Ad Infinitum's Approach to Physical Theatre and Devising

2-day masterclass | AUTUMN 2024 DATES COMING SOON

Please click here to watch a video with all this information in BSL

How can we create stories, spaces and characters full of intensity using only our bodies and an empty space?

Ad Infinitum’s Co-Artistic Director George Mann and Associate Artists David Ellington and Deb Pugh lead a 2-day masterclass that will explore the physical creative process behind Ad Infinitum’s productions, including integrating BSL and Audio Description.

Join other theatre makers as you dive into the professional, productive and innovative environment of physical theatre making that has fostered all of Ad Infinitum’s productions.

“It has given me a fantastic toolbox to work from, providing great inspiration
in terms of content and work ethos”
- previous Ad Infinitum masterclass participant

L-R *Beautiful Evil Things*, photo by Camilla Adams; *Extraordinary Wall [of Silence]*, photo by Alex Brenner; *Light*, photo by Alex Brenner

DEVISE your own original work using our unique blend of techniques, rooted in the physical pedagogy of Lecoq. Together we will search for each creator’s individual storytelling style and physical language. You will learn to observe, transpose and structure material to transform the everyday into the theatrical, and explore how to creatively integrate Audio Description and BSL into your work.

CONNECT with your body as you learn practical skills to help you develop your practice and realise your own ideas. We will look at how to prepare the body for performance in order to realise an abundant world of characters, spaces, colours, emotions and atmosphere with the body alone as we explore the vast and expressive art of physical storytelling.

COLLABORATE with others in the space to positively provoke. Share knowledge, experience, inspiration, and expertise to devise a short, unique piece of work for performance to the rest of the group.

“Challenging and intense work towards detail, truth, and specifics. Creating with professional passionate physical performers who put so much in and expect as much, and more, back. Loved it!”
- previous Ad Infinitum masterclass participant

The masterclass will be facilitated in spoken English and BSL. BSL interpreters will be provided. There is level access to the space. Please get in touch with Emma at emma@ad-infinitum.org if you have any questions about access for the masterclass.

Everyone who takes part in the masterclass will be offered a discounted ticket for the BSL integrated performance of Beautiful Evil Things at Tobacco Factory Theatres on Thursday 29th February.

WHEN?

Autumn 2024 dates coming soon!

WHERE?

Bristol

WHO IS THE MASTERCLASS SUITABLE FOR?

Our masterclasses are aimed at professional and semi-professional theatre makers who are aged 18+ (including university students studying theatre making).

HOW MUCH?

£60

Up to 5 free places are available for deaf, Deaf or hard-of-hearing theatre makers. Please let us know on your booking form if you would like a free place and we will confirm this via email asap.

HOW DO I BOOK?

To book a place please complete this form. Full payment for the workshop must be made 14 days before the workshop. If you have to cancel your place for any reason, we will try to fill it. Refunds can only be offered up to 14 days before the masterclass, unless we can fill the place.

Information in BSL

ABOUT THE FACILITATORS

Click below to find out more about the facilitators leading the masterclass.

Co-Artistic Director of Ad Infinitum, George Mann has devised, directed, written and performed for the company for over 16 years. Credits include: Odyssey, winner of ‘The Stage Best Solo Performer Award’; Translunar Paradise, winner of nine awards; Light, four London runs including a sell-out at the 2015 London International Mime Festival; Extraordinary Wall [of Silence], made into a feature film for international screening; and Beautiful Evil Things, one of The Guardian’s ‘Best Theatre of 2022’: all shows have toured nationally and internationally for years. George won the National Theatre’s Quercus Trust Award in December 2014 and was Associate Director at Bristol Old Vic 2015-17. His critically acclaimed main stage directorial work at Bristol Old Vic includes Pink Mist, written by Owen Sheers, which transferred to Bush Theatre London in 2016.
David Ellington’s roles have been diverse, including film, theatre, and television drama and presenting since 1997. David has always enjoyed creative works including TV / film making projects and theatre workshop projects and also supported ALRA in running theatre courses for Deaf students.

Films and TV / adverts credits under his belt are Accessible advert - The Last Leg (C4), Paralympic accessible advert (C4), Smirnoff - Deaf dancer, Small World - Episode 2 (Mutt & Jeff Pictures), Otherside / Game of a Life (Neath Films), Stand By Your Man (BBC), I'm Spaziticus - The Comedy Lab (C4), The Inspector Lynley Mysteries (BBC), Holby City (BBC).

Theatre also includes Frozen (Fingersmiths), Paralympic Opening Ceremony / The Garden / Against the Tide (Strange Fruit & Graeae), Bent / Diary of an Action Man (Graeae), Under Milk Wood (Oxfordshire Theatre Tour Company). Circus art and street theatre experience also includes Extraordinary Bodies - What Am I Worth / Weighting (Diverse City & Cirque Bijou).
A freelance theatre maker & Movement Director, originally trained at École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq, Deborah is a core member of Ad Infinitum, developing & performing original work with us since 2007, most recently as Deviser, Co-creator and Co-composer of Beautiful Evil Things and touring Light and Translunar Paradise internationally.

As movement director: Jekyll and Hyde (Derby Theatre), Pinocchio (Hull Truck), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Sheffield Crucible) A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian, UK Premiere (Hull Truck), An Adventure (Bush Theatre, London), The Twits (Curve, Leicester and Rose Theatre, Kingston), Spitfire (Lowry Theatre), Declaration (Lowry Theatre), Bassett (Sheffield Crucible), Kristin Lavransdatter (North Wall).

Deborah is also a visiting practitioner at a number of drama schools & universities.

ABOUT AD INFINITUM

Ad Infinitum is a Bristol based multi-award-winning theatre company that has been touring nationally and internationally for the past 14 years. As a LGBTQIA+, working class and ethnic minority-led theatre company, we embrace difference through collaboration, enabling a more representative theatre culture to exist by placing those minoritised by society at the heart of our work.

Click here to download the masterclass information as a PDF