Imagination is the most important skill an actor possesses. As actors, we are asked to believe and do things that often we have no experience with or don’t relate to. Yet, within our imagination lies the capacity to convincingly commit to any story. That is the magic of play.

In the POWER OF ‘AS IF’ workshop the focus is on using imagination and improvisation to connect to the scripted material in a meaningful way. By working with an ‘as if’, actors can access their own personal landscape whilst serving the narrative of the story.

Actors will be guided on using ‘as if’ in selected scenes to bring truthfulness and spontaneity to the work. This simple but very powerful tool has the potential to transform your acting. This method does not require emotional recall or sense memory.

Learning outcomes:

• Create a performance that is unique to you.
• Work from impulse – acting not thinking.
• Connecting deeply with the other actor.
• Bringing effective stakes and tone to the scene.

Des Fleming is an actor, theatre-maker, and teacher. He has worked professionally in Ireland, Australia and the U.K. since 1992. He was the creative producer of Melbourne based theatre company ITCH Productions for six years, during which time the company toured nationally and presented two world premiere productions. On stage, he has performed one-man shows, classical and contemporary drama, musical theatre and comedy. On-screen he has appeared in television drama, sitcoms, feature films and soap operas. He currently teaches ‘Acting for Camera’ at Mountview; he also teaches a weekly scene-study class in London.

In this class we’ll be looking at the fundamentals of Contemporary Meisner technique. In the first half we’ll be focussing on Meisner’s core exercises such as the repetition exercise including variations of it such as the ‘three moments exercise’, making sure you’re confident and feeling independent with this work and are able to practise these exercises safely in your own time. In the second half of the session we’ll be applying the technique to text – looking at how you can use Meisner’s work to help you dissect and explore monologues and scenes for auditions and whilst on a job. We’ll be using a scene from Dennis Kelly’s ‘After the End’ in the session. Please read the scene and familiarise yourself with it before the session. Being off book for either role is not necessary. In order to take part in the session, please set yourself in as quiet a space as possible with a plain background behind you and your device at eye level. I suggest attending the class on a computer so you can see the people you’re working with clearly.

Skye Hallam is an Anglo-Indian actress, writer, director, and acting tutor from Kingston Upon-Thames. Skye trained at RADA, graduating in 2016. Her acting credits include ‘The Crown’ (Netflix) and ‘The Alienist’ (Netflix) and Sarah Ruhl’s ‘Orlando’, at the Jermyn Street Theatre. As a director, Skye’s credits include, Offie Nominated ‘Heads or Tails’ for the Living Record Festival and Brighton Fringe Online, ‘Hamlet’ and ‘The Tempest’ at LAMDA and ‘Phantasmagoria’ as assistant director with Kali Theatre. Skye is an associate acting tutor specialising in Meisner technique at various drama schools including RADA, LAMDA and Arts Ed. Skye also sits on the audition panel for the Foundation, BA, and MFA courses at LAMDA. Skye runs monthly Meisner drop-in classes at the Old Diorama.

Creating an active inner life is essential if you want to bring richness and depth to your performances. As humans, everything we experience is filtered through our internal lens. What we feel and how we respond to those experiences depends on our point of view.

The PLAYING FOR REAL workshop focuses on showing you how to create a specific point of view on everything your character experiences or encounters. Specificity brings universality and humanity to the material, which is what audiences connect with. Using a tool called Inner Objects, we will excavate the text to find the life that is bubbling below the surface. This helps you to understand the emotional meaning things have for you (the character) and allows you to play with freedom and energy when performing.

Learning outcomes:

• Bring humanity to your performances.
• Have an experience, not manufacture a product.
• Create work that is textured and truthful.
• Having a point of view, not showing it.

Des Fleming is an actor, theatre-maker, and teacher. He has worked professionally in Ireland, Australia and the U.K. since 1992. He was the creative producer of Melbourne based theatre company ITCH Productions for six years, during which time the company toured nationally and presented two world premiere productions. On stage, he has performed one-man shows, classical and contemporary drama, musical theatre and comedy. On-screen he has appeared in television drama, sitcoms, feature films and soap operas. He currently teaches ‘Acting for Camera’ at Mountview; he also teaches a weekly scene-study class in London.

Enhancing your approach to voice over copy! The no so sexy but very necessary world of script analysis and self direction for voiceover artists.

Voiceover starts with the words. A team of people has come together to create a script that perfectly meets their requirements. Then it arrives with you! Sometimes you have a director to guide you but often you don’t. A big part of your job is being able to work out what the client needs and offer contrasting options; either at the demo stage or once you’ve booked the job.

As a VO, you have to know how to breakdown the script, get to the heart of the message and interpret it with your unique voice in a way that represents the brand or company hiring you.

This workshop will share script analysis techniques and tools for self-direction so that you speak can get to the heart of the message and speak in a way that really makes people listen so you can nail your auditions and impress clients with your reads every single time.

Nic will share how to use rhetoric and structure as well as your understanding of language and sound to really lift the words off the page.

Packed with practical exercises and technical approaches you’ll get the chance to apply the work to scripts, be directed live and receive feedback from Nic on how to enhance your approach to voiceover copy.

Nic Redman (she/her) is an internationally successful voiceover artist, vocal coach and podcaster based in the UK. She started her coaching career teaching voice at many of the major drama schools in the UK and now runs a thriving coaching practice providing voice, speech and communication training to podcasters, actors, comedians, public speakers, business professionals via 1-2-1 sessions, group workshops and residential retreats. She is the founder of Voice & Accent Hub group on Facebook, a 5000 strong community of fellow voice geeks and she writes/hosts The Voice Coach Podcast offering even more in spoken voice training. Nic also co presents the award winning Voiceover Social podcast, offering insights into the voice over and audio world. As a voice actor, Nic works internationally voicing commercial, corporate and character scripts with a client list including Tesco, NSPCC & the BBC.