Masterclasses

"Theatre is as serious as a child’s game"
Philippe Gaulier

Kristine Landon-Smith’s practice is based on a belief that it is the actor that is at the centre of any work she makes in the theatre. To bring an actor to a piece of work where the actor is "free to fly” not only in performance but in every rehearsal requires a complex and in depth engagement with each actor individually.

Her practice encourages the actor to “play” well and at all times (with or without text), while nurturing the individual personality and spirit of the performer. Working closely with the actor’s cultural context and language in particular plays a large part in her practice.

Kristine has been hugely influenced by her former tutor and mentor, the French master of clown and bouffon Philippe Gaulier, and has recently taught on the Greek Tragedy, Chekhov and Shakespeare courses at his Paris-based institute, L'Ecole Philippe Gaulier.
 

Read the transcript of a masterclass at NIDA

In October 2009, Kristine conducted a masterclass at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney, where she had been directing a production of East is East. You can read the transcript of this masterclass and listen to audio clips here.

Playing with cultures

Watch Kristine talking to a group at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London about her practice here on YouTube.

Next masterclass: at NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Art), Sydney, Australia

Verbatim Theatre Masterclass with Kristine
Rehearsal Room 7, NIDA, Sydney | Thursday 27 October | 6.30pm

"I interview people and communities about the events of our time in the hope that I will be able to absorb America,"  "if I can walk in [my subject's] words, I can absorb America".
Anna Deavere Smith , pioneer of verbatim theatre.

Kristine Landon-Smith shares a brief history of verbatim, the ethics and practices, particularly focusing on "headphone verbatim". Headphone verbatim asks the actors to listen to their source material whilst they perform it. Using material from Kristine's recent show The Trouble with Asian Men, which played on the Edinburgh Fringe this year, Kristine, with a selection of third year acting students at NIDA, will demonstrate the headphone verbatim technique and examine the performative outcomes. The masterclass will consist of a demonstration of approximately 45 minutes (history and presentation) and will then be followed by an informal Q and A session.

RSVP is essential: Kevin Highdale. Email:  kevin.highdale@nida.edu.au |  Telephone: (02) 9697 7610 by Monday 24 October.

If you would like to be notified about the next Masterclass, please join the Tamasha Developing Artists programme by sending an email to info@tamasha.org.uk with your name, address, telephone number and current CV. 

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