Preparation & Instinct – creating a living performance

Artistic director of Natural Shocks and Royal Shakespeare Company alumni, Donnacadh O’Briain, leads an intensive, exploratory one-week workshop for working actors (with two places for directors).

This workshop will look at the two distinct strands of preparing for a role – the process of preparing in isolation; both before the beginning of rehearsals and through the rehearsal process; and the very different and distinct process of working through a play with other actors and a director.

The group will work through a series of methods for maximizing the effectiveness of both of these periods which will give the participants an understanding of how to release their instinct, to help them find the elusive ‘being in the moment’.

 Actors are invited to apply as pairs, or individually.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………

“I feel inspired and emboldened.”

 “Of all of the Shakespeare classes and workshops I’ve taken, this was the most useful… I’ve never understood it from an actors’ perspective before. I feel like I’m not just guessing Shakespeare anymore…”

“I feel more confident that I have practical tools I can use when first approaching any text”

(From O’Briain’s workshop series, |An Actor Prepares – Shakespeare|, London & Dublin, annually from 2009 – 2013)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
Who Is this for?
The workshop is aimed at actors working in the profession, though recent drama school graduates will be considered. Numbers are kept low, between 8 and 12 actors. Directors are also invited to apply, for no more than one or two places.

How to Apply?
To apply, please email a CV to naturalshockstheatre@gmail.com
The deadline for applications is Friday 21^st of February.

How much does it cost?
€200, to be paid on acceptance.

For more information email naturalshockstheatre@gmail.com

Where and when?
The workshop will take place at the Lab on Foley Street, from the 24^th to 28^th of February, each day from 10am until 5:30pm.
………………………………………………………………………………
Alongside directing plays, Donnacadh has in recent years, worked as a director and acting teacher for amongst others, RADA, LAMDA, and Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. He has been privileged to, and much influenced by, working alongside the likes of Cicely Berry, Michael Boyd, Greg Doran, Dominic Cooke, Simon McBurney & Emma Rice as well as actors too numerous to mention individually.

Donnacadh… is based London and Dublin; his productions have been described by the Irish Times as ‘inspired’ and ‘as good as it gets’. He is the creator of unique cross art form pop-up theatre PEEP, which featured at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2012 & 2013, and up coming projects include, a major new musical, and a Shakespeare performance with a full chamber choir at the National Portrait Gallery, London. As well as PEEP, recent projects include Balzac’s Eugenie Grandet (Assembly – Edinburgh Fringe); a revival of his award winning production of Mathematics of the Heart (London’s Theatre 503); Mark O’Rowe’s From Both Hips, Philip Ridley’s Mercury Fur (Both RADA); Harold Pinter’s Betrayal (Theatro dell’orologio, Rome); and Leo Butler’s The Early Bird (Finborough, London & Project, Dublin), ‘an imaginative tour-de-force’, Sunday Times. Work in Ireland & the UK includes of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Civic), Twelfth Night (Crypt), Richard III (Better Bankside Shakespeare Award) and King Lear (Second Age). He spent three years with the Royal Shakespeare Company working on ten productions including the multi award-winning Histories Cycle (The Guardian’s ‘Production of the Decade’). He has directed new plays and adaptations in London, Dublin and Edinburgh including The Comical Mysteries; Kilt; Hush; Blue Velvet, and Between Life and Nowhere Amongst others; he has worked with Kneehigh, Complicité, The Gate Theatre and the National Theatre Studio.