Just a wee update for those who have entered the website and are new to us. 

You may have gone to the Dates page to see we don't have any courses in the diary at the moment apart from our weekly classes in Leeds. There's a simple explanation for it...

I (Steph) had my second baby, Pip, in July (yay! Zzzz!) so I'm just figuring out life with two small people and how I can gradually build running my courses back into it. Pip and I have already co taught the Voice, Movement and Meisner Intensive together in Leeds in August so I know we can do it, I just need to make sure I can still be the acting coach I want to be whilst also being the mum I want to be. Ah life, it's a constant balancing act ay? 

On Tuesday I packed my bags and headed off for (the not so sunny) Leeds for a 4 day Vocal Intensive with the wonderful Barbara Houseman, completely unaware that I’d leave feeling like I’d found another part of me. It was so brilliant that I have to write about it.

We learnt the intricacies of our bodies and how every little thing is connected to your voice, from bad experiences to where you hold your head. On Tuesday, we started with the basics of how to breathe, which was a biggie for me as I tend to hold my breath for stupidly long periods. On Wednesday, we moved onto resonance and taking up space, which is something I’d never want to do in any situations so I’d hide behind my voice, or lack of. There’s something about hearing yourself speak so freely and clearly whilst everyone is listening to you. On Thursday we began looking at our texts and using different vocal exercises that we’d learnt to feel connected to them. And then Friday rolled around quicker than ever and we watched how much everyone had changed. I was (and still am) so full up with emotion by the time Friday was coming to an end with how much I’d learnt and allowed myself to know that it is okay to not care so much. It was such a pleasure sharing the room with such beautiful people and watching everyone on their own journey in discovering, you learn so much from other people and everyone was so so open. ​

All the while we had a very special guest in the room, little Pip. I am so amazed at the wonderful woman, Stephanie Morgan,  who introduced us all to Barbara and made it all possible. There’s not a lot of people who can say they’ve given birth to a human in the space of 6 weeks and was still so present and invested in the process. I think everyone in the room can agree that Pip brought a sense of joy and freedom to the week as he is truly the pinnacle of not giving a single fuck. And I got to have a cuddle for a which was bloomin lovely (and I usually don’t like babies). There’s not a lot of teachers out there that I’ve met who trust the people they work with so much, and makes such a safe environment to learn and fuck up. ​

I wanted to write this post to remember how I felt yesterday on the journey home from Leeds. And how I still feel now the day after. And hopefully, how I can continue to feel for as long as I can. I never knew that when I started acting that this would be the journey I’d be going on, or the journey I didn’t know I needed to go on. Especially as someone who hasn’t yet done and might not do their 3 years training at drama school, there’s always this feeling of not being good enough or worthy enough to be in this industry. But when it comes down to it, we’re all as fucked up and clueless as eachother – some are just better at admitting that than others. This training, and my training with both feet is definitely shaping me into the actor (and the person) that I want to be.
Loving yourself isn’t easy. As Barbara had said, just start by being kinder to yourself. The rest won’t be far behind.

Pinched (with permission) from Rhia's personal website.

What a phenomenal week it has been - not many pics as I've had a baby on me a *lot* plus I was far too busy soaking up all the learnings but grateful I got a few :-)

Thank you Barbara Houseman for being such a generous, knowledgeable, practical, funny, inspirational lady - I'll hedge my bets and say I reckon every actor will have left today full of gratitude for what you've gifted them this week sprinkled with deep sadness that they won't be in your company tomorrow.

Actors - thank you for being ready and open and willing to dive into the unknown whilst supporting each other in the process. What beautiful work you all did.

Remember, look back on your notes. Choose the exercises which worked for you and find a routine.
Be kind to yourselves. It's not selfish, it's self compassion. You deserve it.
You can't Do a Don't. So... you might as well just Do. Receive your breath, don't take it.
**Don't be afraid to take up space. You are a gift.**

See you all soon we hope, at the next one?
Steph (& Pip) x
​Ps thanks so much for welcoming Pip into the space with such openness. What a lucky little boy :-)

Wow, what an incredible week: Voice and movement classes intertwined with our Meisner teaching.

Two groups of actors discovering and exploring what it is to be present, physically,vocally & mentally. Newbies learning from regulars and regulars learning from newbies.

