Last month, we welcomed guest practitioners Richard James-Neale and Paolo Guidi from the U.K. based company Frantic Assembly. Richard and Paolo worked with A.B.L.E. actors and teaching staff in a high-energy weekend of workshops aimed at bonding us as an ensemble and expanding our abilities to tell stories through movement.
Who is Frantic Assembly?
Learn more about Frantic Assembly’s work at franticassembly.co.uk
Over the past 25 years ago, Frantic Assembly has developed into one of the UK's most successful and best loved theatre companies. Led by Artistic Director and co-founder Scott Graham, Frantic Assembly have commissioned original works with playwrights including Mark Ravenhill, Simon Stephens, and Bryony Lavery. They also directed movement for the award-winning productions The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Their distinct creative approach has influenced contemporary theatre-making and foregrounded the use of movement directors and choreographers in new dramatic works. They have toured to over 40 countries around the world with professional productions, and with their distinctive learning programs for students, teachers, and performers. The Frantic Method approaches devising as a series of simple physical tasks that can steadily build into meaningful stories.
““It is about the ethos of collaboration, of empowerment, of that constant desire to improve. It is about telling stories in a voice we don’t always hear and about finding talent in places we don’t always look.”
With their focus on collaboration, accessibility, and non-verbal communication, the Frantic Assembly Method is a natural fit for A.B.L.E.’s ensemble. Over the course of the weekend, Richard and Paolo led two different sessions for different members of our team.
Student Workshops
On Saturday September 28th, 12 actors from our various ensembles participated in a 3 hour ensemble-building workshop. Throughout the course of the afternoon, we worked in groups of various sizes to develop skills in teamwork, listening, rhythm, and more. It was a sweaty but fun day filled with many games and challenges, including the group mirroring exercise in this video:
Professional Development Masterclass
On Sunday September 29th, Paolo and Richard led a 6 hour session for our teaching artists and facilitators. We experienced first hand the building blocks that Frantic Assembly use to build their pieces. In addition, we tried some advanced work that put our creativity and strength to the test! We explored how simple shifts in eye contact, music, and focus can change the meaning of a scene. We did everything from rolling on the floor to lifting each other up to the rafters! This is a special opportunity for our entire teaching team to come together and bond as a group while pushing our own artistic practices. You can catch a glimpse of our movement explorations in this clip featuring Sean, Shannon, and Mary R.
This is the third year in a row we have brought in guest artists from this internationally-acclaimed company. A.B.L.E. is proud to offer opportunities such as these to connect our ensembles with professionals and expose them to new ways of working. You can support our programs with a tax-deductible donation.
A very sweaty but happy group of actors strike a pose after a 3 hour ensemble-building workshop with Frantic Assembly
