Autor Du Mime Workshop

I've just recently participated in an amazing mime workshop with the Autour Du Mime Theatre Company who are performing at this years London International Mime Festival. The workshop was delivered by Sara Mangano and Pierre-Yves Massip, both former members of the Marcel Marceau Company. The workshop focused on the teachings of Etienne Decroux and Jacques Lecoq as well as by the teachings of Marceau.

Here is a clip from their current show 'Tell Me the Truth' taking as it's starting point a poem by Jacques Prévert (writer of one of the most famous films in cinema history, Les Enfants du Paradis) the title work is Tell Me the Truth (Dis-moi la Vérité) portraying a couple’s dysfunctional relationship. Both stand their ground and feel themselves in the right. Who is the victim and who is the executioner? 

Ken Campbell: The Great Caper

KEN CAMPBELL: THE GREAT CAPER

As a teacher it's natural to think back to your own eduction and recall the teachers who made an ever lasting impression on you in order answer the following question: What made you want to become a teacher? 

I myself, feel extremely fortunate to have been taught by many outstanding teachers in the past that have  come to have influenced, informed, inspired and shaped my own practice as a theatre practitioner. I even find myself transforming into some of my former tutors when delivering specific exercises to some of my students. One of those teachers who I often find taking over and inhabiting my teaching is the legendary Ken Campbell. In my final year at the East 15 Acting School I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to work with Ken on a 6 week improvisation project. I had no idea at the time what an influence Ken would later have on my work and on my philosophy as a performer.

Over the course of those 6 weeks I learnt a great deal from Ken. I was absolutely shocking at improvisation (I did occasionally surprise myself, but on the whole was rubbish at the art of improvising)this did not matter though as It was never really about the end product with Ken, it was however most certainly about the process and what you as a performer were able to extract from it.  

'My talent may be in doubt, but I have no fear!'

He enlightened us in pointing out that the great Sir Lawrence Olivier himself once declared that Kung Fu kicking Jackie Chan may well be the greatest living actor on the planet. One only has to sit through a Jackie Chanathon to understand that he may well be correct in this wild declaration. He tutored us in the arts of 'Proper Acting' showed us the grid and how to execute a 'Thought Anchor'. He introduced us to the impressive Shaun McCann who can improvise Shakespeare Sonnets on a subject of your choice (Ridiculously amazing!) Most importantly he instilled a mantra in all of us working on the project with him, which was to always enter the stage with the following thought in your head: 'My Talent may be in doubt, but I have no fear!'

Kung Fu King Jackie Chan

At the end of this truly epic, mad and hysterical rehearsal process our group staged several successful improvised Musicals on tour in and around Greater London as well as a one off performance at East 15's very own Corbett Theatre. He enabled us to pull of the impossible and never for a moment doubted that our group, full of vagabonds and eccentrics could light up the Corbett Theatre with an hours worth of spontaneous, in the moment and truthful entertainment. He had a profound effect on us as a group and as individuals. In fact some members of the group kept in close contact with him and even starred with his improvisation troupe 'The School of Knight'. It wasn't until after I worked with him however that I truly valued and realised what a great teacher Ken was and how excellent he was at enabling individuals and pushing people to take a risk and jump off a metaphorical cliff of some kind or another. 

Klaus Kinski

One of the best things he did for me individually was tell me to be more like Klaus Kinski, the mad German actor who was famed for his performances in Woyzeck Aguirre:Wrath of God (An Amazing Film) and Nosferatu The Vampyre as well as his fiery relationship with movie director Werner Herzog. Ken felt I had similar qualities to him as a performer and lent me his box-set to study. He was right and it definitely helped me to realise my energy as a performer.


With this history in mind, I was incredibly saddened in August 2008 to learn that Ken had died from a heart attack. Particularly as I missed his Edinburgh show a month earlier as It had sold out due to its vast popularity at the festival. That day the world lost a great teacher and a great theatrical visionary. 

Saddened by his sudden departure from my life I was delighted when I saw that Micheal Coveney had been asked by Ken's family to set about writing up Ken's autobiography with unrestricted access to Campbell's letters, notebooks and original scripts. It gave me a chance to revisit Ken's work and reacquaint myself with his vision. A vision to find truth within performance and a quest to create the most exciting, innovative and original theatre that pushes all previous parameters, expectations and boundaries. The result is a most colourful detailed depiction of Ken's career right from his days in Rep through to his elevated success with the ambitious and ground breaking 'Illuminatus' trilogy. It charters his time working with the great Bob Hoskins, Dave Hill and Sylvester Macoy during the days of the 'Ken Campbell Road Show' performing 'Urban Myth' sketches in clubs and pubs up and down the country. It also sheds light on Ken as a character and his sometimes over-bearing, consuming and obsessive personality that pushed some people in his life over the edge. But one thing is for sure if Ken wan't the man he was he wouldn't have affected so many peoples lives in the positive light in which he did as great teacher, mentor and visionary. A great read which I would urge any aspiring theatre maker to read and take heed from.

The Infant @ The Lowry

Just went to see the latest production by Les Enfants Terribles Theatre Company 'The Infant'. After being impressed having watched previous productions by the company; 'The Terrible Infants' and 'Ernest and The Pale Moon' my expectations were incredibly high of Oliver Lansley's latest instalment. The production did not disappoint in the slightest. The play was just as dark, macabre and twisted as the companies previous efforts.  

The production starts with a masked man sitting in the dark tied to a chair. It quickly becomes apparent that this is an interrogation room and the masked man has been taken in for question regarding a matter of national security. A drawing has been found that spells the end of civilisation and holds the blue prints to destroy the world as we know it. 


Tea sipping interrogators Cascadus and Samedi want the truth and set about questioning the man looking for answers. The man claims that his 4 year old son drew the picture. So the interrogators  call upon the man's wife for answers. She claims that her son couldn't possibly have drawn the picture and accuses her husband of plotting the whole thing. Who's telling the truth and does the truth really matter? With more twists and turns than a helter skelter, Lansley serves up an extremely clever piece of writing and stunningly subversive piece of theatre. 


The production was really well paced and the sharp snappy dialogue helped drive this comic satire. Technically the production was also brilliant and the Actors performances were phenomenal. A creepy soundtrack set up an eerie atmosphere in transitions and created tension at the beginning of the play. A simple set on rollers, moved brilliantly to set up the different interrogation rooms was really effective and demonstrates that sometimes in theatre less is more. Well-done Terrible Enfants I was blown away and will definatley recommend the show to anyone I know who is going to Edinburgh where the tour of 'The Infant' will take residence for the festival.