Thank you for such generosity and openness to our process, to each other and for the ever changing dynamic a 5 week old baby brings to the space.

Thank you Patricia and Bella for your inspirational teaching. We have loved working with you.

You are who you are, you have what you have, right *now*.
Be kind to yourself.

Now, go and find an ice cream, a cold beer or a [insert cold item of your choice] you deserve it!!!
Huge smiles,
​Steph & Adam x

When I run Tech Gyms I tend to start the day with "what do you need?". I'd rather mold a day around the needs of my students at that moment in time rather than predeciding how it's going to go. This course ended up being about split attention and honing different given circumstances including specific directorial notes and character traits and impediments. A LOT of fun continuing to explore simplicity even when we think it's more complicated than it needs to be. An *actors* job (in my opinion) is *not* to show/convey/explain to an audience, it's to live truthfully under those given circumstances and the audience will follow. For now, that's my last Tech Gym for a while, oh how I'll miss it and these beautiful actors. Don't worry folks, me and baby will be back as soon as we can ;-) Steph x

End of two days with this small yet perfectly formed group of actors at different stages of their journey with us, all who have pushed some boundaries, jumped into the unknown, flexed new and old muscles and worked with new texts in a slightly different way. Thanks you fab lot for being open to discovering. Please continue to trust yourselves, learn the rules to break the rules, and jump in irrespective of how silly you feel inside, the commitment to the unknown will feel soooo much better than the feeling of regret. Steph x

Wonderful 2 days working on 4 great scripts with 8 delicious actors continuing their journey with us. So much beautiful work from first reads and text analysis through to free-writing, exploring given circumstances and taking direction. As always, simplicity is key. But to be simple we need to learn to trust ourselves fully. Which is an ongoing journey :-)
​Steph x

Wonderful couple of days in Manchester running Tech Gym: a damn good work out for these fabulous actors continuing to discover and trust their simplicity and truth. We had a tonne of fun. Thanks so much for hosting us Studio Bee! Next up, Scene Study!

We decided to mix things up a little with our weekly classes and turn April's 5 Tuesdays into working with camera. Over the 5 weeks these lovely actors worked on the same scene whilst being taken through the steps involved in filming: blocking, continuity, the filming of those scenes and then what happens during the editing process and how to be an editors dream.

Adam's Top Tip from the course: Screen acting requires massive trust in the process and your ability to listen. It also requires trust that as an actor you are a piece in a much larger puzzle which includes direction, sound and editing, all of which are working to add weight to your work.

What Katie of @Fly Girl Films had to say: "People were so surprised observing themselves on camera and the fact that the smallest facial gestures - even a blink or a twitch can speak a thousand words. I think watching the editing process made them realise that they’re only a very small part of the jigsaw when it comes to filmmaking and they not only have to put the trust in themselves but in everyone around them - not just the director/crew but the post production team behind the scenes too." Ah that familiar old word: T R U S T. :-)

And that marks Steph's last Core 6 Day Intensive in Manchester before she tootles off to have that baby she's been busy growing.

What a delicious group of actors, all on their own journey discovering how to be the best actor they can be.

We've also been treated to some wonderful drop ins by familiar faces too - many of our actors understand that they need to keep working and flexing their muscles so they're ready for anything and we love it. We had Leanne Rowley with 12week old Nia swing by after a casting call (does she ever stop?!). Laura Lindsay drop in just before heading off to Turkey. Tyler Cameron work out for a couple of days before his LAMDA recall, Nicki Davy before heading of to Scene Study with Play With Fire's Daniel Bradford and John Jones drop in after a play read/study at Theatre in the Mill. Chloe Massey join for Scene work between Voice Over jobs and Abdul Chunara for the weekend to continue his development. We even had writer, comedian and actor Sam Brady with us on Friday who trialed some ideas for his new play with the actors too. Exciting times!!

Part of our work lends itself so perfectly to the development of new writing so was a real treat to combine a learning process with a work in progress.

B U S Y W E E K ! ! !

Thank you all of you who have been a part of the last 6 days, you have been generous and open and an absolute treat. Now, remember to check in with yourself. Trust yourself. Then... J U M P.

​Steph x