We were fortunate to have Michelle Edwards from physical theatre company Frantic Assembly in this week to run a workshop with our Sixth Form Drama students as well as selected Year 10 and 11 pupils.
Frantic Assembly are probably most well known for being the creative force behind the physical movement in the stage production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time; they are an internationally renowned theatre company celebrating their 25th anniversary this year.
The workshop aimed to introduce our students to the company’s methods and encourage us to think about innovative and exciting ways to incorporate physicality into our performance work.
We started with an intensive physical warm-up which set the tone for the session and really encouraged everyone to push their bodies and get comfortable in their own skin.
We then worked through several of Frantic’s exercises for devising theatre with Michelle offering constant encouragement and guidance to all the participants.
Much of Frantic’s work relies on trust, confidence and openness amongst participants and I was really proud of how thoughtfully and mindfully our students worked together, especially when it came to performing lifts and balance work.
We will be following this workshop up with a trip to see the company’s latest work, I Think We Are Alone, at Theatre Royal Stratford East.
Frantic Assembly offer a number of opportunities for young people to gain experience within their company. More information can be found by clicking here.
Emma Roskilly, Head of Drama
