VITAL THEATRE WORKSHOPS

FAQ

This FAQ is intended to answer logistical questions from teachers who are interested in booking a workshop.

DATES

Turnover of dates in the immediate future is too fast for me to post them here on the web, but I usually have some dates available at short or longer notice. Please contact me with a choice of dates you might want and we'll see what works.

I will pencil in dates at ANY time in the future, but please be aware that I am a jobbing actor (and see the paragraph below regarding rearrangement / cancellation).

PRICES

I charge a fee PLUS train travel costs and travel time / overnight supplement (where applicable). I don't post my fees on the web, and travel costs are very dependant on time and distance so for an exact quote, please contact me with details of when you want a session and what your nearest train station is and I'll look it up.

I have a flat rate for a single workshop of up to 3 hours. I do not offer any pro rata reduction - a 2 hour workshop is priced the same, so you may as well plan for 3 hours if you can. I do offer a daily rate for up to 6 hours.

Travel costs are for a return train fare (with network card) from Hove plus taxi fares to/from your nearest station (if more than 15 minutes walk and/or no lift available). Train fare information is available here: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/planmyjourney/

Travel time supplement is calculated per hour for each hour over 4 spent on trains.

Overnight supplement is a (small) fee, plus accommodation costs.

As ever in this biz, the fees are negotiable (within reason).

NUMBERS

I am comfortable working with any number of students from 4 to 40, provided we have a large enough space in which to work. However if you only have a small group you may seriously want to consider combining students from different years or even teaming up with another school. Quite apart from more numbers meaning better "value for money" - a lot of the work I do is about chorus work and the actor/audience relationship, which can be hard to get across with groups of less than 8.

COMBINING GROUPS

I'm very happy to work with mixed years within the same school (indeed this is usually the case). I am also happy to work with a combination of groups from two nearby schools - although in practice this sometimes increases either inhibitions or exhibitionism and can interfere slightly with the work.

Of course, I am most pleased when it's possible to give 2 workshops in nearby schools on the same day, and in addition to the obvious halving of travel costs for both schools, I'm happy to give a discounted rate to the school which initiates the contact.

REQUIREMENTS

A CD player
A white/black board (and marker/chalk)
Table and 4 stools / chairs (not too particular)
Large enough space to be able to a) move a lot and b) divide into groups/pairs for text work with adequate distance between pairs

BRIEF

My workshop is designed to give students a genuine and inspiring insight into the thinking and creative processes which underpin a Berkoffian approach to theatre-making, to increase their awareness of the skills needed for a heightened performance style, the impact such a style has on an audience and to provide them with tools for unlocking their own creativity.

While certainly addressing theory, it is essentially a practical workshop/masterclass, with the students being regarded as creative artists in their own right, rather than just exam fodder.

My workshop is NOT designed to directly address examination type questions, but I am very aware that teachers have a curriculum to follow and rarely enough time to 'play' within the timetable. Finding exactly the right balance between what I can offer as a working artist and what you and your students need to meet academic requirements can require a little dialogue (via email/phone) before the session, so IF you have specific aspects/questions which you would definitely like to have addressed in the workshop, please make this clear in advance, and I will be happy to incorporate them into the session.

CANCELLATION

As a jobbing actor, I reserve the right to cancel/postpone any workshop in the event that I am offered acting work. It is extremely unlikely that this would happen without at least a week (or more likely a month)'s notice, however for the purposes of contractual agreement I may, for whatever reason, cancel a booking without notice and without penalty. IN PRACTICE, should cancellation be necessary, I will provide as much notice as possible and, if possible, offer alternative dates at a reduced rate.

COMMUNICATION

Email is generally best - fast, clear and (effectively) written down. Otherwise - if you do not already have my telephone numbere from one of my mailshots, please contact me via email and I'll give them to you.
If you do book a workshop, it would be useful/advisable for me to have a home/mobile contact number for you, as well as a school switchboard/direct number (and any other relevant school numbers) - should there arise any last minute problems with trains etc.
The link below will take you to my contact form, or you can use the comment box below.