On Wednesday afternoon, Theatre Studies students participated in an active Physical Theatre workshop led by industry expert, George Dillon. In 1990, whilst appearing with Steven Berkoff in Salome at the National Theatre, George Dillon was asked by the NT Education Department to provide workshops on Berkoff’s Metamorphosis. George welcomed the challenge and has since forged a successful career as a leading theatrical practitioner running workshops alongside his work as a professional actor.
The aim of this workshop was to engage the students in the work of Steven Berkoff. George encouraged the students to develop as creative artists and his main aim was to allow the students to make their own discoveries – to give them not only some immediately applicable performance skills but also a stimulus to continue experimenting on their own creative path. This was particularly useful to the Year 12 students who are currently preparing for their forthcoming practical examination, and were able to ask George for advice and ideas to help them on their creative journey.
Year 12 student, Kirsty Swarbrick said: “Prior to the workshop I was feeling skeptical as my previous acting experiences had led me to enjoy more naturalistic styles of acting. However, my concerns were quickly dispelled and I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of this innovative and challenging workshop. This session completely changed my perspective on Drama and has given me fresh ideas for future creative work. It also made me really excited for the future, and studying Drama at a higher level.”
