Workshops

We at Split Infinitive appreciate that it can be difficult to keep students focussed when studying theory and working to a strict curriculum. We use our years of experience to create fun, interactive and interesting workshops to keep students of all ages engaged with the theory behind the history of performance. Whether they struggle with Stan or get bored with Brecht, moan about Mamet or get pedantic over Pinter, we can create workshops tailored to your requirements, either for individual practitioners or creating workshops that compare whichever practitioners you choose to study. We focus on all the practitioners who may be studied through GCSE and A-Level, alongside some of the more advanced practitioners for University class including:

• Stanislavski
• Brecht
• Artaud
• Grotowski
• Brook
• Mamet
• Pinter
• Forced Entertainment
• Action Hero

Feel free to contact us if your required practitioner is not included here, as we can lead workshops on many others.

For those who find it difficult to interpret scripts, or simply want to be a bit more creative or spontaneous on stage, our workshops on improvising and devising are designed to help students keep the action moving on stage. The biggest difficulty with creating and performing simultaneously can be simply keeping the action moving, so learning how to do this by generating ideas for both solo and ensemble performances is crucial. Or, if devising is more your focus, learn how to create something original by using something that inspires you. Inspiration can come from anything as small as a grain of sand or as big as an elephant, as long as you can be imaginative and learn to think outside of the box. Book a workshop with us and learn how to create your own original pieces out of thin air. We shall look at:

• Using stimulus
• Workshop / Performance
• How to free your mind
• Asking questions

With over 30 years’ experience between us, and specialisms in varying areas of performance, we have developed our own formula on how we like to work when creating our own performances. In our Split Techniques workshop we will work with students, talking them through the whole creative process, from generating ideas, to rehearsing, to putting on a performance and learning what it takes to get themselves seen. These sessions are specifically aimed at those students who are looking at performing as a serious educational and career option, who want to learn what to prepare for auditions and get their work seen. The duration of the Split Techniques class is one full day’s workshop.

Some people like to see theatre that replicates life as it is, making them believe that they are seeing people rather than characters; others prefer to view performances that acknowledge them as a spectator, telling them how and what to think and create imagery out of the non-conventional forms. Whichever way you watch performance, or even engage with an audience of your own, we’ll teach you the subtle, and not so subtle, differences between these two major movements in theatre. We will teach you how to perform believably, creating links between yourself and your characters, or how you can create a whole set and even dialogue out of your physical body. We will discuss the following practitioners and theatre movements to help you become the practitioner you want to be. We shall look at:

• Checkhov
• Ibsen
• Rattigan
• Berkoff
• Theatre of Cruelty
• Theatre of the Absurd
• Epic Theatre
• Poor Theatre
• Physical Theatre