The audience is increasingly becoming the focus of theatrical productions. From Punchdrunk to Secret Cinema it seems that the computer game model is prevailing as audiences are now not only participants but protagonists. There seems to be a growing need to tell stories in a different way.
This workshop will be an introduction to some of the core concepts involved in immersive/interactive theatre. Exploring different ways of telling a story with the audience as an active spectator rather than a passive observer. The workshop will touch upon working in unusual spaces and how this site specific approach can lead to new ways of storytelling, as well as looking into methods of creating an intimate relationship with audience members.
The workshop will be largely practical, and participants will have an opportunity to consider how immersive work could be implemented into their own practice.
It's aim is to answer to the following questions:
- What are the boundaries of audience participation in theatre?
- How to build trust?
- How to get them to do what you want by creating a certain environment?
Workshop leader: Polina Kalinina – Trainee Associate Director, Actors Touring Company (UK)
Polina joined Actors Touring Company in June 2013. Born in Krasnodar, Polina spent a fair chunk of her life in Russia before going on to read English at Corpus Christi College Oxford. Unofficially her directorial training began at university where she got stuck into everything from acting, make up and production managing to directing shows in chapels and on badminton courts (as well as in actual theatres!). The training then continued with a Masters in European Theatre from Edinburgh, a diploma in directing from LAMDA and a year at the Orange Tree Theatre on their Trainee Director Scheme. ATC: Assisted Ramin Gray on David Greig’s The Events (Young Vic and tour) and on Blind Hamlet (Edinburgh Fringe and tour), directed a rehearsed reading of Black Body by Misha Durnenkov (Royal Court). Other: Overruled (Old Red Lion), Dutchman (Orange Tree), Asya (LAMDA), Posh (LAMDA) and Punchcut (Etcetera Theatre), as well as a rehearsed reading for Annie Caulfield’s Another Sound (Orange Tree). Polina has assisted Sam Walters, Anthony Clark, Joseph Blatchley, Steven Jameson, Matt Poever, David Grindley and Lyndsey Turner. Polina is about to direct Titus Andronicus for Mountview and Romeo and Juliet for Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory in Bristol.
Working language: English.
Number of participants: maximum 20.
How to join?
If interested to participate, please send a short professional biography (preferably in English, no more than 150 words) to ihrin@yahoo.com – Irina Ionescu.
The workshop is held during the Undercloud Independent Theatre Festival (7th edition) which features and awards the best performances from independent theatres.