Secondary Catalogue

Willy Russell’s ‘Blood Brothers’ chronicles the social circumstances that lead two brothers to tragedy. Although set in the 1960s and 70s, the musical reflects the social issues and attitudes of the time the play was written in the early 1980s. This video examines the historical and social context of the musical and provides a valuable accompaniment to Senior English students studying the film. Show Less

Alan Bennett’s 'The History Boys' is set in 1983, a time when England was rife with class conflict and political reform. This video examines the events and tensions that inform Bennett’s play, from the changing roles of teachers to the social attitudes towards the gay community. It provides a valuable accompaniment to Senior English students studying The History Boys. Show Less

World famous theatre practitioner Jerzy Grotowski has had an enormous and positive influence on contemporary theatre. This programme explores his life and work and shows how his ideas and approaches can be used by students and teachers to create powerful and successful performances. Through the use of archive performance footage, interviews and examples of Grotowski inspired pieces, this resource enables students to apply Grotowski’s visionary insights to their own devised and scripted work. Show Less

Warning: "Armine, Sister" and "Fight, Fight - That's All We Can Do" contain some nudity. Teacher discretion is advised. World famous theatre practitioner Jerzy Grotowski has had an enormous and positive influence on contemporary theatre. This programme explores his life and work and shows how his ideas and approaches can be used by students and teachers to create powerful and successful performances. Through the use of workshops, demonstrations, interviews and examples of Grotowski inspired pieces, this resource enables students to apply Grotowski’s visionary insights to their own devised and scripted work. Includes a top-band student performance and ready-to-use teaching materials. Show Less

"The study of acting should begin with physical action - a specialised, structured, flexible and adaptable physical action that is enlisted in the direct service of the expression of thought and feeling. I call this integrated physical action an expressive action." -Michael Lugering. A group of actors work through a series of carefully structured exercises and improvisations that unlock the physical, raw materials that make human expression possible. Whether the actor is expressing love, loss, rage or joy, unlocking these universal will provide the building blocks for captivating and dynamic acting. Show Less

Joan Melton, an internationally recognised actor trainer and author, interviews master teacher Michael Lugering in a theoretical discussion of recent discoveries in philosophy, somatic psychology, neuroscience and aesthetics that underpin the integrated voice, movement and acting method presented in this series. Show Less

A group of actors demonstrate a series of voice and body exercises that unite a series of moving, breathing and sounding actions in an integrated full-bodied acting workout. These smart exercises do more than simply build essential skills in alignment, movement, respiration, resonance and range, but simultaneously prepare the actor for the expression of the body's richest and most powerful thoughts and feelings. The goal is the development of a flexible and dynamic voice and body that is hard-wired to express thought and feeling. Show Less

From humble beginnings, theatre company Frantic Assembly has emerged as one of the boldest and brightest stars in the international theatrical firmament. Their unique brand of challenging, physical theatre has enthralled audiences all over the world. Building theatre shows from the ground up – devising – is what many point to as being the key to the creation of this riotously distinctive theatre. In this programme, we gain a unique insight into the devising process from ‘first thoughts to first night’. Part celebration, part explanation of Frantic Assembly’s approach to production, it offers in-depth interviews and practical demonstrations that will excite facilitators and inspire students as they begin their own ‘devising’ journey. Show Less

Featuring an exclusive interview with the man himself, this film investigates Steven Berkoff's inspiration for his continuing, innovative work on stage and in film. The resource looks in detail at his earliest influences, his exploration of voice and physicality and the social and cultural contexts defining his creative development and evolution as one of the modern world's most controversial theatre practitioners. Show Less

Not long after the start of the 20th Century, playwrights, influenced by the horrors of war, began to experiment with theatre in a way which depicted many of the long held historical, social and cultural beliefs and practices as meaningless and chaotic. Incorporating interviews with influential director Bijan Sheibani and other key figures, this film traces the evolution of modern theatre from its Existentialist roots through Absurdism to Realism via the works of Ionesco, Beckett, Pinter and even the writers of Coronation Street. Show Less

This beguiling tale of ship-wrecked tars, dastardly Dukes, airy spirits and the plight of lovers, all under the thrall of a master magician, floats across the screen in this lively and colourful production performed by students from the Red Maids School. Show Less

This fantastic drama resource comprises of a full performance of the play 'The Eternal Not' - a modern follow-up to Shakespeare's 'All's Well That Ends Well'. The play is performed by drama students from Sir William Romney's School and includes interviews with the two leads in the play, providing fascinating insight into how they approached the performance and the themes that are explored. Show Less

Take a comprehensive look at the history of theatre and drama, taking students from the ancient Greeks to the medieval Mystery plays, from the Renaissance to the Restoration, finishing up with Modern Theatre, exploring different play styles, staging and acting. The chapters can be used as a stimulus for devised work, further research projects or for developing a better understanding of historical context. Show Less

The Great Deviser, filmed with companies from 3 continents, with a feature film's worth of edited interviews, demonstrations, rehearsal footage and performance outcome clips from some of the world's most creative devisers - Goat Island (US), Forced Entertainment (UK), Ushio Amagatsu/Sankai Juku (Japan). The practitioners explain the ideas that influence and inform their work, how they start a piece - including research strategies and sourcing "raw ingredients'; games and other ways of generating movement and text and how they refine and structure their materials. Show Less

Staging a successful production takes time and energy. This programme demonstrates how to select an appropriate script for your group and then take it from page to stage, in an organised stress-free manner. With tips on promoting your play, planning a rehearsal schedule and keeping calm on performance night, students will be able to use this programme as a guide throughout their production process. Standing ovations guaranteed! Show Less

This video provides over 90 minutes of games, strategies and methods used to generate physical action. It looks at the relationship between text and movement, and explores the choreographing and scoring of physical action. This video also provides an inspiring guide to some of the ideas, strategies and methods that can be used in a professional and educational context to add physical dimensions to performance. Includes interviews, rehearsal footage, demonstrations and performance from some of the world's best and most physical practitioners: Stan Won’t Dance (UK), Butoh performers, Sankai Juku (Japan) and Marie-Gabrielle Rotie (UK), Goat Island (US), and Forced Entertainment (UK). Show Less

Overcoming inhibitions and creating an environment of intimacy, trust and communication in an educational setting are some of the hardest tasks facing teachers. Filmed over a two day workshop, led by award winning UK drama teacher Stephen Pritchard and internationally acclaimed psychologist Dr Ian Frampton, this excellent program shows a wealth of examples of ideas, games and methods that can be used to engage, build confidence and improve communication among students. This material is backed up by interviews and examples of work from some of the world's leading theatre practitioners, including Goat Island (US), Forced Entertainment (UK), Stan Won't Dance (UK), Sankai Juku (Japan). Show Less

Your posture, facial expressions and how you move your body tell more than words can describe. Patti Colombo, Tony Award nominated choreographer, teaches the art of conversation without words, how to develop eccentric characters through body movement and the importance of what your body is communicating to others. Discusses defining attitudes through body language and includes situational exercises. Show Less

This video looks at the various challenges in dealing with bringing Shakespeare's plays to life, from a directing point of view. Taking scenes from 'Hamlet', directors discuss ways of interpreting the texts, and how those choices affect the meaning and performance. The video shows that Shakespeare's texts are as open to interpretations as they are subject to context. The video also discusses the stylistic possibilities and limitations of both stage and film, and how these parameters inform the choices for directors. Show Less