Group 2018/19. Plays include i wanna be yours (Paines Plough/Tamasha).

If you have any specific access requirements such as a BSL interpreter please do not hesitate to get in touch with [email protected] and we can arrange this.

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