Psychophysical Actor Training

Actors often struggle with the gap between understanding a character’s emotions, impulses and motivations, and being able to convey them effectively and instinctively to an audience. It is not enough to convince yourself into feeling them psychologically if they cannot be communicated to an observer. The difference lies in training the body-mind connection – the psychophysical self.

The training draws on the ideas of Grotowski and Artaud, influenced by the work of Philip Zarrilli in the reinvestigation of Asian form and practice from a Western pedagogical perspective, including the use of techniques from tai chi in the context of the psychophysical approach.

Led by a theatre professional from London now working in Hong Kong, these workshops will enhance your physical expressivity and explore new ways into exploring a role using the psychophysical approach, using the body-mind to its full potential to act and interact.

Through exercises and explorations into breath, movement, interaction, musicality, participants will come to understand more about their body-mind connection, and learn how to apply psychological instinct to physical expressivity.

Course Details

• • Dates: 5/4, 12/4, 19/4, 26/4, 3/5, 10/5, 17/5, 24/5, 31/5, 7/6/2016 (Every Tuesday, 10 sessions)
    
    • Time: 8:00-10:30pm
    • Venue: We Draman Studio (3/F, Cheong Tai Industrial Building, 16 Tai Yau Street, San Po Kong)
    • Fee: $2,200
    • Quota: 12 participants
    • Target: This course is aimed at people with previous performance experience
    • Tutor: Ivor Houlker

This programme is conducted in English, with basic Cantonese translation available on request.

• • Discount 1: Full time students - $700 off (fee: $1,500)*
    
    • Discount 2: Former students will get a 10% discount (fee: $1,980) *

*These discounts may not be used together.

Tutor Biography

Ivor Houlker is the founder and co-artistic director of Rooftop Productions, having relocated from London to Hong Kong in 2014. Ivor trained as a multidisciplinary performer and theatre artist (BA Hons Rose Bruford, MA Goldsmiths), and now works internationally as an actor, musician and director. He specialises in physical theatre and site-specific performances, involving live music, choral movement, multimedia projection, sound installation, and audience interaction.

Ivor’s work has been shown in London, Hong Kong, Edinburgh, Brighton, Prague, Palermo, Epidaurus, Wrocław, Warsaw and Lublin.

He has worked and trained with many famous theatre groups and independent theatre artists around Europe, such as OPT Gardzienice (where he spent several years), The Grotowski Centre, Andrzej Wełmiński (Cricot2), Mischa Twitchin (Shunt), Helen Chadwick (Song Theatre), Andrea Cusumano. Ivor’s most recent performances in Hong Kong include Superheroes Don’t Give a Sh*t! (director/actor/multimedia), Wild Boar (live musician), No Exit (director), The Puppet Whisperers (actor), and for Rooftop Productions, The Beautiful Ones (director/musician/actor).

To enquire about the course, please contact Miss Michelle Li (9231 9196) or email to info@rooftopproductions.hk